Three output tiers

The results a 3D project can produce fall into three tiers, and cost and duration follow that tier.

  • Static image (render): high-resolution frames from fixed angles. For brochures, listings and hoardings.
  • Animation: video produced along a pre-computed camera path. For promotional films and social media.
  • Real-time environment (digital twin): freely navigable, interactive and data-bindable. For the sales conversation.

Which output at which stage

Requesting the wrong output at the wrong stage is where 3D budgets are most often wasted.

At concept stage, while decisions can still change, producing expensive photoreal output is risky; fast, low-cost massing images are enough.

During permitting and approval, site-context images showing the relationship to surroundings matter most.

At the sales stage the decisive factor is interaction — the buyer being able to see their own unit. Static renders alone fall short here.

  • Concept: massing studies, fast images — decisions can still change
  • Approvals: site plan and context relationship imagery
  • Pre-launch: atmosphere imagery and identity material
  • Active sales: walkable real-time environment and unit selection
  • Post-handover: as-built documentation and facility management reference

Which files are used as input

Production starts from your existing project data. The format you hold directly affects process and cost.

  • RVT (Revit) / IFC — BIM model; fastest start, most information already present
  • DWG (AutoCAD) — plans, elevations and site plan; modelling effort increases
  • SKP (SketchUp) — massing and concept model; detailing required
  • PDF / printed drawings — requires redrawing, the highest-effort scenario
  • Point cloud (laser scan) — for existing buildings

How quality is assessed

"It looks good" is not a measurable criterion. These are the concrete headings to compare proposals against:

  • Light behaviour: shadow softness, indirect illumination, daylight realism
  • Material accuracy: does the texture and reflection genuinely represent the specified product
  • Scale and proportion: human scale, door and window proportions
  • Context completeness: are neighbouring buildings, topography and landscape included
  • Consistency: are material and lighting consistent across the image set

MPANDO's approach

MPANDO uses a real-time engine (Unreal Engine 5) in MTWIN. The practical consequence is that static and real-time outputs are not produced separately: once the walkable environment exists, high-resolution stills can be captured from any angle.

On most projects this removes the need to commission a separate render set, replacing two production processes with a single source.