Modeling and editing 3D meshes to support numeral blocks

Keep mesh proportions consistent during scaling on the X, Y, or Z axis

Scaling 3D models and keep mesh proportions consistent has always been tough to standardize. The Numeral option block makes it easier by letting you properly scale along the X, Y, and Z axes; for furniture like tables, cabinets, closets or shelves or construction for windows, doors, sheds and roofs, where users can set width, length, or depth. To ensure proper scaling, the 3D model must be edited before being uploaded to the platform and used in the configurator.

Each configurator type comes with its own scaling challenges, so we’ll explain them separately using simple examples for tables, cabinets, shelves, closets, windows, doors, sheds and roofs.

A common requirement is to ensure that each part of the 3D model has its center axis (pivot) correctly positioned, adjusted according to the specific type of configurator. The correct center axis will be illustrated through various configurator examples.

Properly adjusting the center axis on a 3D model part ensures accurate scaling according to the configurator type, for example, keeping the shape of the legs and top surface edges consistent for tables, maintaining shelf thickness when adjusting the height of cabinets or closets, and preserving correct proportions for double-frame windows. For more specific cases, you can refer to examples from different demos, for instance, for a cabinet standing on legs, the center axis (pivot) can be adjusted using the methods shown in both the table and cabinet examples.

Below is a diagram showing three examples of axis positions on a 3D part and how scaling changes based on the axis placement.

Once the axis is correctly set, the next important step in configuring the Numerical variant is to accurately define, using the 'Position parts' setting, which parts should scale and which should remain fixed based on the parameter type (e.g., width). For example, when scaling a 3D model in width (along the X axis), not all parts will scale, legs will remain fixed relative to the rest of the model.

Below are the primary scenarios that require center axis adjustments, based on the specific configurator type:

Table

Cabinet

Closet

Shelves

Window

Door

Roof

Shed