[Ken] Category

Design families in R.Design are organized using a comprehensive Category system that helps users browse, filter, and discover assets efficiently.

Attributes & Metadata

Categories contain metadata that controls their behavior, visibility, and organization within the R.Design catalog system.

Primary Key

Example: a48100000008VTKAA2

Basic Information

Core identifiers and display names:

Example:

• name: "Wall"
• name_ja: "壁紙"
• url_key: "wall-coverings"

Purpose:

• name / name_ja - Displayed in catalog navigation and filters
• url_key - Used in URLs like /catalog/wall-coverings

Category Hierarchy

Categories support hierarchical organization:

Hierarchy Example:

Furniture (Root)
└── Seating (parent: Furniture)
    └── Chairs (parent: Seating)
        └── Dining Chairs (parent: Chairs)

• root_category: "Furniture"
• parent_category: "a4fOQ000000seatingYAA" (sfid of Seating)

App Configuration

Controls how the category appears in the R.Design application:

Display Control:

Visible Category:

• for_app: true
• is_active: "true"
• include_in_navigation_menu: "true"
• order: 1.0 (appears first)

Hidden Category:

• for_app: false
• is_active: "false"
• include_in_navigation_menu: "false"

Thumbnail Path Example:

• thumbnail_for_app: "/images/categories/furniture-thumb.jpg"

Content Type Classification

Defines the type of content this category contains:

Use Cases:

3D Object Categories (Furniture, Lighting, Decor):

• is_non_mesh: false - Contains 3D meshes
• exclude_from_app_items_catalog: false - Show in items catalog

Material Categories (Fabric, Paint, Wall, Floor):

• is_non_mesh: true - Contains materials, not 3D objects
• exclude_from_app_items_catalog: true - Don’t show in items catalog, show in materials

Why This Matters:

• Determines which catalog view to display items in
• Affects search behavior and filtering logic
• Controls available user interactions (place vs apply)

Custom Links

Enable custom navigation and external linking:

Custom Link Examples:

External Brand Page:

• custom_link: "https://brand.example.com/collection"
• open_link_in_new_tab: true

Internal Special View:

• custom_link: "/catalog/special-promo"
• open_link_in_new_tab: false

Query Category Name: Used for search and filtering operations:

• to_query_category_name: "Seating,Chairs,Dining Chairs" (comma-separated hierarchy)

System Metadata

Internal system configuration:

Timestamps Usage:

• Track category lifecycle
• Cache invalidation
• Audit logging
• Sync with external systems

Primary Categories

Design Families are organized into a hierarchical category structure. The categories shown below represent the actual catalog structure used in R.Design, as retrieved from the catalog API.

All Items (3D Objects)

The primary collection of 3D furniture, fixtures, and decorative objects.

TABLE

Tables and work surfaces.

Subcategories:

• Dining Table - ダイニングテーブル
• Coffee Table - コーヒーテーブル
• Side Table - サイドテーブル
• Desk - 机
• Meeting Table - 会議テーブル
• Kotatsu - こたつ
• Floating Desk - 壁掛けテーブル
• Table Top - 天板
• Table Legs - 脚

Category ID: a48100000008VRiAAM

SEATING

Chairs, sofas, and seating furniture.

Subcategories:

• Dining Chair - ダイニング・チェア
• Stool - スツール
• Bench - ベンチ
• Sofa 1 Seater - 1人掛けソファ
• Built-in Bench - 造作ベンチ
• And more sofa variants (2-seater, 3-seater, sectionals)

Category ID: a48100000008VREAA2

Usage:

• Place in rooms as 3D objects
• Many support fabric customization
• Configurable variants (size, upholstery, finishes)

STORAGE

Storage furniture and cabinetry.

Types include:

• Cabinets and shelving units
• Dressers and wardrobes
• Bookcases
• Media storage
• Office filing

Usage:

• Organize room layouts
• Add functional storage
• Display decorative items

BED

Bedroom furniture.

Types include:

• Beds (single, double, queen, king)
• Nightstands
• Bedroom storage
• Headboards

LIGHTING

Light fixtures and lamps that functionally illuminate scenes.

Types include:

• Ceiling lights (pendants, chandeliers, flush-mount)
• Table lamps
• Floor lamps
• Wall sconces
• Accent lighting

Usage:

• Place as 3D objects in rooms
• Emit light (affects scene lighting)
• Cast dynamic shadows
• Adjustable intensity and color temperature

KITCHEN

Kitchen-specific furniture and fixtures.

Types include:

• Kitchen cabinets
• Appliances
• Fixtures
• Kitchen islands
• Hardware

BATH

Bathroom fixtures and furniture.

Types include:

• Sinks and vanities
• Toilets
• Bathtubs and showers
• Faucets and hardware
• Bath accessories

DECOR

Decorative objects and accessories.

Types include:

• Artwork and wall decor
• Vases and pottery
• Books and magazines
• Plants (potted, arrangements)
• Sculptures and figurines
• Decorative accessories

Usage:

• Add finishing touches to rooms
• Create visual interest
• Style shelves and surfaces
• Add personality to spaces

OUTDOOR

Exterior and outdoor elements.

Types include:

• Patio furniture
• Garden seating
• Outdoor lighting
• Landscaping elements
• Planters

RUG

Floor rugs and carpets.

Types include:

• Area rugs
• Runner rugs
• Round rugs
• Various sizes and styles

Usage:

• Define spaces within rooms
• Add texture and warmth
• Coordinate with furniture

Material Categories

Non-mesh materials for surfaces and finishes.

FABRIC

Textile materials for upholstery and soft furnishings.

Category ID: a48100000008VTKAA2

Types include:

• Upholstery fabrics
• Performance fabrics
• Natural fibers (cotton, linen, wool)
• Synthetic materials
• Leather and faux leather

Usage:

• Apply to furniture upholstery
• Customize configurable items
• Create coordinated material palettes

WALL

Wallpapers, wall coverings, and wall treatments.

Category ID: a48100000008VTPAA2

Subcategories:

• Tiles
• Outer Wall

Types include:

• Patterned wallpapers
• Textured wall coverings
• Murals and feature walls
• Tile patterns
• Wood paneling
• Outer wall finishes

Usage:

• Apply to wall surfaces
• Create accent walls
• Layer with paint for effects
• Define architectural style

FLOOR

Flooring materials and finishes.

Category ID: a48100000008VTPAA2

Types include:

• Hardwood (oak, maple, walnut, etc.)
• Tile (ceramic, porcelain, stone)
• Carpet
• Vinyl/LVT
• Concrete
• Specialty flooring (bamboo, cork)

Usage:

• Apply to floor surfaces
• Define room zones with different flooring
• Match with baseboard treatments

Specialized Categories

BASEBOARD

Baseboard and trim elements.

Category ID: a4810000000LD82AAG

CEILING

Ceiling finishes and treatments.

Category ID: a4810000000LD83AAG

Curtain & Blind

Window treatments and coverings.

Category ID: a4810000000UkIdAAK

Subcategories:

• Drape Curtain - ドレープカーテン
• Lace Curtain - レースカーテン
• Blind - ブラインド

PICTURE

Artwork and photography for walls.

Category ID: a4810000000dtiPAAQ

Subcategories:

• Painting
• Photo

Usage:

• Add artwork to walls
• Create gallery walls
• Personalize spaces

HDRIs

High Dynamic Range Images for environmental lighting and backgrounds.

Category ID: a488400000000HfAAI

Subcategories:

• Sky
• Outdoor
• Studio
• Urban
• Midday
• Sunrise/sunset
• Night

Usage:

• Set environmental lighting
• Create realistic reflections
• Background for product renders
• Atmospheric effects

BACKGROUND

Background elements for scenes.

Category ID: a4810000000UlaIAAS

Category Hierarchies

Categories in R.Design use a hierarchical structure that enables nested navigation, breadcrumbs, and organized browsing. The structure follows a parent-child relationship defined by the parent_category and root_category attributes.

Understanding Category Hierarchy

Each category can have:

• Root Category - The top-level category (e.g., “3D App Default”)
• Parent Category - The immediate parent (referenced by sfid)
• Children - Subcategories nested below
• Category Query - The full path showing the hierarchy

Example from API:

{
  "name": "Dining Chair",
  "name_ja": "ダイニング・チェア",
  "sfid": "a48100000008VRJAA2",
  "category_query": "3D App Default/All Items/SEATING/Dining Chair"
}

This shows: Root → All Items → SEATING → Dining Chair

Complete Hierarchy Structure

Based on the catalog API, here’s the full category tree:

3D App Default (Root)

3D App Default
├── All Items
│   ├── TABLE
│   │   ├── Dining Table
│   │   ├── Coffee Table
│   │   ├── Side Table
│   │   ├── Desk
│   │   ├── Meeting Table
│   │   ├── Kotatsu
│   │   ├── Floating Desk
│   │   ├── Table Top
│   │   └── Table Legs
│   │
│   ├── SEATING
│   │   ├── Dining Chair
│   │   ├── Stool
│   │   ├── Bench
│   │   ├── Sofa 1 Seater
│   │   ├── Sofa 2 Seater
│   │   ├── Sofa 3 Seater
│   │   ├── Sectional Sofa
│   │   └── Built-in Bench
│   │
│   ├── STORAGE
│   │   ├── Shelf
│   │   ├── Cabinet
│   │   ├── Drawer
│   │   └── ...
│   │
│   ├── BED
│   ├── LIGHTING
│   ├── KITCHEN
│   ├── BATH
│   ├── DECOR
│   ├── OUTDOOR
│   └── RUG
│
├── FABRIC
│
├── WALL
│   ├── Tiles
│   └── Outer Wall
│
├── FLOOR
│
├── BASEBOARD
│
├── CEILING
│
├── Curtain & Blind
│   ├── Drape Curtain
│   ├── Lace Curtain
│   └── Blind
│
├── PICTURE
│   ├── Painting
│   └── Photo
│
├── HDRIs
│   ├── Sky
│   ├── Outdoor
│   ├── Studio
│   ├── Urban
│   ├── Midday
│   ├── Sunrise/sunset
│   └── Night
│
└── BACKGROUND

How Hierarchy Works in the App

Navigation

Breadcrumb Trail:

Home > All Items > TABLE > Dining Table

Filters:

• Select “All Items” → Shows all 3D objects
• Select “TABLE” → Narrows to tables only
• Select “Dining Table” → Shows only dining tables

Category Query Path

The category_query field stores the full path:

• "3D App Default/All Items/TABLE/Dining Table"
• Used for filtering and search
• Enables “parent category” navigation

API Response Structure

{
  "name": "TABLE",
  "sfid": "a48100000008VRiAAM",
  "parent_category": "a48100000008VR9AAM",
  "root_category": "3D App Default",
  "children": [
    {
      "name": "Dining Table",
      "sfid": "a48100000008VRnAAM",
      "parent_category": "a48100000008VRiAAM"
    }
  ]
}

Cross-Category Relationships

Some Design Families relate across different category branches:

Example: Complete Dining Room

Primary Items (All Items branch):

• TABLE → Dining Table
• SEATING → Dining Chair
• LIGHTING → Pendant Light
• DECOR → Centerpiece
• RUG → Area Rug

Materials (Material branches):

• FABRIC → Chair upholstery
• WALL → Wallpaper
• FLOOR → Wood flooring

Hierarchy Navigation Patterns

Top-Down Browsing

Start broad and narrow down:

1. Root Level → “3D App Default”
2. Major Category → “All Items” or “FABRIC”
3. Category → “SEATING”
4. Subcategory → “Dining Chair”

Search with Category Context

Searches understand category hierarchy:

Query: “oak dining chair”

• Auto-filters to: All Items → SEATING → Dining Chair
• Applies material filter: Wood → Oak

Related Categories

The app suggests related categories:

Viewing: Dining Table Suggests:

• Dining Chair (same room context)
• Table Lamps (complementary function)
• Placemats (related decor)

Special Hierarchy Cases

Flat Categories

Some categories have no children:

• FABRIC - All fabrics at same level
• FLOOR - All flooring at same level
• BACKGROUND - Single-level category

Deep Hierarchies

Some categories go 3+ levels deep:

• All Items → TABLE → Dining Table → (potential variants)
• HDRIs → Outdoor → (specific HDRI types)

Multiple Paths

Some items may appear in multiple category paths:

• A sectional sofa might be in both “SEATING” and “Sofa” subcategories
• Handled by the category system to prevent duplicates

Best Practices

For Users

Browsing Efficiently:

• Start with primary category
• Refine with subcategory
• Add material type filter if needed
• Use style/brand for final refinement

Organizing Collections:

• Group by project, not just category
• Mix categories for complete room sets
• Tag favorites for quick access
• Share category-filtered catalogs

For Content Creators

Proper Categorization:

• ✅ Choose most specific applicable category
• ✅ Add accurate material type tags
• ✅ Include relevant subcategory
• ✅ Use style tags appropriately
• ❌ Don’t force into wrong category for visibility

Metadata Quality:

• Provide accurate descriptions
• Include all relevant tags
• Specify material types clearly
• Document special features

Related Pages

Core Resources

• Design Family - Core concept
• Design Version - Version details

Catalog Usage

• My Catalog - Overview - Personal catalogs
• My Catalog - Organize - Organization strategies
• Load a Room - Using catalog in rooms

Material Application

• Materials - Fabric - Working with fabrics
• Materials - Wallpaper & Flooring - Wall and floor materials
• Materials - Application - Applying materials