EXA3D: From custom project to maintainable system

As is so often the case, ideas are born out of necessity and this is also the case with EXA3D.

In 2021, we decided to lay the foundation stone for EXA3D and realise a wish that had been present for some time: The development of a maintainable 3D configurator solution - specifically geared towards mechanical engineering.

Why mechanical engineering?

Our origins lie in the classic agency business. We have been successfully implementing projects in the areas of 3D visualisation and web development since 2013. The spectrum ranges from simple 3D still renderings to complex real-time 3D applications. But the target group for these projects has been the same from the very beginning: mechanical engineering. Over the years, we have learnt to understand and love this industry.

No two companies are the same and every company has its own products and therefore specific complexities and requirements. Understanding these products and ensuring that they can be captured and understood even better is what appeals to us and is also what drives us every day.

First configurator

We were commissioned with the first configurator project in 2016. This point in time can be seen as the first step towards our current 3D configurator endeavour. Until then, we had always seen 3D visualisation and web development as two separate areas. Now being able to combine both areas in a meaningful way was a game changer for us.

In 2017, the time had come and our first configurator was published: a complete success and competing companies, even large corporations, became aware of the configurator of the small medium-sized company.

The configurator was used both internally and externally as a sales tool. New products were developed, prices were adjusted and these naturally had to be transferred to the configurator. No problem, but always associated with code adjustments, which are more or less complex and, above all, time-consuming.

Request for maintenance

In the meantime, other 3D configurator projects were realised. Here too, of course, changes had to be made at a later date: Adjustments to product lines and interfaces. These changes involve complex code adjustments. The first customer feedback: "Can we extend the configurator in a maintainable way?"

EXA3D

In February 2021, in the midst of the pandemic lockdown, we decided to bring a maintainable 3D configurator solution to life. It should offer the following advantages

- Admin area that can be maintained by the customer

- Modular system/set of rules for easy definition of your own configurators

- SaaS subscription model: Every customer gets new features rolled out with release.

EXA3D was born.

Launch

2023 In June 2023, after a good 2 years of development, the first configurator, powered by EXA3D, was released. Since then, we have been constantly adding new features and interfaces to our product and working as closely and cooperatively with customers as possible, with the aim of being the best and most capable 3D configurator solution for mechanical engineering on the market.