by Brianna Crandall — June 22, 2016 — Configura, creator of CET Designer software and other intelligent space-planning software used around the world, officially launched its virtual reality technology at the NeoCon 2016 contract furnishings show last week in Chicago. CET Designer is intelligent, highly visual and intuitive space-planning software that simplifies specifying and selling of products in a variety of industries.
In CET Designer, components that represent manufacturers’ products look and behave like actual products. Users drag and drop components into two-dimensional (2D) and 3D virtual environments; behind the scenes, the software tracks components, calculates pricing and prevents user errors. Users can create and generate layouts, quotes, photorealistic renderings, movies, installation drawings, reconfigurations and bills of materials.
CET Designer Virtual Viewer Extension
Configura’s new CET Designer Virtual Viewer Extension lets users “walk around” in a drawing in full-screen mode using gaming controls. Wearing Oculus Rift goggles, an individual can have an immersive virtual reality experience of a designed space, allowing designers to help their customers visualize their space “like never before,” says the company.
Configura’s new CET Designer Virtual Viewer Extension lets users “walk around” in a drawing in full-screen mode wearing Oculus Rift goggles and using gaming controls.
Meanwhile, an entire audience can take part in the “walk around,” no goggles needed, by viewing on a screen as a user guides them with the gaming controls. The designer can make changes that can be applied instantly, and immediately viewed and experienced by the individual or the audience.
CET Designer 7.0
In May, Configura released CET Designer 7.0 with major additions and new features that will benefit the contract furniture designer, including the ability for users to reduce rendering times, choose among more generic products to enhance drawings, and take the designed experience to the next level with stairs, multiple floors and 3D text.
Enhancements to CET Designer 7.0 include the following.
Reduced rendering times: Render Accelerator, an Extension to CET Designer, works as a “cluster” – when a user clicks the render button in CET Designer, it uses the power of all nearby connected computers instead of just the user’s computer, making the time to render incredibly fast. Render Accelerator works by installing a small program on designated computers; those computers then automatically become a part of that “cluster” and can help anyone in that cluster to render faster, thereby allowing customers to visualize their space before making a big investment.
CET Designer 7.0 offers a new Extension that lets users place stairs in the drawing. Meanwhile, new multiple-floors functionality enables users to easily create lofts and mezzanine spaces in 3D.
More generic products to enhance drawings: CET Designer 7.0 offers a Generic Kitchen Extension to depict breakroom areas. CET Designer 7.0 also adds more symbols depicting plants and other objects, bringing enhanced realism to the envisioned space.
Stairs and multiple-floors functionality: CET Designer 7.0 offers a new Extension that lets users place stairs in the drawing. Meanwhile, new multiple-floors functionality enables users to easily create lofts and mezzanine spaces in 3D.
3D text on walls: Configura regularly surveys CET Designer users about which new features they would like to see incorporated into CET Designer. This time, the top user-requested feature was the ability to place 3D text on walls, a function that is now a part of CET Designer.
Collaboration with Chief
Configura also announced a collaboration agreement with Chief, a global manufacturer of mounts, racks and accessories for flat displays, monitors, projectors and other audiovisual (AV) components, and part of Milestone AV Technologies. Configura will partner with the Minnesota-based company to develop a CET Designer Extension that incorporates Chief products into CET Designer. The first Chief product line will be the Kontour family of monitor mounts.
For 35 years, Chief has been providing AV mounts and accessories for a variety of technologies. In addition to Kontour, product lines include the industry-leading Fusion family of mobile AV carts, flat-panel display mounts and other accessories that contribute to a modern workspace. The company plans to include Fusion and other award-winning Chief product lines in CET Designer in the future.
