Automatic shelf builder feature

Sometimes you might find it easier to use the Auto builder feature to create larger shelves. This is very simple to do, and does make creating larger shelves a 2 minute process.

That said, preparation is always very important. Before we get started we do need to make sure we have the following material prepared, in-order to work with the shelf builder platform correctly. Steps 1- 3 are the same ones found in the Manual shelf building page, however, we focus more on the automatic shelf building in steps 4-5….

Step 1:

Product images. This is critical to the overall process. The product images must be to the following spec:

• Images must be in PNG format with the “background removed” quick web search will explain what this means

• image names must be alpha numeric only i.e.

  • a1123.png

  • a1.png

  • bb35.png

• If a product has side views like back or left, then this must be named with a correct suffix. Front images do not need any suffix.

  • a1123_left.png

  • a1123_back.png

  • a1_left.png

  • a1_back.png

  • bb35_left.png

  • bb35_back.png

• Resolution of images must be no less than 800 pixels in any one size. Do not be concerned with DPI. Resolution dose not need to be more than 1500pixels each side, as this does not bring any benefit to the respondents

• Image file size should be manageable, so anything that is around 1-5mb, you can upload bigger images, however this will take longer and if you have 100s of images, then it will take a very long time. Please make sure to resize your images accordingly,

Step 2:

Product_export.csv sheet (product import file) is the CSV file that contains all the information for all the products across the whole project. This data file can be generated once all the images have been uploaded to the platform or, it can be uploaded first to the platform, then followed by the images. Both scenarios work.

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Download the example file below to see the contents of the file.

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How to fill-in the product export sheet (product import file)?

• The most important columns in the product sheet are A, I and J. These must be paid close attention.

  • A / PRODUCT_ID-(REQUIRED) - this is the image file name, i.e. a1, a1123 … This value must be 100% correct to make sure the values in the excel sheet match the product images once they are uploaded

  • I or J / Width (CM)-(REQUIRED) / Height (CM)-(REQUIRED) - This is the physical dimension of the products in the real world in centimetres.

    The system does not need both of these values, but needs one to fully work, naturally, you can set the size of the products in the shelf platform, however, this is a one at a time operation. However, if you have the physical sizes to hand, its simpler to add these to the product data sheet

• E / Price-(REQUIRED) - make sure this is numerical only and does not also contain the currency symbol as part of the cell value

Step 3:

Uploading all the material to the platform. This is best illustrated in the video below. We will cover all the points above, as such, please make sure you read the above first.

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All the files you need to have a play with are accessible here:

https://conceptsauce.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/ConceptSauceltd/El9tjcDTOFxBjycvXNF4Z0QB4r97-fbTEQDa8qC3SxLzZQ?e=spxrss

Step 4 - Using the Auto layout sheet:

We need to prepare the auto_layout.csv file to make sure everything is setup correctly. This CSV file, tells the shelf builder platform where to place a product, on what bay, shelf etc..

The shelf build is done from the top left down, meaning the bottom shelf is the 6th or last shelf, not the first shelf.

Here is a quick video to explain this auto_layout.csv file:

Step 5 - Using the Auto layout sheet::

Prepare the floor scene, you can not simply import this file into the platform. You will need to first create the skeleton bays and shelves before anything can be populated.

All the files you need to try this your self can be accessed here:

https://conceptsauce.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/ConceptSauceltd/EjG0oqqkEUBOjpFnLACqTWABAwUvKSktO5wp3Kni_e-bjQ?e=BLThoO