Brick manufacturer Vandersanden is launching a new texture generator for its facing bricks and brick slips. With the new online tool, architects, property developers and consumers can design a facade by combining, among other things, different types of bricks and brick slips, colours, laying patterns and joint thicknesses.

In total, the texture generator allows more than 1.1 million combinations to be created and compared. Thanks to cutting-edge technology, Vandersanden's texture generator displays the most detailed and realistic digital reproduction of a facade texture to date. The generated texture can be easily downloaded, including image folders and technical specifications.

Maximising digital opportunities

Vandersanden has been focusing on the digitisation of its offering for some time. For several years, the company has been digitising various services for different customer groups. Knowledge sharing, inspiration and convenience for customers are central to this. The new texture generator is their very latest digital innovation.

"With the texture generator, we are making the most of the possibilities that the digital world offers, in order to better fulfil the present and future needs of our customers. The texture generator is an endless source of inspiration for both professionals and consumers. Professionals can visualise their projects realistically in a simple way, because the texture can easily be integrated into drawing programmes", says Nathali Donatz, Group Marketing Director at Vandersanden. "With the texture generator, we make it easy for professionals and consumers to design the perfect facade and by doing so, strengthen our role as the partner for creating beautiful facades."

Lifelike visualisations

Whereas most texture generators on the market make visualisations based on photography, Vandersanden embraces a new technology, namely photogrammetry. This technology enables a digital 3D image of a brick, and in a later phase also of clay pavers, to be created by means of an extensive set of photos.

As a result, products are displayed with a particularly high level of detail and 3D depth. The new technology also allows for greater scalability, which means that recurring patterns are virtually impossible. All this means that textures can be visualised in a particularly realistic and natural way. Vandersanden does not compromise on user-friendliness: the tool is very simple and intuitive to use.

Texture generator 2.0

With its texture generator, the family business wants to go beyond the existing tools on the market.

"By using advanced technology, we are addressing gaps in existing texture generators. Current technology allows for less detailing and less flexibility, making textures more repetitive and artificial. With our texture generator, we want to provide customers with the most realistic image possible, so that they can perfectly imagine what their future facade will look like", says Nathali Donatz of Vandersanden.

Initially, the texture generator will be launched for facing bricks and brick slips. In the course of 2022, clay pavers will be added to the texture generator in order to be able to visualise projects in public spaces as well as in garden landscaping. In 2022, the texture generator will also be integrated into the most common software packages for architects.

To find out more, visit the Vandersanden website to see the texture generator here.