What Files You Need to Order a 3D Render (and Which Ones Do Not Work)
What Files You Need to Order a 3D Render
Not all files are equally useful. The format you send determines whether the studio can model in 3D directly or has to rebuild the project from scratch, which changes the time and the cost.
Formats that work
- DWG / DXF (AutoCAD): ideal for floor plans and sections with organized layers.
- SKP (SketchUp): allows fast modeling and massing review.
- RVT (Revit): carries material and real dimension data.
- Vector PDF: works if the plan has legible dimensions and is not an image.
- Photos of the space: useful for remodels and virtual staging.
Formats that complicate the work
- Plans scanned as JPG: without scale or dimensions, everything has to be redrawn.
- Models without layers or names: it is hard to identify walls, openings and furniture.
- Closed-software files: if they cannot be exported, materials and measurements are lost.
What if you do not have any file?
A render can also be built from an idea: a hand sketch, measurements taken with a tape, or photos of the lot. In that case the workflow is 3D modeling first, then rendering. It is an extra step, but it avoids scale errors that later show up in construction.
Checklist before sending
- Does the file open without a password or special license?
- Does it have scale and visible dimensions?
- Are walls, openings and furniture separated?
- Are you attaching reference photos of materials?
- Did you specify which views you want rendered?
Not sure what you have? Send us whatever you have and we will tell you if it is enough or what is missing, at no cost.
