# What to prepare before commissioning a 3D render

A render brief needs to explain what should be seen and what the image will be used for. References and starting material help define the work before talking about the final result. If you gather drawings, measurements, finishes and intended uses before asking for a quote, there will be fewer changes halfway through.

[Web version](https://www.crida.studio/en/insights/guides/prepare-3d-render-brief/)

By David Monje, crida studio · Published 2026-10-26 · Updated 2026-10-31

## What should be defined before commissioning a render?

First, know where each image will go. A website cover, a presentation and a printed piece may need different proportions and sizes. A landscape image for the website and a portrait one for a banner do not come out the same.

Also say whether the image will sit with text, a brand background or other pieces that form a series. If a headline will go over the render, leave clean space for it from the start rather than cropping afterwards.

## Gather the available information

Do not assume a photograph, drawing and model contain the same information. Review what can be used and what will need preparing. A dimensioned drawing says far more than a catalogue photo and saves guesswork later.

- Measurements and information about the subject shape.
- Photography and references for materials and finishes.
- Existing models or files and permission to use them.
- References for light, viewpoint and composition.

![House floor plan on a desk with rulers, pencils and drawing tools](https://www.crida.studio/recursos/assets/plano-arquitectura.11fd15235404.webp)

Floor plans and dimensions provide a concrete basis for preparing views of a space. Reference photograph.
Ryan Ancill / Unsplash — https://unsplash.com/photos/eeuPtEVuofQ


### Will one image work for every application?

It may be adaptable in some cases, but this should not be assumed. Proportion, dimensions, cropping and space for text may require different versions. An image composed for a landscape screen loses part of the scene on a portrait poster. So the formats should be known from the start.

## Which files and formats help most

Send each item in a format that can be opened and measured. A drawing in DWG or DXF keeps its dimensions and can be imported into the 3D software. Autodesk describes DXF as an interchange format used to share drawing data between CAD programs.

For colours and finishes, a RAL code or a physical sample avoids arguments about which grey it is. RAL sets the colour standards for architecture, design, skilled trades and industry. If the model will go into a 3D viewer on the website, Khronos designed the glTF format for the efficient loading of 3D scenes.

What you may have and how to send it

| What you have | How to send it | What it is for |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Drawings | DWG, DXF or PDF to scale, with dimensions | Building the volume with real measurements |
| 3D model | Original file plus an OBJ, FBX or glTF export | Saving modelling time and keeping the geometry |
| Finishes | RAL codes, samples and well-lit photos | Defining colours and textures without guesswork |
| Surroundings | Site photos, orientation and cadastral reference | Placing light and context faithfully |
| Final use | Sizes in pixels or centimetres for each medium | Preparing framing and resolution |

## Agree what needs approval

Review the composition first and the details afterwards. This reveals a difference in interpretation before it affects all the pieces. A white model view, without materials, is already enough to decide whether the framing and light work.

Define who will approve the material and which decisions need to be settled at each stage. A change in shape or framing means redoing more work than a small finishing adjustment. That is why it is decided first.

![Wood, finish and texture samples arranged on a material selection table](https://www.crida.studio/recursos/assets/muestras-materiales.1c1f816aeece.webp)

Physical samples help define finishes and textures before visualising them. Reference photograph.
Declan Sun / Unsplash — https://unsplash.com/photos/2ZjSja_2EX4


### Do I need a 3D model before commissioning a render?

No. Scaled drawings, measurements and reference photos are enough to model from. If a model from the architect or manufacturer already exists, it saves work, but check that it can be exported and that it was built for visualisation rather than only for construction calculations.

## A worked example with a developer in Girona

Take a developer selling a small apartment building off-plan in Girona, a made-up example with no client data. It has the basic project in DWG, a facade elevation and a list of materials. It wants one exterior image for the hoarding and the website, and two interiors of a typical flat.

The brief settles that the exterior will be seen from the street at eye level, in afternoon light, with the real neighbouring buildings. Site photos and the mapping from Spain’s electronic cadastre office help place it. For the interiors, it sends the specification and the RAL codes for the joinery. The volume is approved first, then the materials.


### How many revision rounds are normal?

It depends on how approval is organised. If the volume and framing are approved first, then materials and light, most changes arrive while they are still easy to make. Agree how many rounds the commission includes and what counts as a change of brief.

## Make the deliverables clear

The number of images, sizes, formats, variants and revisions should be written into the commission. If you need the working files, ask for them from the start. Say whether the images will go on social media, on hoardings or on a property portal.

With that information you can ask for comparable proposals and spot what is missing before starting. Two proposals with the same number of images, views and revisions can be compared. The same criteria help check that the result fits its intended use.

## Criteria for deciding and a final checklist

Think about the decision each image should prompt. If a view does not help sell, approve or explain anything, it is probably surplus. A render makes sense when what needs showing does not exist yet or cannot be photographed well. If the space is already built, a photo shoot may be more useful.

- The use of each image and the medium it will appear on, with sizes.
- Dimensioned drawings or a 3D model, in a format that can be opened.
- Finishes defined with samples, codes or photos.
- References for light, viewpoint and style, including what you do not want.
- Who approves each stage and how many changes the commission includes.


### Which format should I receive the final images in?

Ask for the final image at high quality for print and a light version for the web. Google explains that WebP offers lossless and lossy compression for web images. If it is going to a printer, ask them for the sizes and resolution they need.

## Prepare a first version of the brief

Organise the image type, intended uses and available materials before requesting a proposal. The tool below creates a summary you can copy or save, and you decide later whether to share it with crida studio.

The summary is prepared in this browser. You decide afterwards whether to share it with Crida.

- What needs representing — A development or property, An interior or renovation, A product or catalogue, Another project
- Where the images will be used — Website or online shop, Catalogue or presentation, Communication campaign, Reviewing a proposal, Several uses
- Approximate number of images
- What material you have — Plans and references, Model and references, Photos and dimensions, Material still to collect
- When the material is needed
- What you need to explain or decide


- [3D and rendering](https://www.crida.studio/en/insights/services/3d-renders/)
## References

- [Autodesk, importing and exporting DXF files](https://help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2026/ENU/AutoCAD-LT/files/GUID-11AEFE3C-D05A-45C3-8604-7B6A594440F3.htm)
- [Khronos Group, glTF specification](https://www.khronos.org/gltf/)
- [Google, WebP image format](https://developers.google.com/speed/webp)
- [RAL, colour standards](https://www.ral-farben.de/en/)
- [Spanish electronic cadastre office (Sede Electrónica del Catastro)](https://www.sedecatastro.gob.es/)

## The crida perspective

We are a marketing, brand and technology studio based in Girona. We bring identity, content and development together so a digital experience makes sense from beginning to end.

crida studio, Caldes de Malavella (Girona, Spain). David Monje, founder and director.

## Your commission can start with a clearer brief

Prepare the summary and tell us what needs representing. At crida studio we consider 3D work alongside project uses across brand, web and communication.

[Talk about your 3D project](https://www.crida.studio/en/#contact)

## More on web design

- [3D and rendering](https://www.crida.studio/en/insights/services/3d-renders/)
- [Branding and visual identity](https://www.crida.studio/en/insights/services/branding-visual-identity/)
- [3D renders that explain a development before it is built](https://www.crida.studio/en/insights/services/3d-property-renders/)
- [Product renders for catalogues, brands and online sales](https://www.crida.studio/en/insights/services/3d-product-renders/)
- [What an interior render can clarify before a renovation](https://www.crida.studio/en/insights/guides/interior-renders-before-renovation/)
- [How to design a booth when your equipment is too big to ship](https://www.crida.studio/en/insights/guides/trade-show-booth-equipment-too-big/)