3D FCL Container Loading Simulator
Interactive 3D bin packing simulator for optimizing container space and cargo placement
Overview
Built an interactive web-based simulator to visualize and optimize Full Container Load (FCL) cargo placement using 3D bin packing logic. The system allows users to define container dimensions, item properties, and instantly see how goods are arranged spatially in a 3D environment.
Problem & Objective
Logistics planning often relies on manual estimation, leading to wasted container space and inefficient cargo arrangement. Needed a visual and computational tool to simulate item placement while respecting size, orientation, and weight constraints.
My Contribution
- Designed object-oriented bin packing engine (Item, Container, BinPacker)
- Implemented 3D spatial placement algorithm with collision detection
- Built interactive UI with Streamlit for real-time simulation
- Developed 3D visualization using Plotly Mesh3D
Features
- Custom container dimension & max weight input
- Multiple item types with quantity support
- Orientation-aware item placement
- Automatic collision and boundary detection
- Weight constraint validation
- Real-time 3D visualization of container and items
- Dummy data generator for quick testing
Challenges
Achieving realistic spatial placement required implementing 3D collision detection and orientation handling while keeping performance responsive in a web app. Balancing visualization clarity with rendering efficiency in Plotly was also a key challenge.
Outcome
Produced an educational and practical simulation tool useful for logistics demonstrations, algorithm prototyping, and visualization of packing strategies.
Impact
Helps illustrate bin packing optimization concepts visually and improves understanding of spatial efficiency in container logistics.
Tech Stack
Python · Streamlit · Plotly · 3D Visualization · Optimization