Coatings

AUROOM® – Automotive colors in the virtual world

Experience our patented platform for digital color visualization: With AUROOM®, Color Material Finish (CMF) and visualization designers can access colors of current, past and future vehicle models in a realistic way, including all their features and effects, in virtual space, and accelerate the development process.

Our virtual colors capture all characteristics of automotive coatings, including lightness flop, color flop and sparkling, while our colorimetric know-how ensures their authenticity. By mapping these colors on car models, OEM designers can paint every color proposal virtually and gain realistic impressions of colors and effects on a complete car during an early design phase.

Supporting color development digitally with AUROOM® makes the entire process faster and easier. We can discuss the colors with the design teams, work on them and make them virtually tangible, with all effects and characteristics.
Michaela Finkenzeller

Michaela Finkenzeller

Color Designer at BASF Coatings

AUROOM - example 1 for realistic color visusalization
AUROOM - example 3 for realistic color visusalization
AUROOM - example 2 for realistic color visusalization
AUROOM - example 4 for realistic color visusalization

Realistic color visualization

With our detailed renderings, CMF and visualization designers can see their colors from every angle. Our virtual colors capture all facets of automotive coatings, including light reflections, color flops, and different kinds of sparkling.


AUROOM® for CMF designers
    AUROOM® for visualization designers    Questions  & answers

Why choose AUROOM® now?

  • Revolutionize the way you design automotive colors and manage digital colors.
  • Get access to the most advanced digital color platform, including high-quality 3D visualizations.
  • Use realistic visualization to make more informed decisions without having to wait for physical samples.
  • Gain a competitive advantage through increased efficiency and faster processes.

AUROOM® for CMF designers

AUROOM® supports CMF designers in the entire color development process – from the initial idea to production.

AUROOM Icon - Streamlined processes

Streamlined processes

Automotive colors can be simulated and rated on-screen before physical samples are ordered, speeding up the process and increasing efficiency.

AUROOM Icon - Digital color standards

Digital color standards

The visualization of colors stays consistent across all digital and physical touchpoints.

AUROOM Icon - Close collaboration

Close collaboration

Color drafts can be commented on and suggestions for improvements can be requested directly from our laboratory.

Joint development of the colors of tomorrow

Digital color development in comparison to real color development is faster and easier for OEM designers – faster to experience their latest color and easier to take the right decisions. After opening up a new project, designers can describe a color, define other colors as starting points or upload further inspiration for us as BASF. Then we will develop, scan and upload variations that can be further evaluated in the project team. Several days before receiving real panels by mail CMF designers can already explore the latest color development. Comparing the colors side by side on our virtual AUVOT car shapes or watching them in motion gives designers a much better idea of the colors’ behavior and appearance on bigger shapes.

Use the digital color development workflow to complement and streamline your physical process.

AUROOM illustration

 

Features of AUROOM®

AUROOM® for visualization designers

AUROOM® helps visualization designers to correctly display the colors in AUROOM® and other rendering tools.

AUROOM Icon - Streamlined processes

Digital color standards

The visualization of colors stays consistent across all commonly used digital and physical touchpoints.

AUROOM Icon - Highest quality

Highest quality

The color display is based on numerous measurements and mathematical calculations and has been optimized exclusively for OEM coatings.

AUROOM Icon - Single source of truth

Single source of truth

The color files contain all relevant color data, making it easy to download and use the colors in other 3D rendering tools without having to edit them.

Fast integration of BASF-optimized AxF files into your visualization pipeline

The visualization of the car coating is more precise and easier than ever for OEM visualizers. You can simply drag and drop our already optimized AxF file into your existing visualization pipeline. You can view and assess the colors in motion at any time on our virtual AUVOT vehicle shapes. In addition, the color files behind it can be transferred to various rendering tools within minutes without having to make additional optimizations. The visualizers can apply the measured colors to their own car models and get a complete digital twin which can be used for creating images and animations. This simplifies feedback loops with the Color & Trim team and greatly increases the efficiency of the visualization process. Finally, the model can be reused for a variety of purposes, such as marketing or presenting color and design options.
  
Use our reliable and efficient solution when the exterior of the car is important – for precise and fast color representation in the digital world.

 

Features of AUROOM®

Who is behind AUROOM®

We are a multidisciplinary team dedicated to creating the best possible digital color experience. Color is our passion, and with AUROOM® we target a direct and virtually enhanced exchange about flops, effects and the color needs of our customers. 

Michaela Finkenzeller

Michaela Finkenzeller

Color Designer
Email

Stephan Kuenster

Stephan Kuenster

Product Manager
Email

 

Benjamin Lanfer

Benjamin Lanfer

Color Scientist
Email

Marc Pascó

Marc Pascó

3D Artist
Email

 

Frequently asked questions

AUROOM® combines the power of collaboration with our extensive and long-term color know-how. Based on our profound knowledge of color behavior and development, AUROOM® is very precise and highly realistic in visualizing the effects, colors and surfaces of automotive coatings.

Digital color development in comparison to real color development is faster and easier for OEM designers – faster to experience their latest color and easier to take the right decisions. After opening up a new project, designers can describe a color, define other colors as starting points or upload further inspiration for us as BASF. Then we will develop, scan and upload variations that can be further evaluated in the project team. Several days before receiving real panels by mail OEM designers can already explore the latest color development. Comparing their favorite colors side by side on our virtual AUVOT car shapes or watching them in motion gives designers a much better idea of the colors’ behavior and appearance on bigger shapes.

As we are closely collaborating with designers from various automotive OEMs with highly confidential projects, we only grant access to AUROOM® to customers who are already working with us. If your company is already collaborating with us, get in touch with us and we will check your registration eligibility.

If your company is already working with us and you are eligible to registration, you can get a free trial. We always start with a pilot project to familiarize you with AUROOM® and the concept of virtual colors as the future of color development.

If your company is already working with us and you are eligible to registration, you can invite colleagues from all regions to collaborate in your project. AUROOM® is developed as global solution.

You can grant access to as many colleagues in your company/brand as you like.

AUROOM® is a web-based cloud-native collaboration platform to experience and screen our Automotive Color Collection and work on color developments together with our customers. The solution behind our Appearance Exchange Format (optAxF) files is BASF property and IP-protected.

If you wish, there will always be a real panel as a color reference. AUROOM® is used to access and visualize the digital twin of that color and speed up the process.

Currently, the speed of the process depends on the standard process to formulate and paint a panel. Scanning and uploading does not take much time, but development does. We constantly review and improve this process, because increasing the speed is one of our main focus areas of AUROOM®.

At the moment, this process is not possible, but we are constantly working on enabling this in the future. Nevertheless, the colors you see in AUROOM® do exist in real life, which means there is a formulation available. 

We work continually on improvements regarding the aesthetics and the best way on how we observe color virtually. Currently, you cannot change the background or the lighting conditions. However, we explore the possibility of having a “nature” set-up for our AUVOTs or natural sunlight as a light source and continuously update our system. If you have a specific request, just reach out to us.

The best way to give you the flexibility to choose/change the background and/or light scene is real-time rendering. This is the future we are working on for AUROOM®.

We are currently using predefined scenes and our own optimization algorithm. That means, unfortunately, you cannot upload your own Appearance Exchange Format (AxF) files and scenes to AUROOM®. However, we do value your interest and feedback, so please get in touch and we may find a solution.

Are you a CMF or visualization designer and want to learn more about AUROOM®?