Inside the Workflow: Neue Modular AG

We recently set out to explore how industry professionals manage their 3D assets — what makes a process efficient, where the biggest challenges still lie, and of course, how AI fits into all that. In this series, we’ll dive into the findings together, along with the very real stories inside the 3D workflows, and uncover inspiration for building better solutions to the problems we all face.

To kick off this series, we spoke with professionals in the 3D visualization field to better understand their workflows and how they manage and organize assets. We were especially curious about the role AI plays in these processes and how experts view the latest innovations — what are the benefits, which are the areas that need improvement, and their expectations for the future.

Our research shows that 42% of creatives in 3D visualization use AI mainly for concept development and idea generation, with Maginific AI, MidJourney, and ChatGPT as the most popular tools. To explore this further, our first spotlight features Heinz Engler from Neue Modular AG.

Neue Modular AG develops and produces modern bedroom and living room furniture: beds, nightstands, dressers, wardrobes, as well as sideboards, lowboards, TV units, and living room combinations. A distinctive feature of Modular — true to its name — is modularity, which allows all pieces of furniture to be freely combined with one another.

As an independent Swiss company, Modular has upheld traditional Swiss values unchanged for decades: reliability, security, uncompromising quality culture, innovative strength, and craftsmanship perfection. Particular attention is also given to maintaining the balance between ecology and economy.

Modular’s headquarters are located in Henau, St. Gallen, Switzerland. Customers in Germany and Austria are served by Neue Modular GmbH, based in Weil am Rhein, Germany.

So, let’s dive right into their creative processes.

Tell us a bit about you and your job.

I’m Heinz Engler, and at Neue Modular AG, I am responsible for technology, product development, costing, and catalog production. I first came into contact with 3D design software around 2012, mostly on a private basis.

In 2019, our company transitioned from 2D to 3D, and we decided to work with SolidWorks and SolidWorks Visualize. In the meantime, we have reached the point where all catalog and marketing images are created digitally.

What types of projects do you usually work on?

We work on two types of projects at Neue Modular AG.

Own product lines that are requested by our sales team. The ideas are brought to me, and I design bedroom furniture — or sometimes I see a detail somewhere that inspires me, and I start creating the first 3D drafts.

We also do custom projects for furniture retailers. Sometimes these requests are very specific, and we can move directly into costing. Other times, we only receive general ideas, and I develop design proposals. Once a concept is approved, we create the technical plans and request quotes from suppliers.

Roughly how many new assets do you create or download in a typical month?

The number of new assets I use varies a lot because visualization work happens in cycles. When we create a new catalog at Neue Modular AG, I need a large number of new assets in a short time while keeping the decoration rather minimal.

Since using ChatGPT, I sometimes add a bit more decoration to my scenes. Over time, I’ve also built up my own library of 3D models, which I regularly reuse.

Once the catalog is complete, my other responsibilities become the priority, and I only use new assets occasionally — for example, when a client requests a custom visualization.

Where do you usually get assets from?

It depends on the type of asset. I create simple assets myself or use furniture models from partner companies within our holding group. For decorative elements and materials, I mainly rely on Design Connected.

As a rule, I only use free models if they are of high quality.

Which DCC non-AI tools do you use most often?

My main DCC tools are SolidWorks, SolidWorks Visualize, and Adobe Photoshop.

Besides my 3D tools, the most central non-AI tools in my workflow are our ERP system, Microsoft Excel for calculations and price lists, and Adobe Acrobat for handling documents.

How does AI fit into your workflow today: is it a core step or more of an experiment?

I mainly work with ChatGPT, which has become like a real digital colleague to me. Before I started using ChatGPT, one of the biggest challenges was the amount of time needed to plan the room concept. I had to decide which room to use or create a new one from scratch, choose the right lighting mood, and find suitable decorative elements.

Whenever something is unclear, I ask Clara (that’s what I call my AI to make it more personal) for advice. I also let her suggest room concepts and create simple textures or decorative images. Other AI features, such as those in Adobe Photoshop, feel too complicated to me, and the results are often not convincing.

Are there tasks where you tried AI but stopped using it?

I have tried the AI features in Adobe Photoshop several times, but I never achieved results I could actually use. The tutorials work well, but the tools do not fit my image editing workflow. The AI features in Adobe Acrobat were also insufficient.

What I still miss in ChatGPT is the ability to place my own furniture as 3D models and have them rendered exactly as they are. We have tried this several times, but the models were always changed slightly or significantly.

On the positive side, ChatGPT has impressed me with how quickly it can turn ideas into results — and even create complex formulas without any programming knowledge. It has also become increasingly good at generating seamless patterns.

How do you currently decide whether to trust AI-generated outputs?

For visualizations, I trust my trained eye and often place the result back into ChatGPT to get its opinion. For price lists, it’s easy to verify if the calculations are correct.

At the moment, I mainly use ChatGPT, and I decide intuitively whether it’s worth continuing. If the AI goes off track or we don’t reach a useful result, I stop — which happens very rarely.

As I mentioned, such is the case with Adobe Photoshop, which I hardly use anymore because it didn’t meet my expectations. We currently don’t use any other AI tools.

Beyond speed, has AI improved the quality or consistency of your work?

Absolutely. My visualizations have become more inviting and lively, and creating the price lists for our catalogs has become much easier to handle.

The main benefit of AI for me is enhancing creativity — but I’ve also noticed that it helps me work faster.

Which of your concerns about AI feels the most urgent or “real” in your daily work?

At the moment, I don’t have any serious concerns about using AI, because we don’t share any confidential or sensitive data. For me, ChatGPT is more of a creative and supportive tool than a risk.

Has your company put in place any rules or policies about AI handling digital assets?

No, we don’t have any rules or guidelines for using AI or handling digital assets at the moment. Since I currently have no major concerns with how I use AI in my work, nothing specific comes to mind. If needed, there are also AI solutions that can be installed locally on a computer or server and used offline, without sending data to the cloud.

When you think about AI tools you’ve used, what feels like a fair price for the value they bring?

The current price of around CHF 20 per month for ChatGPT is very inexpensive compared to the value it brings me. The actual benefit for me is much higher — I would probably also be willing to pay around CHF 200. I evaluate the price mainly based on the real value and time savings it provides.

If AI were bundled into tools you already use (e.g., your rendering software), would you prefer that over paying for a separate subscription?

Absolutely — because then it would be designed specifically for the application. It would have to be very intuitive and easy to use, though.

Still, I would probably not be able to work without ChatGPT, because it gives me fast answers in all areas. But integrated solutions would definitely be great to have.

Wrap Up

Looking at our conversation with Heinz, one thing becomes clear: while AI is opening up new ways to spark ideas and accelerate creativity, the fundamentals of asset management and workflow organization remain just as crucial.

This is exactly the kind of insight we set out to uncover with this series: real-world practices, honest challenges, and the opportunities where better tools can make a difference.

It’s also what drives our work on Connecter Suite — helping creatives bring order to growing libraries of 3D assets, streamline collaboration, and unlock the headspace to focus on their creative job instead of tedious organizational tasks.

As we continue exploring workflows across the industry, we’ll keep circling back to the same question: how do we build solutions that empower creativity while addressing the practical hurdles every artist faces? The answers lie in stories like this one — and in rethinking the tools we use every day.

If you’re looking for a way to take control of your digital assets, our DAM might be a good fit for your needs. Contact our support team to find out more about its organizational and collaboration features.