Frequently Asked Questions

We create 3D models and animations in a virtual environment that mimics the real world very closely, very similar to CAD design.

Inside a 3D application, we will need to place models, lights and cameras.

Just like in real life, lights will illuminate the scene and cast realistic shadows. Computer cameras mimic real-life cameras down to lens size, aperture settings and motion blur.

Many of the details associated with computer-generated imagery are highly complex mathematical equations that can take the computer hours to compute.

So when creating an image we use low-quality stand items to work with, and then ‘render’ the image – which can take minutes, hours or even days for a long animation.

Rendering is ‘making it look pretty’ – where the computer is drawing light bouncing around, refracting and reflecting and generally making everything lovely.

If you need an image changed, say you need some paint changed to be beige instead of cream, it will take the computer a while to compute what is necessary.

Therefore, the turnaround between you asking for something and you receiving the file may take a while.

Think of it as ‘baking’ – I’ve put all the ingredients together already, but I need to put the ingredients in the oven for a while before the cake is baked and you can eat it.

A draft image or animation is something we will send you along the way to show you how the project is progressing.

However – just as if you hired some painters to paint your house, a CGI won’t look finished until it’s finished.
Your house won’t look painted until the walls have been sanded, primed, filled, and undercoated and all the dust sheets and tools removed.

So a draft image, or ‘work in progress’ will have bits missing, stand-in shapes and all sorts of things wrong with it.

Sometimes they are useful for you to make decisions but we will have to agree on what it is you are supposed to be looking for.

You may receive a draft animation, or ‘animatic’ or ‘clay renders’ or ‘screen grabs’ – ways of showing you how aspects of the project are coming along, without having to spend time rendering.

We use draft images when we don’t want to wait around for long renders.

We completely understand that specifications change and that things look different once you’ve seen a CGI, but it really prolongs the length of the project if you start making changes after we’ve agreed on a price.

You are allowed to change minor details twice before we start charging you.

We don’t mind letting you design via draft feedback, but please discuss this in advance.

It’s not unknown for clients to want to come in and sit with us and give real-time feedback – again, please ask before commencing the project!

CGI and animation are a funny beast – some things may seem simple to a layman but really take a long time – conversely, some things are very easy to change. Please check with us.

Rule of thumb: Always check with us!

PS – Our workflows may even be different from other CGI artists (we hope so, we think that’s what makes us unique!) – so even if you have experience with CGI, you may not have experience with our methodologies.

Yes. Because changes take time, and those changes eat into other projects – if you were at the front of the queue you could be pushing yourself to the back.

Make sure you ask for changes and amendments early – and ensure they are absolutely necessary. You can always buy your way to the front of the queue – but it’s much easier to plan in advance.

No. These are not included in the cost.

You may be able to buy them at an extra cost, but they are expensive.

Source files will contain trade secrets and intellectual property; it may not be legal to pass them on in such a form.

Everyone has aesthetic taste, but the more people that have a say in the project, the more complicated it becomes.
From the outset, we should be clear on who will be giving feedback and why: engineers, designers, project leaders etc.

It should also be clear where their scope begins and ends as it’s usually best when everyone is on the same page about the goals of the project.
It is also helpful to manage what people are expecting to see – if we are discussing a draft image to see if a component is in the correct place, some people may not realise they are looking at an unfinished draft and not the final render.

Examples of unhelpful feedback would be:

-Opinions from the untrained
-Focus on minutiae not noticeable in the end product
-Advice that is too late to be implemented

That’s fine but please ensure that all feedback comes back in one complete batch. Make sure everyone who has a say in the image has seen it and that you collect all feedback into one email or document.

Please group things according to whether they are wanted or needed – this helps us to prioritise and potentially manage extra costs.

Think of it like this – you are leaving to go to the shops and you are given a shopping list – it’s not difficult to pick up milk while you’re at the shop; but if you drive there, do all your shopping, go through the checkout and come back and then realise you need milk – then we’ve all wasted a hell of a lot of time.
It may not be that bad, but I may also have other jobs that need doing, and it delays your project too

We welcome projects of any size.

We mostly use Autodesk 3D Studio Max and the Adobe Creative Suite – plus a range of plugins and scripts.

Most CAD formats, Sketchup – pretty much anything. We’ve not had anything we couldn’t import yet.

Please be mindful that huge CAD/CAM models designed to manufacture tolerances may have far more detail than we need. If you are sending me models, we may not need every single nut, bolt & engine part.
We really only need what is visible.

We mostly use Autodesk 3D Studio Max and the Adobe Creative Suite – plus a range of plugins and scripts.

We have a modest render-farm of PCs that can handle most work we get including large animations.

If we need more power, we can access an off-site render farm – the costs for which will be included in our original estimate.

The need to go off-site is a very rare occurrence because of the way we plan and implement animations.