Fast to learn, ready to use — 3D software for concept planning and sales

What taraVRbuilder brings to the table

One piece of software covers three goals of the concept phase — building a 3D facility model, visualizing it, and determining preliminary figures — with no CAD, programming, or PLC/control-technology knowledge required. The following six sections show in detail how this works.

1.  Start immediately with ready-made library objects — the foundation for efficient model building

• Extensive ready-made library objects let you start right away, without building your own models from scratch.
• Drag-and-drop: Objects are dragged straight from the library into the layout.
• Connection-point logic: Objects “know” where they can dock — reducing errors when chaining track sections together.
• 3D mover with snapping: Objects can be moved freely in 3D space and snap automatically to matching points and positions.

2. Library object overview

araVRbuilder comes with parameterizable, manufacturer-neutral model libraries for all common intralogistics and facility components — including buildings.

The library objects can be parameterized in their dimensions, colors, and behavior (conveying speeds, number of accumulation positions, etc.). CAD models can also be imported and linked to ready-made behavior models.

3. Assistant functions — faster model creation and parameterization

taraVRbuilder offers several assistant functions that speed up model creation and parameterization considerably compared with placing individual objects manually.

• Arrangement grid: Objects can be placed grid-aligned — for clean, consistent layouts without aligning individual elements by hand.
• Automatic filling of system lines/polylines: A drawn line is automatically filled with a chain of preconfigured objects — for example, alternating safety fence panels and posts, conveyor sections, or monorail tracks — taking into account preferred lengths as well as minimum and maximum length limits of the individual segments.
• Transfer properties: Object properties configured once can be transferred to other objects of the same type, instead of parameterizing each one individually.
• Project libraries: Sections of a project — such as a fully configured facility cell — can be saved as a reusable project library and used again in other projects.

4. Interfaces and data formats

taraVRbuilder imports 2D layouts, building data, and 3D machines — both stationary facility parts and movable objects such as vehicles or crane components — and connects to AutoCAD via two different interfaces.

• Import of 2D layouts, building floor plans, and BIM data: Building data as IFC; AutoCAD layouts as DXF (see geometry interface below).
• Import of 3D machines and components (STEP, JT, FBX, OBJ): both stationary (e.g., fixed facility parts) and movable — such as vehicles or moving parts like transfer cars, storage and retrieval machines, or crane components. Movable imports can then be linked to a behavior model (examples: cross-transfer car, lifter, AGV, AMR, S/R machine, crane).
• AutoCAD — geometry interface: DXF layout import; taraVRbuilder models are then placed manually.
• AutoCAD — semantic interface: automated 3D model generation from AutoCAD data (paid add-on option in combination with the taraXchange (link to EN taraXchange page, URL still open) runtime).
• Further connections: Facility layouts based on Excel tables with object positions and configurations; interface to ArchiCAD.

5. Results and output

From a taraVRbuilder project, you can export video, 3D model, rendered images, equipment list, and the complete engineering project data.

• Video export: The animated 3D facility animation/simulation can be exported as a video and flyover — for example, for proposal documents, customer presentations, or your own website.
• Presentation in the free taraVRviewer: The facility model can be handed over to customers without a taraVRbuilder license — interactive instead of just a video.
• 3D model export: Alternatively as rendered images, depending on what fits the respective proposal or presentation situation.
• Equipment list (export): For each project, an equipment list of all installed components (roller conveyors, belt conveyors, turntables, etc.) can be output and exported — a direct calculation basis for the proposal, with no separate compilation.
• Engineering data export: All instantiated objects of a project including their parameters (dimensions, speeds, positions) and their predecessor/successor relationships — for subsequent engineering steps such as electrical planning, detailed engineering, or PLC/control technology.

6. Analysis function and StatsAnalyzer

The separate StatsAnalyzer add-on tool delivers a first rough facility validation, without the effort of a full material flow simulation:

• Throughput at user-defined measuring points
• Utilization of workers and processing stations
• Capacity utilization of conveyor sections
• Limited determination of throughput and dwell times of individual conveyed goods

Benefit in the concept phase: planners can quickly test and compare different system or subsystem variants in the layout — operable by sales engineers too, not just by simulation experts.