Significant updates enable users to design more, sell more
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH., USA—May 6, 2008—Configura, Inc. today released Version 2.0 of its NeoCon-award-winning CET Designer software for designing and specifying office furniture and interiors. The software is used by Haworth and Teknion dealers and, May 19, will be launched by Steelcase. A partnership with ProjectMatrix provides CET Designer users access to more than 80 percent of the products in the commercial furniture industry.
“In collaboration with these leaders, CET Designer is now industry-wide and an industry standard. The successes that started with Haworth just two years ago have proven what the software is capable of,” CEO Johan Lyreborn said. “With Version 2.0, we have made significant enhancements that will benefit new and existing users across the board.”
According to U.S.-based Configura Vice President Peter Brandinger, improvements to CET Designer Version 2.0 include a streamlined printing function, the ability to work in a highly rendered environment and a tool that supports virtually every currency in the world. A new rendering engine launches this fall with Version 2.1, which has significant speed enhancements and expanded capacity for handling very large projects.
How it works: A CET Designer Extension is loaded with a manufacturer’s product lines, and users drag and drop product images into layouts as opposed to having to know part numbers and go through a series of pull-down menus. All products in CET Designer are programmed with the manufacturer’s current information on valid configurations, prices and part numbers. This rules-based technology won’t let users make mistakes. Through rapid configuration, CET Designer reveals layouts in 2D, photo-realistic 3D and/or in rendered form, as well as accurate, real-time product/parts specification and pricing. Based on Parametric Graphical Configuration technology developed by Configura, this highly visual software simplifies the selling process by bridging gaps in information/communication between dealer, designer, specifier and customer.
Configura will demo CET Designer at NeoCon in Chicago this June at Booth 7-7046. Also, a CET Users’ Conference is slated for Oct. 1 and 2 in Las Vegas.
FACT SHEETUpgrades in CET Designer 2.0: Printing/publishing enhancement – PaperView function provides flexible, WYSIWYG/desktop publishing capabilities within CET Designer so users can transfer a whole drawing, or parts of a drawing, to a new paper view where they can create the designed layout with title blocks, images and text. More image formats – ProjectMatrix components can be shown as basic or more detailed; more than one type of flooring can be depicted in a project; common image formats such as GIF, PNG, BMP and JPG can be imported; wall images can be imported to give the appearance of artwork or a logotype – images also can be framed. Remote live customer service support – A CET technical support person can assume control of a user’s system from anywhere in the world and visually walk the user through the problem, even showing the user how to correct the problem. Both see the same screen in real time. A built-in, timed internal reminder – An “early warning” a few days before a certificate expires has been added, alerting the user to connect and download the most recent version, which contains the manufacturers’ most current products and pricing. Reworked calculation dialog – The software has new functionality tools for searching, filtering, and sorting/changing/removing different columns of data; performing article adjustments right in the calculation dialog; and seeing multiple views showing different versions of the same calculations depending on set filters. Currency tool – The new version supports virtually every currency in the world. New rendering engine/speed enhancements (coming with Version 2.1 releasing fall 2008) – A new rendering engine, Redsdk 1.4 by Redway 3d, optimizes the power of the graphics card in users’ computers and achieves: – Ability to work in real-time in a photo-realistic, rendered 3D environment – Significant speed in enhancements in designing, rendering, printing – Expanded ability to handle very large projects – up to 500 stations/cubicles How is CET Designer different from other software?– CET Designer is based on Parametric Graphical Configuration, an objects–oriented technology. Most commercial-furniture space design software is typically rooted in AutoCAD. – In CET Designer, users point, click, drag and drop product icons, which snap into place. – Users do not need to know product/parts numbers or go through a complicated sequence of menus. – Through rapid configuration, CET Designer reveals layouts in 2D, photo-realistic 3D, and/or in rendered form as well as accurate, real-time product/parts specification and pricing. – Each Extension is programmed with the specific manufacturer’s product rules, virtually eliminating specification mistakes. – CET Designer automates the repetitious tasks involved in product specification, thus reducing the time and effort associated with product specification. Instead of spending 80 percent of time on specifying and 20 percent designing, the software reverses those figures and enables designer-dealers to be more creative for their clients, output more, and sell more. – AutoCAD drawings can be imported into CET if desired, and CET-created drawings can be converted back to AutoCAD if needed. – The majority of Haworth dealers now use the software for designing and specifying under its Canvas Extension, launched in 2006. The Teknion Storyboard Extension launched earlier this year. The Steelcase Extension launches May 19. ProjectMatrix’s ProjectSymbols Extension launched in 2007. |
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