# Components Engine vs CDS Visual: which is better for manufacturers replacing legacy paper catalog documentation?

<p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true">We've been comparing <a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/components-engine/reviews">Components Engine</a> vs <a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/cds-visual/reviews">CDS Visual</a> specifically for manufacturers replacing legacy paper catalog documentation, since moving off static PDFs and printed catalogs is a different kind of transition than a typical software switch.</p><ol>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/components-engine/reviews"><strong>Components Engine</strong></a><strong>:</strong> One reviewer specifically describes the platform's ability to retrieve and enhance historical PDF catalogs, including rasterized ones, and apply different configurations based on the structure of each individual document, which lets manufacturers preserve existing information assets rather than re-engineering content from scratch. Has anyone measured how long the full transition away from paper actually took in practice?</li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/cds-visual/reviews"><strong>CDS Visual</strong></a><strong>:</strong> One reviewer describes converting an entire site from a static, PDF-dependent product list with no built-in purchasing path to a dynamic catalog with an integrated shopping cart, which is close to a direct description of this exact transition.</li>
</ol><p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true">For manufacturers that have made this specific transition: was the harder part converting the technical content itself, or getting field teams and customers to actually adopt the new digital format instead of falling back on old habits?</p>

##### Post Metadata
- Posted at: 13 days ago
- Author title: Marketing Executive
- Net upvotes: 1


## Comments
### Comment 1

&lt;p&gt;Moving off paper catalogs always seems to come down to more than just picking the right software. Even with a good conversion tool, getting field teams and long-time customers to actually adopt the new digital format instead of reaching for the printed version out of habit tends to be the slower part.&lt;/p&gt;

##### Comment Metadata
- Posted at: 12 days ago
- Author title: SEO Content Specialist





## Related discussions
- [How well does Trello scale into a larger team?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/1-how-well-does-trello-scale-into-a-larger-team)
  - Posted at: over 13 years ago
  - Comments: 6
- [Can we please add a new section](https://www.g2.com/discussions/2-can-we-please-add-a-new-section)
  - Posted at: over 13 years ago
  - Comments: 0
- [Quantifiable benefits from implementing your CRM](https://www.g2.com/discussions/quantifiable-benefits-from-implementing-your-crm)
  - Posted at: over 13 years ago
  - Comments: 4