Product customization: create a configurator in augmented reality
Visuality turns a single GLB file into a product configurator: the color or material variants defined in the file (glTF KHR_materials_variants standard) are detected on import, renamed in the object's settings and offered to customers in the 3D viewer. In augmented reality, the selected variant is kept on Android.
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The need for customization in e-commerce
Online shopping relies on visual trust. The customer can't touch the product, can't measure it, can't physically compare it to their interior. They must rely on photos, often taken in a context that bears no resemblance to their own environment. And when a product comes in multiple variants — colors, materials, finishes — the problem multiplies. The customer wants to see exactly what they'll receive: the right color, the right fabric, the right wood. Not an approximation, not a retouched photo. The exact reality.
Static photos no longer meet this expectation. Photographing each variant of each product from every angle represents a considerable production cost. A sofa available in 12 colors requires 12 photo series, hundreds of images. A piece of furniture offered in 4 wood species and 8 fabric shades generates 32 combinations. Multiplied by the number of products in the catalog, the volume of images to produce and manage becomes unmanageable. And despite this effort, the customer still sees the product in the photographer's setting, not their own living room.
It is precisely this gap between what customers expect and what they are shown that leads to product returns. A customer orders an armchair in "midnight blue" based on a photo, receives it and finds that the blue looks more like gray in the light of their living room. The return is immediate. For customizable products, the risk is even higher, because customers have no way to check their choice before delivery. Read our article on reducing e-commerce returns with 3D.
3D product customization is a direct answer to this problem. Instead of browsing static photos, customers change the color, material or finish on the 3D model and immediately see the result from every angle. They can then project the product at real size into their own space with augmented reality. Doubt fades, confidence grows and the buying decision speeds up.
How variants work on Visuality
Visuality's variant system relies on an open standard: the glTF KHR_materials_variants extension. All of your product's variants (a fabric color, a wood species, a type of metal, a surface finish) are stored in a single GLB file prepared in your 3D software. On import, Visuality detects them automatically and lets you give them a customer-facing name.
When customers open the 3D viewer, they see the product with its default appearance. The Model menu, in the viewer's Settings, lets them choose among the available variants. They select "Natural oak" and the furniture updates instantly. They try "Dark walnut", then "Whitewashed beech". Each change is immediate, with no reloading, as if they were comparing samples in a store.
In augmented reality, the behavior depends on the phone. On Android, when augmented reality opens in the browser (WebXR), the product appears at real size with the selected variant. On iPhone and iPad, AR Quick Look shows the product's default appearance, taken from the USDZ file generated by Visuality; to show a specific colorway on iPhone, import it as a separate object.
For a detailed guide on setting up variants, check our documentation on 3D object customization.
Product variant use cases
The variant configurator adapts to all sectors where the product comes in multiple variations. Here are the most common applications:
- Furniture: The furniture sector is one of the first beneficiaries of AR customization. A sofa available in 15 fabric colors, a table offered in 4 wood species, a chair in 8 leather colors: variants are the daily reality of furnishing. With the 3D configurator, the customer visualizes each combination and projects the customized furniture directly into their room. They see if the burgundy sofa matches their light parquet floor before ordering.
- Automotive: Manufacturers and equipment suppliers use variants to present paint, wheel, interior and finish options. The customer configures their vehicle in 3D, chooses body color, upholstery type and aesthetic options. They project the configured vehicle in augmented reality in their driveway to validate their choice. The configuration experience becomes tangible and emotional.
- Jewelry and watchmaking: Yellow gold, white gold, rose gold, platinum, silver: precious metals offer very different visual renders. A rose gold jewel doesn't have the same brilliance as platinum. The 3D configurator lets the customer switch from one metal to another instantly and view the jewel from every angle with each finish. For watches, variants can include dial color, strap type and case materials.
- Fashion and accessories: Clothing and accessories available in multiple colors benefit from 3D visualization. A handbag available in 6 colors, a pair of shoes in 4 different leathers, a collection of glasses in several frame shades: the customer configures and compares visually before buying. The return rate decreases because the customer validated their selection beforehand.
- Industry and technical products: Industrial equipment often comes in multiple materials (steel, stainless steel, aluminum) and finishes (raw, painted, anodized). The 3D configurator allows professional buyers to visualize the product in the exact variant that matches their specifications. This accelerates technical validation and reduces back-and-forth between sales and engineering.
What impact can you expect from a 3D configurator on sales?
A 3D configurator works on several sales levers. The actual gains depend on your industry, the quality of the models and how prominently they are featured on the product page: measure them on your own data. For sourced figures on the return on investment of 3D and augmented reality, see our article on the ROI of augmented reality.
- More engagement on the product page: handling the product and comparing variants holds attention longer than a photo gallery. This interaction time reflects a customer who is picturing the purchase.
- An easier buying decision: seeing the exact variant from every angle removes the doubts that hold back an order, especially for customizable products.
- Fewer returns due to appearance: when customers have seen the chosen color and material in 3D, the gap between their expectations and the product they receive shrinks. Every return avoided saves shipping, logistics and time.
- Natural upselling: easy comparison encourages customers to explore premium finishes they might not have looked at in a simple list of options.
How to set up variants
Setting up a variant configurator on Visuality takes just a few steps. Here is the complete process to offer a customizable product in 3D and augmented reality:
- Prepare the variants in your 3D software: create one material per variant (fabric, wood, metal, finish) and declare each variant following the glTF KHR_materials_variants standard, supported by Blender and 3ds Max among others. Textures must match the model's UV mapping to be applied correctly.
- Export a single GLB file: the file contains the shared geometry and the materials of all variants. Check the model's dimensions before exporting: they will be used as is in augmented reality.
- Import the file into Visuality: in the 3D Object Library, add the object or replace the file of an existing object. Visuality automatically detects the variants and lists them in the object's settings, with a "Display Model Name" column to give them a customer-facing name: "Beige linen fabric", "Black grained leather", "Oiled light oak".
- Test in the viewer: open the object's link and switch between variants in the Model menu; check that each texture is positioned correctly and that the colors are accurate. Also test augmented reality on Android and on iPhone, which behave differently with variants.
- Publish and embed: your customizable product is ready. Share it via link or QR code, or embed it on your e-commerce site with the iframe. Customers access the configurator directly from your product page, in their smartphone's browser, with no app to download.
Learn more: all of Visuality's features, the augmented reality demo to try on your phone, the 3D and augmented reality glossary.
Frequently asked questions
Offer your customers a product configurator in augmented reality. Create your Visuality account and start adding variants to your 3D objects.
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