Straight answers before you book a call.

No. VendorCAD sits on top of your parametric product rules. Engineers keep their CAD seats and PLM; VendorCAD exposes approved options as a web configurator so buyers can see geometry and download STEP without a CAD ticket.

Real files. The browser uses a lightweight 3D preview (GLB). When the configuration passes export gates, buyers download manufacturing-ready STEP solids immediately — plus structured parameter data so the quote carries the exact spec.

No. VendorCAD is a CAD-backed configurator for manufacturers who need specification lock in multi-bid RFQs — not a consumer cart. Generic ecommerce cannot encode manufacturable rules or emit STEP.

You send one correct STEP of a family at a fixed size — that’s the ground truth. We rebuild it as a parametric recipe (named knobs and relationships), wire those knobs to your web configurator, and prove instant STEP download + designed-in motion on a pilot before expanding the catalog.

VendorCAD is the configurator that gets you designed in first. Customers size the part on your site, see exactly what they’re getting, download STEP the moment they request a quote, and keep designing — while other suppliers are still parsing a PDF. For you: higher win rate. For their customer: no PDF guesswork.

When a buyer needs a custom industrial part, they often RFQ several suppliers. Whoever gets a correct 3D model into their assembly first usually gets designed in — and usually wins the order. VendorCAD makes that supplier you: unambiguous geometry, instant STEP, exact-spec quote.

A STEP of a finished part is a perfect record of what you build — geometry, shop conventions, real detail. It is frozen: no knobs, no adjustable length. We use it as the reference (the spec), then remodel it as a parametric recipe so dimensions become variables. You cannot make a photograph adjustable by editing the photograph.

Because a STEP is a solid snapshot of one size. Parametric means rebuilding so “diameter” is a variable and related dimensions are written in terms of it — then one model can become thousands of valid parts. That parameterization — which knobs move, how far, how everything relates — is what we sell.

Buyers need geometry they can drop into their own assembly — SolidWorks, Inventor, Creo, NX, or whatever they run. STEP is the universal handshake every professional CAD tool reads. A Fusion-native or other proprietary file would lock out half your customers.

A Validation Pilot typically puts one product family live in about 7–10 days, plus 30 days of hosting so you can prove the workflow. A DFY Catalog (5–10 offerings) is scoped on a call after a successful pilot. Exact timelines depend on CAD readiness and how clear your option rules already are.

Both. The web viewer uses a lightweight preview (GLB). When the configuration passes export gates, buyers or your team can download a manufacturing-ready STEP solid immediately. Invalid combinations are blocked early so the file they design around is trustworthy.

No fake public seat pricing. VendorCAD is sales-led and implementation-led: free discovery call, Validation Pilot at $3,500, then DFY Catalog at $10k setup + $750/mo for a branded multi-family catalog. Custom / plant environments are scoped after a successful pilot. See Pricing for the full ladder.

Pilots include hosting for the trial window. DFY Catalog includes ongoing hosting and a modest update allowance (~2 updates / month as scoped). Larger change volume, SSO, or plant deployments are discussed as Custom / Plant. Day-to-day issues go through /support with severity and diagnostics — not a toolkit and a Slack ghost town.

Open Support, choose role IT / admin, and set severity (Urgent for production blockers). Include diagnostic info. For security questionnaires, email contact@vendorcad.com with “IT security review” in the subject.

We rebuild product families as parametric templates tied to your rules, starting from your reference STEP (and OnShape mapping when scoped). VendorCAD does not replace your CAD seat or PLM — it exposes the recipe on the web and exports STEP anyone can open.

Manufacturers with repeatable, rule-bound product families in multi-bid quote cycles (pipes, enclosures, fixtures, OEM options, fabricated kits). Not a fit for pure one-off job shops, visualizer-only needs with no manufacturing outputs, or teams looking for a full PLM replacement.

A 15–30 minute walkthrough tailored to your product type and RFQ motion. We map whether first-to-STEP / designed-in fits, show the live Summit Pipeworks demo path when useful, and outline pilot vs catalog scope. No self-serve signup required to start.