Configuration and 3D Visualization

Product configuration is seen by 80 percent of companies as a success factor for the sale of technical products with many variants. In the course of advancing digitalization in sales, configurators and 3D visualizations are central building blocks, as customers must also feel well advised in digital media.

This applies to both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) consulting. In B2B, the target group is engineers, planners and architects who are looking for a suitable product solution, for example for a machine, a system or a building. In B2C, the buyer wants to find a product that meets their requirements, for example with suitable dimensions, materials, functions and colors. After the selection process, interested parties expect an offer with a price and delivery date. This is why we talk about CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) in this context. Designers, architects and planners also need 3D CAD files in common exchange formats (STEP, SAT, DWG, DXF) or for direct use in the CAD or BIM system.

Configurator

crossbase has a proven interface with its long-standing integration partner, 4PACE (3PQ®). The PIM system contains a wealth of information for the configurator, which is provided by crossbase:

Configuration objects and basic combination options

Defining rules using conditions and scripts is at the heart of the configurator. The PIM system can assist with this, as many relationships are already maintained within the PIM system.

Configuration attributes

These are often already available in the PIM system in the form of product attributes and can be “mapped” (in practice, approximately 80% are already available).

Explanatory images, documents, videos, and text in the required languages

On the one hand, this is intended to help the user make the right selection during the configuration process, e.g., using hint texts and images. On the other hand, after the configuration process, corresponding images, documents, and a data sheet should be provided. The PIM system is ideally suited for this, as this product information is originally stored within the PIM system.

CAD/BIM

crossbase has proven interfaces with its long-standing integration partner 4PACE (CADClick®). The crossbase software solution manages and provides a wealth of information for CAD/BIM:

Geometric data for creating 3D CAD files

Only the installation dimensions are relevant here, not the manufacturing dimensions. The 3D CAD models must be created in a system-neutral format and, in the case of products with many variants, parameterized so that they can be used with any CAD or BIM system. The guiding principle here is: “Model once, use everywhere.”

Technical product data for BIM files

The BIM model is created for various Levels of Detail (LoD), the product data is enriched within the file itself, and the model is made available for Revit, Archicad, Allplan, or IFC.

Navigation structure and texts for distribution

For example, description and tender text in the required languages. CAD data can be distributed via portals or directly on the manufacturer’s website.