A method for generating an active visual product configuration based on interactive digital 2D or 3D objects displayed on an operating device. Processing options and degrees of freedom and/or object characteristics are defined in an object control unit of a data processing system. A variant model is created in the data processing system and corresponding parameters are assigned to the object and to the processing options. A visualization unit assigned to the operating device represents the complex variant model optically in a 3D-scenario for active product configuration. The active product configuration is carried out via a display device and/or a touch screen integrated in the operating device. All processing options and degrees of freedom of the object can be animated. During the production configuration, a communication control unit effects data communication between the visualization unit and the object control unit and the configuration instance of the variant model.