How much does it cost?
Each job is priced individually. Jobs are quoted based on an estimate of time involved based on the complexity of the data and output required.
How does the process work?
You send us:
CAD data, materials specification, background specification and screen grabs of the views you want rendered.
We then:
Import the data
Create and apply materials as per the materials specification
Put the model into a background scene and then light it
Generate a test render for client feedback
Make one set of changes
Generate a final test render for final feedback
Makes final adjustments and then render final hi-res image
What's the lead time?
We provide a 24hours turn around service for small jobs booked in advance - there after it all depends on the complexity of the data. We have a large render farm, so whatever the job, then we pump out the images pretty fast. The main time involved is in materials and lighting setup.
How do I send you our CAD data - the files are too big for email?
We have our own 'You Send It' Drop Box set up on this web site. It is very secure and easy to use. It's on our contact page.
What about confidentiality?
We are happy to sign non-disclosure agreements. We are a small team based in a rural location and have been handling confidential files for the last 4 years. 95% of our work is confidential.
What do I need to send you for a quote?
The CAD data, screen shots of the views you want and a materials specification.
You can get away without sending the data, but we reserve the right to adjust the quote when do get it.
What is the best 3D data format to send you?
We have had the best results from single STEP files containing all geometry. These import as individual grouped parts and this makes it easy to assign materials.
But we can accept:
Alias StudioTools files (.wire) and Rhino 3D files (.3dm) ideally with different layers representing each material.
SolidWorks parts and assemblies (make sure all reference parts are included please) - better still save your SolidWorks assemblies as a single SolidWorks part file in the save as options.
And also good old IGES is OK too, but if the data imports as non grouped loose surfaces then it will cost more to manually select surfaces and assign materials.
We would like to sell your services to our clients. Are you happy to keep in the background and take on sub contract work?
Yes, we work with a lot of designers who use us to support their business like this.
Do you offer a discount for this sub contract arrangement?
No. We work quickly which means our prices can still easily be marked up to make a profit on when using our services.
Someone else has done some work for us before, can you use their files... they use 3DS Max?
We work in Autodesk Maya, so can work on existing Maya files. But we don't use 3DS Max. Also many visualisers turn the data into polygons and we don't use these. We keep the CAD data as nurbs for the highest surface quality where we can. There are exceptions to this. Many car companies will only release polygon data for rendering.
Do you do animations?
Yes we create animations from turn tables right through to complex product demonstrations and fly-throughs. We have done a lot of them, but most are confidential.
Can you model 3D designs for us?
Yes. Our team includes experienced product designers able to generate 3D files from your 2D design drawings. This is ideal for graphic designers creating 3D designs, or over busy design studios wanting concepts bringing to life. We charge £60 per hour for 3D modeling.
What renderer do you use?
Our main tool is the artvps renderer (www.artvps.com) which runs on their hardware. We have invested significantly in an artvps render farm. Although we have a number of other renderers in R+D that we use from time to time for certain jobs.
Are you a render farm?
No! We take CAD data from our customers and take pictures of it, these pictures are generated on our render farm, but we are not selling the time on the farm, we are selling our expertise.
We can do this ourselves, why use Protograph?
Client's use us because with a tight deadline we produce high quality images faster than they can. We provide an over flow to their team. Client's also use us because we're good at it. It's not just about having the right hardware and workflow. We have an eye for a good picture and lot's of experience in backgrounds and lighting.
We have seen better renderings on the internet, what makes you guys so special?
Rendering is going through a revolution at the moment. Renderers like Maxwell and Fry are setting new standards in absolute photo-realism.
We are an image factory, setting up and rendering images to high resolutions very quickly to meet our customer needs. But currently these new renderers like Maxwell can't compete for speed and robustness with our existing workflow and hardware ray tracing farm. We would love to produce all our renders to these standards, but it is not commercially viable for us or our clients just yet!
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