3D Product configurator needed or unnecessary?

In this blog, we will discuss the functionality of 3D visualisations in a product configurator and to what extent they add value. After all, isn’t a configurator with standard images often enough for your user already? Merkato Essentials works both with and without 3D visualisations. The choice is therefore entirely up to you. But based on our experience, we would like to share some tips to make the choice between a configurator with 3D visualisations and one with standard images easier.

Something that occurs on a regular basis is the desire for a 3D configurator. Yet this wish is adjusted after hearing about the cost of 3D product animations and the time required for them. Not entirely unimportant; CPQing Solutions does not create 3D visual material. So these are costs that fall outside the configurator. If you already have 3D visual material, it can be incorporated into Merkato Essentials without any problems. But even without a 3D display, the product configurator can be a visual sales tool or quotation software.

Advantages 3D product configurator

A 3D product configurator provides 360-degree view of the product during configuration. Adjustments such as colour, size or options are immediately visible in the animation. It gives a unique view of the product and allows the customer to keep an eye on the cost of their design while putting it together. Using good animations gives customers a sense of power and control during the production process.

You can therefore view a 3D configurator as a powerful sales tool that acts as the finest virtual showroom. It allows customers to virtually interact with a product and customise it to their specifications.

The benefits of 3D configurators

There are several benefits of using 3D visualisation in a product configurator:

Improved user experience: Using 3D visualisation, customers can view and manipulate their products in real-time, giving them a better understanding of what their final product will look like.
Increased engagement: A 3D product configurator can involve customers in the design process and make them feel like they are creating their own unique product. This can lead to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Increased sales conversions: Allowing customers to customise and visualise their products helps them decide which options to choose and speeds up their purchasing decisions.
Cost savings: 3D visualisation allows you to create prototypes without creating physical products, saving time and costs in the production process.
Possibilities for personalisation: A 3D product configurator offers personalisation and customisation capabilities, allowing you to meet your customers’ specific needs and desires.

CPQing’s product configurator works on the basis of a user-friendly rules engine. Thus, no programming knowledge is needed, only product knowledge is required to set up the product configurator. Our rules engine, the engine of our configurator, is the most powerful and fastest in the market. The flexibility is endless. The possibilities of Merkato Essentials are thus limited only by your imagination.

Read more about what a product configurator is

What does a 3D product configurator cost

The big disadvantage of 3D images in a configurator is the price tag that comes with having these images created. For the 3D visualisations to move quickly and naturally in a browser, 3D CAD models have to be converted to models that are also used in the gaming industry. Especially with a wide product range, it can be a time-consuming (and therefore expensive) process to display products and configurations in 3D. However, if you have the knowledge and capacity to model this 3D visualisation yourself, the costs are manageable. Often, our specialist will create the first 3D model for you and you will be trained by us so that you can create the subsequent 3D models yourself. Whereas the knowledge rules, quotation documents and products are often in place with a few weeks, it is sometimes longer to wait for the matching visual material.

The additional costs for realising and integrating the 3D visualisation are easily between €5,000 and €10,000.

Are 3D animations really necessary?

While some providers of product generators rely heavily on 3D animations, we more often play devil’s advocate. We therefore regularly ask the question “are 3D animations really necessary in your product configurator?”. We, too, usually think it’s the greatest thing but is it functional for your application? Of course, we know the benefits, but also the time and cost involved in creating them. In some cases, we even see that the (extra) cost of 3D imagery puts the whole desire for a configurator on hold. All the while, there are excellent alternatives to achieve a visual configurator for your customers. But perhaps best of all, CPQing Solutions’ configurator does look like a customised solution due to its flexibility, but it isnot a customised solution, but configurator software. As a result, at a later stage, it can still be chosen to adapt the imagery to 3D animations.

The alternative: the visual product configurator

And while a 3D product configurator looks very slick indeed, there is a perfectly cheaper alternative. Namely a product configurator with static 2D images. By deploying static images correctly, the customer is still visually supported. With a solid visual plan, you can show a different image/image of the modification made in the configurator for each adjustment. This way, the customer still sees directly (visually) the adjustments made such as colour, size or chosen material.

In general, we see that the alternative on 3D visualisations is already present in many organisations. To experience the benefits of a product configurator faster, we therefore often recommend starting with it. Since adjustments can be made easily, without programming knowledge, the configurator can be built on, extended and adapted while you work with it.
Are you curious about the possibilities of our (3D) product configurator? Via the configurator checker you can quickly find out whether a product configurator meets your wishes and needs. If you are already sure it will, request a demo or experience our 3D configurator. Of course, you can also free contact to discuss your situation with our specialists.