Cloud-Based 3D Model Customization Platform

Challenge

Biological and chemical laboratories use specialized equipment for experiments and research: centrifuges, microscopes, thermostats, analyzers, dispensers, and more.

The number of equipment manufacturers is limited, and most of them are foreign companies. As a result, delivery of equipment, spare parts, and accessories often takes a long time. At the same time, laboratory experiments usually cannot be paused.

Some spare parts and accessories, however, can be produced using a 3D printer, provided that a suitable 3D model is available. This is exactly what we built for our client: an online store offering 3D-printable models of laboratory accessories.

Many of these accessories are standardized, for example, pipette holders, but may differ in mounting width or the number of pipettes they can hold. Such differences can be easily handled at the 3D model level. The problem is that modifying these models traditionally requires skills in Autodesk Inventor, which not all users have.

Solution

To enable customers to modify 3D models without professional CAD skills, we developed a plugin that integrates with the Autodesk Forge cloud platform. Autodesk Forge applies the requested changes to the model and sends the updated version back to the online store.

Our solution consists of three main components:

1. The online store
2. The model storage platform
3. A configurator plugin that interacts with Autodesk Forge

1. Online Store

The online store is built on the WooCommerce platform. When visiting the store, customers can browse a catalog of 3D products using search, filters, or category navigation to find the required model.

On the product page, customers can:

• Review the model specifications
• View the model in 3D
• Customize the model directly on the product page

For example, they can increase the length or width of an item or add extra slots if the default version does not meet their needs.

After customization, a new product — the modified 3D model — appears in the shopping cart. The customer can purchase it and receive the files ready for 3D printing. Each model is delivered together with printer-ready documentation that allows 3D printers to correctly produce the item.

2. Model Storage Platform

The storage platform is connected to the online store via an integration module. This is where 3D model developers upload their models, define editable parameters, and specify the allowed ranges and step sizes for changes.

The platform also automatically generates a set of predefined model variants with common parameter values.

For example:

• If the original length of a product is X
• And the step size is 1 unit
• And the maximum increase is 5 units

Then the system automatically creates variants with lengths X+1, X+2, X+3, X+4, and X+5.

This approach allows the store to offer modified versions of products to customers as quickly as possible.

3. Configurator Plugin

All 3D models created in Autodesk Inventor are stored on the model platform. When a request to modify a model is received, the configurator plugin sends the model to the Autodesk Forge cloud platform.

The plugin communicates with Autodesk Forge via the Forge API, transmitting textual data that describes the required parameter changes. Autodesk Forge applies these changes, regenerates the model, and returns it to the storage platform. From there, the updated model is added to the customer’s shopping cart.

Along with the modified model, Autodesk Forge also generates the necessary documentation for 3D printers.

Results

From the customer’s perspective, the entire process is simple and intuitive. Behind the scenes, however, the solution handles complex business logic and heavy computational workloads.

The project was implemented using React and .NET. The infrastructure is deployed on AWS Cloud, with Amazon S3 used as object storage for 3D models.

In the future, the configurator plugin can be embedded into virtually any e-commerce platform, allowing online stores to sell customizable 3D products alongside traditional goods.