Inspect customer data directly
Open supported customer and supplier data without the original CAD system.
Quoting, Costing and Purchasing
CAD data as a technical basis for quotations and purchasing
intuitive & practical 3D without CAD expertise
affordable & universal many 3D/2D interfaces
Why use 3D-Tool for quotations, costing and purchasing?
Quoting, costing and purchasing must be able to technically evaluate incoming CAD data without involving engineering for every file. With the CAD viewer 3D-Tool, you open supported customer and supplier data and determine relevant model values. You also identify changes between different model revisions.
Determine model values
Use overall dimensions, surface area, volume, and weight as a technical basis for costing.
Compare model revisions
Identify changes before recalculation, ordering, or technical approval.
Clarify questions selectively
Use dimensions and model views to coordinate with customers and suppliers.
How is 3D-Tool used for quoting, costing, and purchasing?
3D-Tool provides technical information directly from the CAD model for quoting, costing, and technical purchasing. You open supported customer and supplier data without the original CAD system and evaluate it. With overall dimensions, surface area, volume, weight, and other measurements, you assess material and manufacturing effort. Model comparison shows whether a new revision has changed from the model already evaluated.
Evaluate customer data technically
Before a quotation, order, or approval, the relevant technical information from the supplied model must be known. This is especially important in metalworking, CNC production, and contract manufacturing. There, companies often check customer data directly to assess feasibility and effort.
- Quoting: You open customer models and check dimensions. This provides the technical basis to assess feasibility and determine pricing.
- Costing: You determine overall dimensions, surface area, volume, weight, and other geometry data. This lets you estimate material and manufacturing effort.
- Technical purchasing: You inspect supplier data and compare it with the requested or approved model revision.
- Technical sales: You clarify questions using specific geometry, measurements, and model views.
Functions for costing and technical evaluation
These functions turn incoming CAD data into traceable technical information:
- 3D dimensions and Model Info: You determine overall dimensions, distances, minimum bounding box, surface area, volume, and available mass properties. These values are the basis for material and effort estimates.
- Model comparison: You identify changes between customer or supplier revisions before you reassess a quotation or order.
- Open CAD file formats: You inspect supported native CAD data and exchange formats without the original CAD system. Exchange formats include STEP, IGES, JT, SAT, and Parasolid X_T.
- Reports and documentation: You prepare model information, measurements, and views for internal approvals or technical questions.
Practical example: Model values for costing and logistics
For a quotation for a fan housing, the manufacturer has a STEP file. Key values for material requirements, part weight, and space requirements need to be obtained quickly from the 3D model.
In 3D-Tool Advanced V17, Model Info shows dimensions of 80 × 80 × 25 mm, a volume of 21,684.02 mm³, and a surface area of 22,908.86 mm². The part is assigned PA6 with a density of 1.140 g/cm³, resulting in a part weight of 24.720 g.
These key model values are available directly from the supplied CAD file - without the original CAD system.
Result: Volume and weight help estimate material use and costs. The part dimensions also provide a basis for estimating packaging, storage space, and shipping volume.
Base quotations and purchasing decisions on model data
3D-Tool does not replace company-specific cost calculation, but it provides technical values for assessing material and manufacturing effort.
- Calculate quotations on a sounder basis: You use relevant dimensions and model information for effort estimates.
- Identify risks before ordering or recalculation: You compare new customer and supplier revisions with the model already evaluated before you decide.
- Reduce technical questions: Measurements and model views provide an unambiguous basis for coordination.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can purchasing open CAD files without the original CAD system?
Yes. Supported customer and supplier data can be opened, viewed, and measured with 3D-Tool without using the original CAD system.
Which model values support quoting and costing?
3D-Tool determines overall dimensions, surface area, and volume, as well as weight when a material is assigned. These model values provide a technical basis for material, manufacturing, and effort estimates.
Does 3D-Tool calculate the quotation price automatically?
No. 3D-Tool provides measurements and model information as a technical basis. The actual cost calculation remains part of the company-specific costing process.
Can new customer revisions be compared with models already costed?
Yes. Model comparison overlays two models and highlights geometric differences in color. Added and removed material can be displayed selectively.
Can your own customer and supplier data be tested?
Yes. During the 14-day trial, you can open your own customer and supplier data and try the relevant measurement and analysis functions.