Determining the Pricing of a Job at Centregram

At Centregram, we care about delivering the right balance of quality and cost-effectiveness. Here are some pointers that affect the cost of a job:

1) Amount of 3D Modelling Required

Do you have a 3D model that we can use? If not, it will need to be modeled, which would need to be factored into the budget.

If you have a 3D model, is it a direct export of a CAD model? If so, will it need to be retopologized? Renders in our software deliver the best results if the geometry is made up of vertices arranged in a "quad" format, resembling a grid pattern overlay. CAD models exported into formats like FBX or OBJ typically arrange the vertices into triangles. While we can avoid the expense of retopologizing, the client must understand that curved surfaces might appear jittery in such cases. We encourage using files with the correct topology, which can be done either on the client’s end or ours.

Conclusion: 3D models delivered with quad retopology will avoid extra labor charges for making them fit for animation and rendering.

2) Level of Texturing

Considerations for the texture or look of your product include:

• Texture Maps: Does your model come with relevant texture maps? Do these maps need additional work? Any extra work on texture maps will increase costs.
• Procedural Material vs. Crafted Material: Procedural materials, created by mixing and combining rules of color, roughness, and generated patterns, are cost-effective and yield great results. However, they may lack the nuanced details your product might require. Curated textures can provide more detailed results but also drive up costs.

Conclusion: Procedural materials offer a cost-effective solution, while curated textures can deliver more specific results at a higher cost.

3) Scene Building Complexity

The general rule is: the more complicated the setting, the higher the cost.

For example, a scene featuring multiple products on a table with props and cinematic lighting will be priced significantly higher than a simple product on a single-color backdrop with basic lighting. More props, products, advanced lighting, and effects mean more labor, thus higher costs per render. We can also render your product onto stock footage as a cost-effective solution.

4) Simulations

Do you require simulations for your renders or animations? Simulations include elements like water, wind, dust particles, fire, and rain. They come mainly in two forms:

• Brute Force Simulations: More realistic but require more time for tweaking, simulating, and developing, thus more costly.
• Programmable Rules Simulations: Simpler and cleaner but less realistic.

Conclusion: Brute force simulations are more costly due to their realism and complexity.

5) Rigging and Gestures

If your product needs to be rendered in various poses, it will need rigging. Rigging involves creating a set of rules that allow different parts of the product to open, close, or move in specific ways. Rigs help reduce overall labor costs but require an initial charge based on the project scale.