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Product Visualization involves visualization software technology for the viewing and manipulation of 3D models, technical drawing and other related documentation of manufactured components and large assemblies of products. It is a key part of Product Lifecycle Management.

Technical visualization is an important aspect of product development. Originally technical drawings were made by hand, but with the rise of advanced computer graphics the drawing board has been replaced by computer-aided design (CAD). CAD-drawings and models have several advantages over hand-made drawings such as the possibility of 3-D modeling, rapid prototyping and simulation.

People from many disciplines and with varying requirements across an organisation need to view and manipulate product data in different ways. CAD is the traditional tool of the engineer who needs to create and edit the geometry, but others need to see this data or convey information in other ways to that of the engineer. Also many companies work in a multi-CAD system environment and require a neutral viewing format within the organisation. Therefore product visualization technology has been developed. This allows, as well as visualization of components, Digital Mock-Up DMU (placement, alignment, collision and clearances analysis), Markup (redlining) of documents, Collaborative Product Development, collaboration sessions with other sites, web publishing and integration to Product Data Management.

The technology used includes tessellation of 3D geometry to aid in speed of loading and viewing. This is done with the help of data stored in levels of detail; different sized facets depending on level of zooming in on a product and exact geometry for precision measurements (BREP, NURBS).