What files do you need for 3D rendering?

Most delays in a rendering project happen before anyone opens the 3D software. A missing elevation, an old version of the model, a materials list that says “stone” without saying which stone. Each gap means a question, a wait for the answer and sometimes a view that has to be redone.

This checklist covers what to gather before you ask for a quote. You do not need everything on it. But the more of it you send at the start, the more accurate the quote and the fewer rounds of questions afterwards.

1. The 3D model, if one exists

If your architect or interior designer has a 3D model, it is the most useful single file you can send.

• SketchUp (.skp) files are common for villas, interiors and smaller commercial projects.
• Revit (.rvt) files are common for larger buildings and projects designed by engineering offices.
• 2024 versions are preferred. They open without conversion. Older versions can usually be read, but tell us the version when you send them.

Before sending, ask the person who owns the model three questions. Is this the latest design? Are old options and hidden layers cleaned out, or at least named clearly? Are the doors, windows and openings modelled, or only drawn in plan? A clean model saves modelling time, and that saving shows in the quote.

2. Drawings, if there is no model

No model is fine. We build one from drawings as part of the 3D rendering scope. Send:

• Floor plans for every level you want shown.
• Elevations of every facade that appears in an exterior view.
• Sections, so ceiling heights, steps and level changes are right.
• Site plan, with the plot boundary, gates, parking and landscaping.
• Interior layouts with furniture, for any room we will render inside.

AutoCAD (DWG) files are the most useful, because dimensions can be read directly. PDF drawings work too, as long as they are to scale and readable. Photos of printed drawings are a last resort.

3. Materials and finishes

This is the gap we see most often. A render can only be as accurate as the information behind it.

• A materials list or finishes schedule: which stone, which tile, which paint colour, which wood.
• Supplier names or product codes where you have them.
• Photos or samples of key materials. A phone photo of a stone sample in daylight helps more than a word in a schedule.
• Lighting: fixture types, warm or cool light, and anything special such as facade lighting or a feature chandelier.

If finishes are not decided yet, say so. We can render options, and the quote will show them as separate lines.

4. Brand guidelines

If the renders will appear in sales material, a hoarding, a brochure or a sponsorship deck, send your brand guidelines: logo files, colours and fonts. They matter for signage on the building, branded hoarding inside the image, and the Arabic and English titles on any film. For a development with its own project brand, send that one rather than the developer’s.

5. References and the views you need

• A list of views: for example, front facade by day, front facade at night, majlis, family living room, aerial of the whole compound.
• Reference images of the mood you want: the light, the season, the time of day. Mark what you like in each one.
• What to avoid: a style you have seen and do not want.
• Where the images will be used: brochure, website, Snapchat, sales centre screen, hoarding. This sets the sizes and shapes we deliver.

If you also need a walkthrough film or a 360 rotatable, add it here. Films and renders can share one model and one quote.

6. Site photos and context

For an exterior render, the building has to sit in a real place.

• Photos of the plot and the street from where the camera will stand.
• Photos of neighbouring buildings, or at least a note of what is next door.
• A pin or coordinates, so the sun direction and the view are right.
• For a renovation, photos of the existing building or room from the angle you want, so the before and after line up.

7. Practical details

• The deadline and what sets it: a launch, an exhibition, a tender date.
• Languages for any text, titles or captions.
• Who approves, and who else gives comments.
• Off-plan use. If the renders will sell a project that is not built yet, they are artist’s impressions. Plan to label them that way and check sales material with your own adviser and the relevant authority.

How to send large files

Models and drawing sets are often large. Attach what fits to the start a project form. For anything larger, upload one folder to Google Drive or WeTransfer and paste the link in the brief. Name the folder after the project, and keep the latest drawings in it only, so nobody works from an old version.

What happens after you send them

We open the files, check the model or drawings against your list of views, and reply with any questions. Then you get a quote that names every view, says whether modelling is included and lists the revision rounds, which are included in every quote. A full set typically takes 30 to 40 days, depending on scope. If you are still deciding what you need, our guide to what 3D rendering costs explains each factor, and the 3D visualisation page shows how renders, films and floor plans fit together.

Send your drawings for a quote

Gather what you have from this list, even if it is incomplete, and send it through the project form with your list of views and your deadline. We reply with questions and a quote for the exact scope. If you would like to see our work before sending files, request a private portfolio walkthrough on a call.