Frequently asked questions

Simplio3D is very suitable for retailers, especially when products are configurable or too complex to display physically. Many retailers use it as: A sales tool in-store (iPads, kiosks, TVs) A lead-generation tool online A visual catalog for products not physically in stock Retailers often start with visualization and later connect pricing, checkout, or ERP systems.

You can do either: DIY: Build the configurator yourself using the backend (Starter or Pro) Outsource: Hire freelancers or partners for 3D models and setup Simplio3D onboarding service: Simplio3D builds the first configurator for you Many clients start DIY and later outsource once complexity increases.

Anything with an option space too large to photograph — furniture, doors and windows, outdoor buildings, apparel and footwear, jewellery, shelving and modular systems, and industrial equipment. The common condition is that customers specify the product rather than picking it off a shelf.

The prepared 3D model is normally the constraint. Once it is uploaded, building options, conditional logic and pricing is visual work that does not require development, so a single product can go live quickly and complexity can be added in stages.

Yes. Simplio3D offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card. The trial gives access to Pro-level features, including integrations, so prospects can fully test real use cases before deciding.

No. Simplio3D is a cloud-based web service, not a self-hosted product. This ensures: Continuous updates Infrastructure stability Performance and security Running it internally would require significant server, DevOps, and maintenance costs.

Enterprise is best when you need: Advanced multi-object or modular configurators (i.e. kitchen-style logic, modular sofas, etc.) Custom camera, lighting, or rendering behavior Bill of Materials (BOM) Dedicated technical support Simplio3D-managed onboarding Most small and mid-size retailers start with Starter or Pro and upgrade only when needed.

GLB, GLTF, FBX, OBJ, STL and DAE, plus ZIP archives that bundle a model with its textures. GLB and GLTF are optimised for the web and are the best choice where you have one.

Separate and name the parts you want to control, map UVs — square 1:1 on any area that will take uploaded artwork or engraved text — reduce the polygon count, centre the model at the origin and place pivots correctly on anything that will scale or rotate.

Sixteen option block types cover it: material and colour selection, part visibility, dimension inputs that scale the model, dropdowns, thumbnails, carousels, toggles, hotspots, scenery, custom text with font selection, customer image upload, a pattern designer and a freeform design canvas.

Conditional logic shows, hides or restricts options based on earlier selections, so combinations you do not manufacture never become selectable. It is usually the most valuable thing you bring to a project.

Yes. Model versioning replaces the file while preserving the configuration built around it, so a product refresh does not mean rebuilding the project.

Yes. Image Upload accepts SVG, PNG, JPEG and WebP — up to 16 MB for raster files and 2 MB for SVG — and the Design Canvas controls placement, scale and rotation. SVG files containing distinct fill colours are detected automatically so each colour can be changed at runtime.

Both are possible: Direct checkout via Shopify/WooCommerce Lead generation (send configuration + customer details) Quotation workflows (PDF/email output) Many B2B companies start with leads and later add checkout once the process is validated.

Six price block types — base price, price groups, price tables, variables, and on Enterprise modular projects unique prices and SKUs — combine in a visual token-based formula editor, for example base price plus a material upgrade multiplied by quantity.

Yes. Number Input blocks feed the formula and price tables handle two-dimensional combinations, which covers most area- and size-based pricing such as tables, windows or buildings.

Yes. Currency symbol, position, decimal places and thousand separators are configurable, along with tax rates and tax labels for a transparent quote breakdown.

Quote and contact forms capture the configuration alongside the customer details, and submissions are reviewed under Requests in the dashboard.

Two modes. Redirect to Checkout needs no plugin and passes the product data in URL parameters. Add to Basket uses the plugin and adds the configured product to the cart in place, with the price Simplio3D calculated overriding the linked product placeholder price.

Install the published Simplio3D app, or connect a custom app if you own the store and the app in the same organisation. It needs only write_draft_orders and read_products — never customer, order or payment permissions. Checkout runs as a cart link, a Draft Order carrying the configured price, or on Enterprise a SKU-matched multi-line cart.

Yes. The REST API and the typed @simplio3d/sdk client let your own systems author option blocks, manage pricing, read quote submissions and register webhooks. The SDK is headless — it does not render a configurator, so the 3D still comes from a published share URL or a custom UI built on the viewer package.

Yes. An embedded project broadcasts browser events — simplio3d:option.changed, simplio3d:form.submitted and simplio3d:quote.submitted — that the hosting page can listen for and forward to analytics, with origin verification.

No. AR uses the frameworks built into each device — AR Quick Look on iOS and Google Scene Viewer on Android. On desktop a QR code hands the current configuration to the phone. AR requires the project to have a share link enabled.

Yes. The AI assistant audits an existing project, reviewing option coverage and conditional logic. On a project with a few hundred options, exhaustive manual checking is not something anyone actually does — which is where rule gaps reach production.

MCP is the Model Context Protocol. Simplio3D exposes an MCP server with 115 tools — 51 read-only and 61 controlled-write — spanning projects, validation, 3D inspection, materials, option blocks, conditional logic, pricing, quotes, forms and sharing. An assistant such as Claude can connect and inspect real projects, evaluate logic or calculate pricing.

Writes follow a propose, confirm and snapshot model, so an agent cannot silently change a live configurator. Access is authenticated with OAuth 2.1 or scoped bearer tokens and gated by plan and workspace role, with rate limits, per-reply tool budgets and result size caps.

Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor and VS Code are the documented clients.