When you outsource 3D modelling, the conversation, as far as we are concerned, starts with your file format and CAD standards. That may seem like a detail, but it determines whether a delivered model can be used straight away or needs another round of rework first. We work to the standards and drawing conventions of the organisation that brings us in, and you supply them to us.
We adopt the layer structure, naming, sheet layout and the way dimensions are shown directly from them. For exchange we use DXF, DWG, Revit formats and STEP files, and in practice almost every CAD format comes along, which we also handle.
Our main software is Revit, AutoCAD and Rhino, supplemented by Inventor, Grasshopper and, to a limited extent, Dynamo and Vault. We always work in the latest versions. We do the modelling and drafting, but not engineering or calculations. The work runs fully remotely from our own office, in our own environment and with our own licences. You are welcome to visit, but the work itself stays remote.
Cable tray routing in the model, built with parametric families that carry the material schedule with them.
How outsourcing 3D modelling runs from first call to delivery
A project to outsource 3D modelling starts with a conversation in which we go through the project. In it, we determine the scope, the required output and any information that is still missing. You then supply the details, plus the existing files, which are usually drawings or models that need a revision. We assess that starting point before we begin. Sometimes an existing set is perfectly usable and we build on it. Sometimes the set is so messy that rebuilding is quicker than repairing, and then we put that to you as a choice rather than quietly pouring hours into it.
As soon as there is enough information to work independently, the modelling begins. We deliver in parts. A first batch goes back to you, you review it, we collect your comments, process them and move on to the next batch. That way, a wrong assumption stays limited to a few drawings instead of the entire set. Each part has already passed through at least three review layers before delivery, so what you receive is checked work.
We match the meeting rhythm to the pace of the project, which ranges from every two days to weekly. If there is a deadline that cannot move, we scale up and pick up the pace. Day-to-day contact runs by email and phone, and on larger projects you can log into the software the project runs in to follow progress. At the end, you have a set that fits the downstream process it is intended for.
Software, versions and formats when you outsource 3D modelling
The technical side of outsourcing 3D modelling is all about compatibility. Our main packages are Revit, AutoCAD and Rhino, and we also work with Inventor and Grasshopper. We use Dynamo and Vault to a limited extent, where they speed up the work. Which package we use follows from what you already have, because a model built in a different program from the one the rest of your organisation uses only creates conversion work. The latest software versions are standard at our end, so files open without problems on both sides.
Exchange runs via DXF, DWG, Revit formats and STEP files. In practice almost every common CAD format comes along, and we handle those too. More important than the format is the structure underneath. A model with its own layer structure and its own naming is technically correct but practically useless the moment it lands in your existing library. That is why we ask for your drawing conventions at the start and stick to them down to the details.
When revising existing files, we adopt the structure already in them, even if we would do it differently ourselves. Where the model lends itself to it, we build parametric components, so that a part is created once and can then be placed anywhere. The material schedule then updates along with it, so a change to the component automatically flows through to the schedule. For a product line with variants in different sizes, that saves redrawing for every new configuration. We work in our own environment with our own licences, not in your systems.
No ongoing payroll costs and no idle staff once the peak is over. If one of our people is off sick or on holiday, we replace them and the work simply carries on.
Scaling up and capacity during the project
The reason people call us is almost always capacity. Too little time, too few drafters, or a peak your own team cannot handle. Our large, variable team scales with each project, so we deploy exactly as many drafters as the project requires. We do not do that by recruiting, because the team is already in place and we deploy whatever the project calls for. When something is urgent, we add people immediately, without an onboarding period of weeks, because everyone who works for us has more than ten years of CAD experience. The core of the team has around twenty-five years of combined experience and is led by Sam, our team leader, who has more than fifteen years of background in architecture, worked in Iran for seven years, ran his own design practice in the Netherlands and still works as an engineer.
If someone drops out due to illness or holidays, we replace that person so the work continues. That is a fundamental difference from a single hired drafter, whose project grinds to a halt the moment they are unavailable. You carry no ongoing salary costs and only pay for the hours actually spent on the project. Scaling down is possible too, because we do not work with prepaid hour bundles or a monthly hours subscription. For a Firefly deadline that could not move, the team carried on through evenings and weekends, with days of fourteen to fifteen hours, while Sam was actually on holiday. Weeks like that are the exception, but they show how our staffing moves with a hard date.
Getting started with outsourcing 3D modelling
To get started with outsourcing 3D modelling, we need only a few things. The project details, the existing files and your organisation's drawing conventions. There is usually material already, because the reason for getting in touch is often a set that needs updating or extending. If something essential is missing, we say so straight away instead of getting stuck halfway.
We can start as soon as there is enough information to work independently. If the file you supply is incomplete or hard to read, we would rather sort it out ourselves than call your drawing office every day. At Firefly we received as-built material in which the existing drawings had been printed incorrectly and partly drawn by hand.
It was messy and difficult to read, and we worked through it and still delivered a clean result. We respond to a new request within 1 to 2 working days, after which we schedule a conversation. You can reach us by phone or through the contact form on the website. A short assignment is fine and is often the wisest first step, because it lets you judge our speed and accuracy before any volume moves over.
We can charge by the hour or per project at a fixed price, which we agree together. We only bill pure working hours, so time not spent on the model does not appear on the invoice. The intellectual property of everything we make belongs to you, and we are open to signing a non-disclosure agreement if your organisation values one.
Frequently asked questions about outsourcing 3D modelling
Let us handle your 3D modelling
Send us your documents and drawing conventions and we will let you know within one to two working days what we can take on and when.