PPG Industries has announced that its Architectural Glass Configurator is now available as a downloadable desktop widget for Windows® and Mac® computers. The glass configurator was created to help architects identify the best architectural glass for their projects, enabling them to view and compare the aesthetics and performance data of every PPG glass product.

By downloading the configurator widget directly to their computers, architects can access and compare glass products even when they don’t have Internet access. To download the widget, architects must download the YAHOO!® Widgets application at widgets.yahoo.com/download, and then download the WinZip file for the PPG Glass Configurator Widget by visiting www.ppgideascapes.com and clicking on “IDEASCAPES TOOLS” on the home page and then on “Glass Configurator Widget” in the list that appears.

The introduction of the desktop widget follows the launch earlier this year of a mobile version of the PPG Glass Product Performance Calculator, which architects can access through APPLE® brand and ANDROID™ system smartphones.

PPG says its Architectural Glass Product Performance calculator, which is based on the Enermodal FRAME™ plus program, enables architects and specifiers to estimate the thermal and optical performance of windows and insulating glass units (IGUs) fabricated from any combination of PPG products. When architects enter a prospective IGU configuration, the tool instantly calculates the related performance data for U-value, solar heat gain coefficient, visible light transmittance, light-to-solar gain ratio, color index and other thermal and optical measures.