Carpet Photography Specialist

PhotoRobot Carpet Studio is the complete workstation for carpets, rugs, and large textile samples — Carousel 3000 (or 5000) rotary platform with drive-up ramps + fixed seven-camera rig + cyclorama + CAPP orchestration + downstream Carpet & Flooring Visualizer integration. This specialty teaches the operator’s craft: device, capture workflow, lighting discipline, Visualizer + industry delivery.

What Carpet Studio is

The PhotoRobot Carpet Studio is specialty hardware in the PhotoRobot range — distinct from standard turntables (Centerless Table, Frame, Cube) which are smaller, and from the Catwalk fashion platform which captures live models in motion video. Carpet Studio consists of:

• A Carousel 3000 rotary platform (3 m diameter, square-shape modification, drive-up ramps on front/left/right, low-floor design via separate motor assembly)
• Optional upgrade to Carousel 5000 (5 m diameter, same family, for oversize samples like industrial textile rolls or 4×6m+ rugs)
• A fixed seven-camera rig: Cameras 1-4 along the platform sides + Cameras 5-6 in the top structure + Camera 7 (Canon EOS R6) on optical USB extension for repositionable detail captures
• Cyclorama background with attachment points
• 19-inch rack Control Unit housing workstation electronics
• PhotoRobot Controls App (CAPP) software with wizard mode for barcode-driven catalog throughput

Output: a multi-angle capture set that feeds catalog 360° spins + top-down design tiles + detail captures + (most distinctively) the Carpet & Flooring Visualizer — an interactive end-customer tool dropping carpets into virtual interior scenes for online product browsing. The Visualizer’s reference deployment is Breno Carpets (hosting.photorobot.com/demo/carpet-viewer).

The workflow is straightforward in principle: load carpet onto Carousel via drive-up ramps, rotate platform under the fixed cameras while strobes (or continuous lighting) illuminate, capture from all seven angles per rotation stop, hand off to post-production for Visualizer / catalog / QC / industry-specific delivery. The discipline is in lighting (texture revelation matters more than for any other PhotoRobot vertical), fibre awareness (wool / synthetic / blend each render differently), colour fidelity, and downstream integration.

Why this track is its own specialty

Four things distinguish Carpet Studio from general PhotoRobot operation:

1. Specialty hardware. The Carousel platform + 7-camera rig + cyclorama + drive-up ramps configuration is purpose-built for large flat textile capture. Standard turntables can’t accommodate 2×3 m rugs, can’t deliver 7-angle coverage, don’t feed Visualizer pipelines correctly.

2. Texture revelation is the deliverable’s primary value. Carpets are sold on material character + texture, not just design. Lighting decisions (raking light especially) determine whether captures honestly represent the material or look like flat catalog tiles. SPCARP03 dedicates a full module to lighting discipline.

3. Fibre-aware tuning. Wool absorbs + reads matte; synthetic reflects + reads glossy; blend behaviour varies per fibre arrangement. Lighting strategy + colour discipline adapts per fibre type. Generic capture protocol doesn’t serve a catalog mixing fibres.

4. Visualizer + industry-specific downstream. Carpet Studio captures feed Visualizer compositing (virtual rooms), industry-specific delivery (residential B2C / B2B wholesale / automotive Tier 1 / industrial QC), and complex post-production pipelines. SPCARP04 covers the downstream end-to-end.

The Carpet Specialist track exists because these differences are substantial enough that an Operator who’s great at static product photography still needs explicit training before running Carpet Studio sessions reliably.

What you’ll learn

After completing the Carpet Photography Specialist package and passing the certification exam, you will be able to:

• Identify the seven Carousel 3000 components + understand why they’re configured the way they are (drive-up ramps, low floor via separate motor, cyclorama connecting points)
• Choose between Carousel 3000 and Carousel 5000 for a customer’s sample inventory + scope installation requirements
• Execute Carpet Studio capture sessions end-to-end — pre-session prep, loading via drive-up ramps, configuring the 7-camera rig in CAPP, executing rotation, capturing details, handling common problems, closing out cleanly
• Use wizard mode for high-throughput catalog sessions (barcode-driven sample identification + auto-capture)
• Apply the canonical Carpet Studio lighting structure — cyclorama wash + raking light + soft fill — and adapt it per session need
• Position raking light per pile direction + fibre type for honest texture revelation
• Adapt lighting for wool / synthetic / cotton / silk / blend fibre samples
• Execute colour-critical session protocol for automotive QC + brand-strict catalog + production proofing
• Configure captures for Visualizer integration + understand how the 7-camera rig maps to Visualizer features
• Recognise the five industry delivery patterns (residential B2C / B2B wholesale / automotive / industrial QC / adjacent) + scope deliverables per industry
• Hand off captures to post-production with the file organisation + metadata + reference frames post needs
• Scope customer engagements with the right questions about deliverable scope, colour fidelity, throughput cadence, downstream pipeline, budget/timeline trade-off

The track is technical + customer-facing, combining device fluency + lighting discipline + industry awareness + engagement scoping. Carpet Specialists serve a narrower customer base than foundational tracks but with deeper per-customer relationships.

What’s included

The Carpet Photography Specialist package contains 4 modules plus an end-of-package certification exam.

Carpet Specialist track (SPCARP## namespace)

1. SPCARP01 — Carpet Studio Device + Carousel Architecture ~75 min. What Carpet Studio is, the seven Carousel 3000 components (rotary platform / plate floor / motor assembly / connectors dome / drive-up ramps / cyclorama connecting points / 19-inch rack Control Unit), camera positioning (7-camera rig with specific roles), CAPP integration including wizard mode, Carousel 3000 vs 5000 decision, installation modes + site requirements, where Carpet Studio fits in the PhotoRobot range, canonical customer profiles, downstream Carpet & Flooring Visualizer overview.

2. SPCARP02 — Carpet Capture Workflow ~75 min. Pre-session preparation (sample receiving, environment readiness, CAPP setup), loading carpets onto the Carousel via drive-up ramps (rolled samples + flat-folded + already-flat handling, pile-up control), configuring the seven cameras in CAPP (capture set selection, camera-by-camera setup, focus + exposure + white balance discipline, reference frame capture), executing rotation (standard 360° pass + Camera 7 detail captures + multi-pass inspection sessions), scenarios as productivity multiplier, wizard mode for high-throughput catalogue, common capture problems + recovery (7 patterns: pile-up + rotation misalignment + colour drift + focus inconsistency + sample slippage + strobe sync + cyclorama in frame), session closeout discipline.

3. SPCARP03 — Lighting Discipline for Carpet Capture ~75 min. Why carpet capture demands its own lighting discipline (3 reasons: texture-as-value + large flat surfaces + Visualizer compositing), continuous vs strobe decision for Carpet Studio (strobe default + when continuous makes sense), the canonical lighting structure (cyclorama wash + raking light + soft fill), raking light positioning for the 7-camera rig (single-side vs two-side + angle vs pile direction), fibre-aware lighting (wool / synthetic / cotton / silk / blend tuning), colour discipline (standard catalog protocol + strict colour-critical protocol per Colour Temperature Management), multi-pass capture for inspection sessions, cyclorama configuration, common lighting problems + recovery, lighting kit specification at minimum / production / premium tiers. Links into the Lighting Techniques reference library for fundamentals — 5 reference manuals on continuous vs strobe, raking light, three-point setup, colour temperature, fibre-specific.

4. SPCARP04 — Visualizer Integration + Industry Delivery ~60 min. The downstream pipeline from captures to customer-facing deliverable. Why Visualizer + industry-specific delivery matter, the Carpet & Flooring Visualizer in detail (Breno Carpets reference), capture set requirements for Visualizer (which cameras feed which Visualizer features), the five industry delivery patterns (residential B2C / B2B wholesale / automotive Tier 1 / industrial QC / adjacent applications), per-industry deliverable format reference table, post-production handoff (file organisation, session notes, metadata, reference frame discipline, customer pre-acceptance protocol), customer engagement scoping (key questions, scope document structure), common downstream problems + recovery.

Each module includes a textbook (reference reading), a workbook (scenario-based exercises grounded in real customer + studio situations), and a knowledge check quiz (10-12 questions per module, instructor uses for cohort calibration; module knowledge checks are informational + not gating).

The package also references the Lighting Techniques reference library — 5 self-contained manuals published as Academy reference. SPCARP03 builds on them; students should read the relevant manuals before SPCARP03 sessions.

How the package is delivered

Two delivery formats (online not offered — hands-on equipment work required):

At PhotoRobot studio (Klecany)

Group training in PhotoRobot’s training studio with Carousel 3000 + full 7-camera rig + cyclorama + lighting kit + CAPP workstation pre-configured. 2-day intensive with hands-on capture sessions on pre-prepared carpet samples (wool, synthetic, blend, automotive sample, sample-card set, silk swatch for premium demo). Module sequence runs SPCARP01 → SPCARP02 → SPCARP03 → SPCARP04 → cert exam over the 2 days.

In your studio

PhotoRobot Certified Instructor travels to your team’s location. 2-3 days working with your actual carpet sample inventory + your installed Carpet Studio + your customer’s deliverable requirements. Best when carpet capture is a strategic capability you’re adding rather than one-time engagement. Requires verified Carpet Studio installation on customer site before scheduling — installation includes Carousel 3000/5000 + 7-camera rig + cyclorama + lighting kit at production tier or higher.

Online — not available

Carpet Photography Specialist is not available online. The capture skills (sample loading on Carousel, 7-camera lighting setup, raking light positioning, fibre-specific tuning, multi-pass inspection discipline) require live equipment work. Module textbooks are available as reference, but cert exam requires hands-on session completion verified by PhotoRobot Certified Instructor.

Certification

After completing all four modules + hands-on session, students take the PhotoRobot Carpet Photography Specialist certification exam:

• 25 questions drawn from a pool weighted across the four modules (SPCARP03 lighting + SPCARP04 delivery scoping carry more weight per current exam pool design)
• 70% pass threshold
• 45 minutes
• Scenario-heavy mix — most questions present a Carpet Studio capture or customer engagement scenario + ask for the best decision (lighting setup, fibre-specific adjustment, deliverable format, engagement scoping question)
• Hands-on completion required — cert exam is not standalone; student must complete instructor-verified hands-on session (Klecany or on-site) before exam access
• Open-book — Lighting Techniques reference library + module textbooks accessible during exam; candidates who haven’t internalised the material will run out of time looking things up
• Verifiable certificate — auto-generated PDF with QR code that resolves to a public verification page
• 2 years validity — refresh exam available before expiry to extend (12 questions, 75% pass, 25 min, extends by 2 years)

The Carpet Photography Specialist cert exam pool is at /quiz/certifications/carpet-specialist.html (will be reworked in v0.51.1 per canonical framing). 70% pass + hands-on completion = PhotoRobot Certified Carpet Photography Specialist credential.

Who should take it

The Carpet Photography Specialist package is for:

• PhotoRobot Certified Operators at studios serving carpet manufacturers, rug dealers, automotive interior textile programs, industrial textile QC, or related verticals
• Studios with PhotoRobot Carpet Studio installed — the only studios that can practically apply this content
• Customer studio managers at carpet / rug / textile companies evaluating PhotoRobot for inspection-grade catalog + Visualizer integration
• Automotive supplier studios documenting interior textile samples for car manufacturer compliance programs
• PhotoRobot internal staff delivering carpet-vertical engagements

It is not for:

• Studios without Carpet Studio hardware (standard turntable workflows insufficient for large flat textiles)
• Operators without Operator Standard certification (foundational discipline required first)
• Customers in unrelated verticals where carpet capture is a one-off curiosity (custom engagement, not formal cert)

Prerequisites

Required:

• PhotoRobot Certified Operator (current, not lapsed) — capture-side fluency

Required (equipment):

• PhotoRobot Carpet Studio installed in the studio where you’ll apply the cert. Includes Carousel 3000 (or 5000) + 7-camera rig + cyclorama + lighting kit at production tier or higher. PhotoRobot Sales verifies installation before enrollment.

Helpful:

• Carpet / textile industry context (you’ve worked with carpet manufacturers, rug dealers, or automotive interior programs)
• Familiarity with carpet vocabulary (pile, weft, warp, weave, jacquard, tufted, fibre types) — even at the wiki-page level
• Familiarity with the Lighting Techniques reference library before SPCARP03
• A live customer engagement where Carpet Studio operation would apply (training is most useful when grounded in a real upcoming project)

If you don’t yet have Operator Standard, complete that first. If your studio doesn’t have a Carpet Studio installation, enrollment is gated until installation is verified — contact PhotoRobot sales to discuss Carpet Studio options + bundled engagements.

Enrollment

This package is equipment-gated. PhotoRobot sales verifies your studio’s Carpet Studio installation before issuing the voucher code. Each voucher is single-use, per-student.

For per-student pricing at Klecany, see the public sessions calendar. For custom on-site engagement pricing, contact PhotoRobot sales.

Customers without a Carpet Studio installation: PhotoRobot sales can scope bundled engagements (Carpet Studio hardware + installation + initial Carpet Specialist training) for studios adding this capability. The cert track is a downstream credential; the hardware is the upstream gate.

After certification

The Carpet Photography Specialist credential opens:

• Production Carpet Studio operation leadership at customer engagements — you’re equipped to own the carpet capture portion of a customer’s catalog + Visualizer + QC documentation program
• Cross-vertical applications — Carpet Studio skills extend to large flat textiles (industrial fabric samples, automotive interior textiles, upholstery), wallpaper / wall-covering manufacturers, large flat artwork archiving, tile + flooring material manufacturers
• PhotoRobot Certified Instructor (CI) path to deliver Carpet Photography Specialist training at your organization (once you have ~5+ production carpet projects shipped + CI prerequisites)
• PhotoRobot Partner Network listing as a certified Carpet Photography Specialist (highest-niche specialty but strong customer demand signal in carpet + automotive supplier vertical)

The cert is the entry point. Real Carpet Specialist mastery comes from shipping 5-10 production projects across different fibre types + delivery contexts (residential / B2B / automotive / industrial).

Module readiness (v0.51.0 status)

Tracking the build state of each module:

• ✅ SPCARP01 — Carpet Studio Device + Carousel Architecture (new in v0.49.0; canonical Carousel 3000/5000 framing)
• ✅ SPCARP02 — Carpet Capture Workflow (new in v0.49.0; capture session discipline)
• ✅ SPCARP03 — Lighting Discipline for Carpet Capture (new in v0.51.0; links to v0.50.0 Lighting Manuals reference library)
• ✅ SPCARP04 — Visualizer Integration + Industry Delivery (new in v0.51.0; Visualizer + industry patterns + post handoff + engagement scoping)

Carpet Photography Specialist is 4/4 modules ready after v0.51.0. Cert exam pool + refresh exam pending v0.51.1 rewrite to align with new module content. Landing surfaces alignment (specialty-tracks.md, glossary, cross-specialty-stacking, Webflow handoff) pending v0.51.2.

Module history (Carpet arc — v0.49.0 → v0.51.x)

Earlier v0.40.0 Carpet Specialist track was based on incorrect product framing (“centerless turntable + fast spin + raking light + pile-up effects”). Canonical PhotoRobot product for carpets is Carpet Studio with Carousel 3000 (or 5000) — different product, different workflow, different camera configuration.

Rework sequence:

• v0.49.0 — SPCARP01 + SPCARP02 rewrites (slug renames + Carousel framing)
• v0.50.0 — Lighting Techniques reference library foundation (5 manuals + index); enables SPCARP03 to link rather than self-contain
• v0.51.0 — SPCARP03 + SPCARP04 + this package.md rewrite (3 → 4 modules; canonical framing)
• v0.51.1 — Quiz pool rewrites (4 module pools + cert exam + refresh exam)
• v0.51.2 — Landing surfaces alignment

Old SPCARP module directories (spcarp01-large-flat-surface/, spcarp02-texture-revealing-lighting/, spcarp03-industry-delivery/) on disk pending KH manual rm after v0.51.0 cleanup.

A note on the customer base

Carpet Photography Specialist serves the smallest customer base of all PhotoRobot Academy specialty tracks — narrower than OCR or 3D Modeling. But the per-customer relationship runs deeper + lasts longer:

• Carpet manufacturers + rug dealers typically have multi-year engagements (seasonal catalog refresh + new product launches + Visualizer scene additions)
• Automotive Tier 1 suppliers integrate Carpet Studio into multi-year supplier programs (annual model refreshes + QC documentation cycles)
• Industrial textile QC customers integrate Carpet Studio into production-line documentation flows (continuous batches over multi-year contracts)

Specialists at these customer studios become embedded experts — known by name to the customer’s product team, brought in for new product evaluations, treated as part of the customer’s quality + content pipeline. The narrow customer base is the trade-off for depth.

A note on equipment gating

Carpet Photography Specialist is one of two equipment-gated cert tracks in Academy (Virtual Catwalk being the other). Gating is intentional:

• No equipment = no delivery capability. A certified Specialist without Carpet Studio cannot execute carpet capture for customers.
• Sales coordination required. PhotoRobot sales verifies installation before voucher issuance.
• Bundled engagement option. Studios planning to add the capability can negotiate hardware + training as a package via sales.

For role-based gating (Operator, Studio Manager, Integrator) the foundational tracks; for equipment gating, the Carpet + Virtual Catwalk specialties.