Scene 3D Model Outputs

Scene Model Outputs are a 3D "snapshot" of the geometry, materials, and other properties of a 3D scene. Since the model is called from a configurator, it captures the 3D scene for a specific configured product with it's unique settings and field values. This model can be exported into a file used by many digital content creation applications such as SolidWorks, Blender, the Unreal engine, and more.

For example, if your playground configurator has a 3D jungle-gym scene associated with it, then you can include a model output of the custom-configured jungle gym in your quote document. This can help architects import the jungle-gym structure in their plans for the playground or park that contains the play structure.

Understanding 3D Model Outputs

• The model only contains the geometry specific to this scene for this configured product. Note that this geometry does not include items not found in the 3D scene. For example, if the configured product created by a jungle gym configurator does not contain a slide component, or parts such as mounting screws to hold handrails and bars together, they will not appear in the exported file.
• The model may contain materials or other invisible supporting data used generally in the scene but not used in this specific configuration.
• The model is exported in .GLB format only. If your application requires geometry in another format, use one of the many conversion tools available to create the file type required.

Outputs run after your user has clicked submit as part of the workflow. The configured product they created has been stored within a quote, which is going through that workflow.  Your user has closed the window, and is no longer looking at the 3D scene.  This output uses the settings they made in the configurator to run the scene rules again, on the server, to recreate the scene.  The model of the scene is generated and exported as a file.

Scene Model Output Properties

Along with the standard properties shared by most outputs, Scene Render Outputs also have the following:

Property	Notes
Name	The programming name your customers do not see, but you can use in your Snap rules, as shown below.
Description	An optional field describing the output. This is internal: by default your customer does not see this information.
Tags	Tags are used to control visibility of output documents. For example, maybe the source Word document is tagged "ForInternalUse", but the pdf export is tagged "ForCustomers". With tags like this, you can use workflow rules to map the tags to user roles, so only the right users can see the file.
Enabled	If this is unchecked, the export will not be built.
Post to Cloud	Controls whether after being built, the output file is attached back to the quote or product it originated from. Note that as long as the output is enabled, the file will be built. This property only controls whether the file is attached back to the quote. A common use case for this feature is to set Post to Cloud = false for CAD outputs, as it is rarely desired for the native CAD files to be attached back to the quote for the customer or salesperson to download. The files will still be built, and safe inside your company hard drive for later access. But perhaps you have a PDF export of a CAD drawing to post back to the cloud for end users to download. This export file would have Post to Cloud = true.
Overwrite Pre-Existing Buildgs	If a build is performed on a quote or quote product that already has files generated from this build (for example if it was submitted, rejected, edited, and submitted again), you can either overwrite these previous files, or leave them alone and append this new one with an incremented version number appended to the target filename.
Target Filename	The desired filename of the built output file. If left blank, the output name will be used as the filename.
Scene	The 3D scene which contains the geometry you want to export. Usually the same scene which is specified in the configurator's general properties.

Creating a Scene Model Output

If a configurator has a scene, then a scene model output can be created in the configurator linked to this scene.

1. Prepare your 3D Scene.

   Ensure your 3D Scene contains appropriate geometry. Since the export contains not just the visual elements but also logical elements, review the scene to ensure you are not leaking information which could be sensitive. Specifically:

   • Review the explorer list of meshes and materials. Ensure the mesh and material names contain no sensitive data, such as part numbers which are not public spare parts. Ensure meshes and materials do not have creative names which may not align with your company's brand or vision.
   • If you are changing the names of any of these nodes, search any Snap code in the Scene, Configurator, or Quote Header first for those names. Update the name and all Snap references to it, or your Snap code may not perform correctly.
2. Find or create a build in your configurator.
   1. Open the configurator related to this scene in the admin tool.
   2. In the configurator explorer tree, select an existing output build or add a new one.
   3. Click the add + symbol to the right of the output build name, and choose "Scene 3D Model". This will add a new Scene 3D Model output to your build.
      
   4. Adjust the auto-generated name of your Scene Model output for clarity, if necessary.
   5. In the scene model output properties pane, in the Render Options section, select the Scene you wish to export geometry from. This is usually the same scene listed in your configurator properties pane.
   6. Review the other properties (listed above). In most cases, the default settings are appropriate.
3. Create an export of the output.
   1. In the configurator explorer tree, click the twistie arrow next to your 3D Scene Model output you just created. Folders for rules and exports appear nested below the output.
   2. Select the exports folder, click the add + symbol to the right of the folder, and choose a format. This will add a new export to the output.
   3. Adjust the auto-generated name of your export file, if necessary.

Testing your Scene Model Output

As with all outputs, you can run your configurator for testing and see the "test build" button appear at the bottom of the window. Select the output you wish to test.

Calling your Scene Model Output

Like all outputs, this scene model output is only performed when its build is called by a build rule in your workflow.  For example, to create all the builds in the "Sales" build of the configurator above, the workflow would have a Build state block that includes "Configurator build type... Sales".

Customizing your Scene for a Scene Model Output

The scene you display on your customer's web browser for them to explore interactively may look different from the scene model you export for other purposes.  For example, you may want to show dimension lines in the web browser for understanding, but hide those lines in the scene model file.  Create just one scene for both purposes, and use scene logic to show or hide elements, depending on where the scene is used.

Control the visibility of scene elements in a scene rule, as you normally do, but use the get block to determine...

• isRender (boolean): if this scene is being composed for a render on the server, instead of being composed for interactive use by the user on the workstation.
• renderPass (text): the name of the specific server-side render pass being executed. 

For example, the scene rule below will call the scene function "TurnOffDimension" only if the scene is being rendered, and if the name of the renderPass is "Ortho".