3D Scene Use Types

When creating a scene, or when editing its properties in the Scene Top Toolbar, specify "How will the scene be used?"

Scenes with configurators

When you select With a CPQ configurator, you are telling the scene to pull the user interface and logic information from an existing, fully-featured configurator.  Data can flow between them:

1. From configurator to scene.
   Information from the configurator’s fields will be visible in the scene’s Rules Editor.  For example, a scene rule can use a "getField" Snap block to read any field information from the configurator.

2. From scene to configurator.
   Information from the scene’s rules can be made available to the configurator’s rules. For example, the scene can send data back to the configurator using a message rule, or the configurator can call a scene function.

Standalone scenes

Standalone scenes are rarely used. When you select Standalone, the scene is unrelated to any configurator. The simple user interface of the scene is defined from within the scene admin tool using the  3D Scene Rules Editor.  Since there is no relationship defined to a configurator, your scene will have…

1. No configurator logic.
   Some snap blocks that are based on a configurator will not work.

2. No save or submit buttons.
   When your user leaves the web page showing the scene, any selections they made are lost.

So, why would you use a scene standalone?

Standalone scenes are usually just for testing. However, you could use a standalone scene for parity across your product line. Your company may want to have the same high-quality, interactive 3D visuals shown on your configured products to also appear on your standard products, so both types appear with the same level of visual design and excitement. If you embed a configurator (and scene) for your custom product into your web site, you can embed a stand-alone scene with no configurator to represent a standard product in your web site.*

*the built-in standard “products” tab or in integrations with other systems, only images can represent standard products. However, in the HTML of your own website, anything can represent your products, so a stand-alone scene can appear when you like in your own website through the Embed API.