Connecting Online-Configurators (Including 3D Representations) with CAD-Systems, Small Scale Solutions for SMEs in the Design-Product and Building Sector

Abstract

As small and medium enterprises, such as craftsmen in the building sector, are often unable to invest in larger scale software solutions, full-blown on-line product configurators with embedded real-time 3D rendering appeared to have been out of reach for most of them so far, because of comparatively high in-vestments; considering programming and launch as well as maintenance, especially regarding the necessary effort to ensure smooth front-end availability and performance. This paper discusses the possibilities to develop and implement online-configurators with 3D representations as small scale solution for SMEs in the design-product and building sector. In this context an exemplary overview is presented and discussed; starting with the parametric design of the product in Rhino/Grasshopper, moving on to the translation of its geometry into webGL embedded in a JavaScript/PHP-combination for 3D representation in a simple online-configurator and then importing customer-chosen values for the definition of product-instances back into the Rhino/Grasshopper CAD environment, with the aim of semi-automatically creating production data for the CNC-milling of customized product-parts.