Interactive 3D configurators, with all their variants and configurations, are the modern, innovative tool for 3D-product presentation.

What does a 3D configurator cost?

Prices depend on the type of 3D configurator you choose and the structure and complexity of the available 3D data. Generally, the costs for a design-oriented 3D configurator will be lower than for a structure-oriented, rule-based configurator (>> Two types of 3D configurator). In both cases it is helpful if the necessary 3D data is already available, ideally in CAD format.

We first examine and test the 3D data you are able to provide and then on the basis of your wishes and ideas we are able to offer an individual quote for your 3D configurator.

Technical basics

The basis for 3D configurators is provided by 3D models. The majority of product manufacturers already have a three-dimensional CAD model for every article they offer. But in other cases it is not a problem to generate a CAD model. The 3D models are stored in the backend of the 3D configurator and are automatically and dynamically adapted in the browser if the user makes interactive alterations (e.g. to dimensions, colour, surfaces, or product options).

At the technical level, the JavaScript-interface WebGL provides a presentation of 3D contents in the browser, the 3D visualisations are integrated on websites with HTML. The presentation of a browser-based 3D configurator is therefore possible on a smartphone, the use of WebGL allows the cross-platform deployment of 3D configurators.

 

Two types of 3D configuration

While in some cases a product configurator can be extremely complicated, a 3D-based or CAD-based configurator will basically involve two key elements: The object groups or individual components, and the materials. In principle, a 3D configurator offers the opportunity to combine all available 3D objects with one another, using any of the appropriate materials that are available.

A distinction is made between design-oriented and structure-oriented 3D configurators
 
A suitable product for a design-oriented 3D configurator is a bicycle. A typical bicycle will always have only two wheels (although each wheel may have a different rim, and the wheels might possibly have different numbers of spokes). There are similar restrictions for example for the pedals or the fork.

A suitable product for a structure-oriented 3D configurator would be a modular storage system. Such a system could be configured in any number of ways, with different heights and widths for the modules, and different dimensions for the overall system. Each alteration has a direct influence on the configuration or is constrained by the existing configuration to a greater or lesser extent.

It is also necessary to consider if an alteration will have to comply with certain rules or constraints – or can all components be adapted independently from one another? In other words, to what extent is the 3D configurator rule-based?

Other considerations are:
 

• Are 3D or CAD data available or will they have to be generated?
• Standard user interface or your own UI/UX with or without product photos?
• Integration in a website / Embedding in a shop system
• API interface: Communication between 3D configurator and the website
• Interactivity: Rotation, zoom, movement in scene, etc.

The choice of one option or the other will also depend on the product in question. You must also ask yourself what you want to achieve with a configurator on your website?
 

• Do you want to convince the customer of the quality and the flexibility of your product, stand out from the competition, and in this way establish closer personal contact with the customer? This would suggest using a design-oriented configurator.
• Or alternatively, do you need a tool the customer can use to create a configuration on your website which will then go into production?