THE TWO MAIN FACTORS AFFECTING THE PRICE OF 3D RENDERING

1.) THE 3D RENDERING WORK

The main cost of a 3D rendering is the labour involved. Three professionals are generally involved in a 3D rendering project

-the project manager

-3D artist

-Post-processing artist / Photoshop

By far the most important element of the labour cost is the 3D artist. We will therefore focus primarily on the role of the 3D artist.

WHAT DOES THE 3D ARTIST DO IN THE 3D RENDERING PROCESS?

To create a rendering, a 3D artist must:

1. Understand the client's plans and vision.

2. Create the model using 3D software.

3. Texture the model.

4. Configure the scene (lightning and camera).

 

WHAT INCREASES THE LABOUR COSTS OF 3D ARTISTS?

The labour involved in 3D rendering is not as straightforward as you might think. Skilled 3D artists can create what may appear to be an extremely detailed scene in a short time using the tools at their disposal. On the other hand, seemingly simple scenes can take much longer.

For example, a large, highly accurate aerial view of a city could be created very quickly using public geographic data and several automated processes. On the other hand, it may take several days or weeks to model a single piece of equipment, to exacting standards, such as a technical part with complex details.

In many cases, the process can be accelerated by using items from our libraries. The main factors affecting labour are the level of detail and the number of unique elements required.

LABOUR COSTS FOR POST-PROCESSING OF 3D RENDERINGS.

Once a 3D render has been calculated, most studios employ a Photoshop artist / graphic designer to retouch the image. Post-production can be a minor or major part of the process. Some studios render a basic scene and then do most of the detailing in Photoshop. We take a more minimal approach to post-processing. A studio may not do any post-processing at all, but it is almost always necessary to adjust the colours or do some retouching.

 

2.) RENDER TIME

Rendering time is the time it takes the computer to create your image. The rendering time is directly related to the realism of the image and the level of detail you need. However, there are many tricks to creating detail without adding much rendering time.

As a consumer, you don't have to worry too much about rendering time - that's the rendering company's job! We have provided the information below to help you understand why some projects cost more and take longer than others.

WHAT INCREASES RENDERING TIME?

Depending on the rendering software, the number of light sources can sometimes significantly affect the rendering time - so outdoor scenes can be rendered quite quickly. Another factor is the level of detail in the scene. The industry term for this is poly-count, which refers to the number of polygons used to model the scene.

 

REDUCE RENDERING TIMES

The most important thing you can do to reduce rendering time is to reduce the number of revisions needed by providing detailed plans and specific comments. Each time you need a revision, part or all of the image needs to be re-rendered, so fewer revisions mean a reduction in total render time. Reducing the number of revisions can save you money in the long run - at Unmod3d we charge lower prices for repeat customers, who we know we can work with efficiently.

The other most important factor in render times is resolution. This factor comes into play more when creating animations, but it can also play a role when creating still images.

EFFECT OF HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE ON RENDERING TIME

With the constant improvements in computer hardware and changes in rendering software, the rendering time of still images is becoming a minor factor in the price. However, the rendering time of animations remains a very important factor in their production cost.

PRICING STRATEGIES - PER IMAGE OR PER PROJECT

1.) PER IMAGE PRICING

With per-image pricing, you are charged a fixed price per rendered image or a sliding scale price based on the number of renderings you decide to purchase. This type of pricing works well for small projects.

For example, if you want a basic rendering of a t-shirt collection, the differences from one project to the next are not significant.

For this reason, rendering companies may be able to charge a flat rate for all these rendering styles.

Scalable price per image - Often the cost of rendering one image is slightly higher per image than if you choose to purchase multiple images. This is because the initial setup for a render can be quite intensive. Once this setup is complete, the rendering process becomes much more manageable.

2.) PRICE PER PROJECT / PER SCENE

For this type of pricing, you usually send a company the details of your project, and they send you back a custom quote based on your needs.

This type of pricing is more typical for large-scale 3D rendering projects that include several different elements, including animation, 3D models and blueprints of all items and multiple rendered images.