Industrial 3D animation is basically animated video showing how machinery, equipment and industrial processes really work. Manufacturers, equipment suppliers, engineering firms, and even some energy companies have commissioned industrial 3D animations for use in sales meetings, trade shows, operator training sessions, tender presentations and product launch events.
This guide covers the characteristics of this form of animation, what information you’ll typically need to provide prior to production commencing (and why), the general workflow of producing such content (including the role of artificial intelligence), and how best to determine whether an animation company has sufficient experience to create accurate industrial animations.
Why these videos are categorized as industrial 3D animation
In terms of categorizing whether a video is an industrial 3D animation, the critical factor is neither the level of realism in the rendering nor the type of subject being shown. Instead, it is the subject matter itself (machines, equipment, automated manufacturing lines, plant systems and other types of industrial products) and the expected level of technical detail required within the animation.
These videos are also referred to as technical animation, mechanical animation or engineering animation; the label simply indicates the primary focus of each form of animation and the resultant benefits to the user. As stated above, the benefits to using technical animation to illustrate complex engineering concepts are applicable to all three forms.
What you supply before production starts
Prior to starting production on any industrial project, it is common for delays to occur due to insufficient or incomplete information provided by clients. Since the information provided determines how rapidly a studio can commence production, it should be considered one of the key factors in determining how long it will take to produce an industrial animation.
Information typically requested includes:
CAD files: CAD files contain true geometric structure which provides the animator with the necessary details to recreate and animate parts correctly. When using native CAD or STEP files, it will retain this structure. STEP files follow the international standard for exchanging product model data defined by ISO 10303. If you send us an STL file (a surface mesh generated specifically for 3D printing), we will be rebuilding more of your model by hand since an STL file does not contain any geometric structure.
Drawings and photographs: Supplying drawings and photos taken of the actual product from various angles (interior views if possible).
Specifications: Provide detailed specifications of dimensions, capacity, cycle time, materials, finishes and any specific features you want highlighted in the final animation.
Brand Assets: Include vectorlogos, color references (in Pantone format), fonts used in your brand identityalong with location(s) of branding elements on your product.
Confidentiality Boundaries: Define exactly what items or groups (customers, sites etc.) may notbe included in your final video. All parties involved agree upon confidentialityboundaries prior to commencing production.
Converting how the machine works into a shoot list
Before modelling starts, the studio develops the actual operational sequence into shots. That means identifying what moves and in what order, the actions taken by the operator at each point in the sequence, what happens inside the housing while the outside stays still, and which moment earns a close-up or a cutaway.
This is a collaborative effort between the studio and your engineer. Their collective input will directly contribute to developing the storyboard. Any mistakes created at this point in development will travel throughout all phases of modeling, animation, rendering before anyone sees it. Therefore, it is the most costly type of mistake in industrial video production.
If an operating panual already exists for the product, it would be the best place to begin developing a correct operating sequence. Much of the guidelines for creating these manuals have been developed internationally and were published as IEC/IEEE 82079-1.
The workflow, stage-by-stage
1. Collecting product information
Files, drawings & blueprints, photos, specifications, brand assets are received by the studio and reviewed for any potential gaps. The studio reports what can be modeled from the provided information and identifies what is missing.
2. Mapping function
The operating sequence is documented and agreed upon with your technical approver.
3. Developing storyline and storyboard
A script determines the intended audience and purpose of the video. A storyboard defines each shot, camera angle, call-out etc. Tt is worth knowing how to read a storyboard before you approve one.
4. Recording voice-over
Record voice-over prior to animating allows animation to follow the narration instead of vice versa. When multiple languages are being produced simultaneously, record in the base language first and provide enough time to accommodate the longest script.
5. Modeling / animating in 3D
Create models or convert CAD files, define materials and lighting, animate mechanisms to function like the real unit functions. On hybrid projects, this phase is divided in half. First create simple form animation in 3D, then lock-in correct geometry, movement, and camera paths. That pass is run through a video generator using video-to-video (Seedance 2.5 is recommended), which builds the finished look on top: textures, environment, lighting, visual effects and finer detail. People working alongside the machine can be added here too.
4. Or building entirely in 3D
All elements will be modeled, textured, lit & rendered in software. This takes longer and costs more but provides complete control over every element down to a single bolt or label.
5. Final editing and post-production
Combine shots together, sync up voice over with animation, add music/sound design, color/pacing and finalize.
6. Review and approval
Client feedback is incorporated and approved. Our entire animated video production process follows this same sequence regardless of format.
The preview stage decides your budget
Between animation and final rendering, a low resolution preview shows timing, camera movement and sequence using simplified geometry. It looks rough on purpose.
Any changes made at this point are merely adjustments to a plan. Any changes made after final rendering require rebuilding scenes and re-rendering frames. This equates to days of machine time, rather than an afternoon of work. Thirty minutes spent on the preview with your engineer in the room is the highest return activity in the project.
Timelines
These ranges assume feedback comes back within a few days at each stage.
| Video Type | Length | Typical Production Time |
|---|---|---|
| Product rotation or feature loop | 10 to 20 seconds | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Single machine demonstration | 30 to 60 seconds | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Machine assembly or process sequence | 60 to 180 seconds | 6 to 12 weeks |
| Plant or full line walkthrough | 90 seconds and more | 6 to 12 weeks |
| Training or procedure module | 2 to 5 minutes | 8 to 14 weeks |
What moves these dates is rarely the animation. It is the review cycle, which we covered in what 2,000 videos taught us about timelines and revisions.
Revision rounds and technical review
Industrial projects have more revisions than marketing videos because there are two reviewers involved. Marketing reviews the message, while engineering reviews the machine. Also, engineering will find things that marketing cannot see. There are two methods to keep this under control.
First, plan ahead of time with all parties to determine the number of revisions and determine where each round will sit in the process. This allows for the technical review to be planned ahead of time instead of improvised.
Then combine all marketing, product and engineering notes into one document per round.
The biggest obstacle to staying on a project’s timeline is usually 3 stakeholders sending separate and sometimes conflicting feedback.
Full 3D or AI hybrid
Prompt-only AI video, where the machine is described in text and generated from nothing, produces work that looks convincing but typically fails technical review.
Part counts may change between shots. Mechanisms move differently than the actual unit. The same machine is shown with varying proportions in different scenes and control panels appear as unreadable approximations of text.
Correcting errors is the bigger issue. An engineer wants the third valve to open before the second. There is no reliable method for a prompt-based pipeline to change just that one item without affecting everything else.
The hybrid route solves most of this by placing real 3D underneath. All part counts, movements, sequences are accurate prior to being touched by AI. Since cameras are locked, the generated footage will follow the camera framing of the studio set.
The AI then performs its best function: details on surface, environment, lighting, special effects and people added to a scene that would require character animation if done traditionally. It is less expensive and delivered quicker than full 3D at a comparable finished level. We produced and published our commercial in both styles: AI hybrid vs traditional 3D animation.
There are three instances when full 3D remains the best option:
- When individual components of your project are going to be modified after final delivery
- When part-level accuracy needs to endure through an engineering audience frame by frame
- When your model will be used for several years over multiple products and markets
How to check whether a studio can do this work
Ask to view a moving mechanism (not just a hero static image) to gauge their ability to animate machines properly. Rendering a still product well and accurately animating a machine are two very different skills.
Ask what formats they require for your files. A studio that has experience working with industrial clients will ask for STEP or CAD.
Ask who on their side is familiar with reading technical drawings. They should have someone.
If AI was mentioned in the proposal, ask if cameras are locked during a 3D pass prior to generation and how they handle changes requested by your engineer to a single component. The response clearly separates a controlled hybrid pipeline from prompted based pipelines with additional processes.
Ask how many revision rounds are included and where does the technical review occur?
Ask what happens to the 3D assets after completion.
What you can reuse afterwards
Industrial animation rarely comes in just one deliverable. Typically, the same assets generate the trade show loop (without voice), cut downs for social media platforms like LinkedIn and YouTube, still images for printed materials such as brochures and data sheets, language versions for distributor markets and training modules created from the same model.
Safety content is a good example. As stated by OSHA’s lockout/tagout fact sheet, employers have to provide workers with instruction regarding what to do to understand and follow those specific energy control procedures when working under the OSHA standard for the control of hazardous energy. Animation built for sales can often be extended into that training material inexpensively, because the model already exists.
This reuse fundamentally alters the math. If judged as simply one video, then the expense seems too great. However, if viewed across sales, trade shows, training and distributor support over several years, it reads differently. The same reasoning also holds true for a product demo video in any sector.
A project example: Thunder Cranes
Thunder Cranes operates a fleet of portable modular cranes for off-shore lifting throughout Asia-Pacific. Because their equipment is constructed on rigs and vessels, there is no practical way to capture a typical demo of their equipment through film.
The issue with explaining their products is based upon the process of construction and deployment. A buyer needs to see how a modular crane arrives at site, how the various parts fit together, how the crane positions itself, and why that entire process is quicker and safer than other methods available. That entire process occurs while on-site and takes place over hours in environments where a film crew is costly and impractical.
The combination of 3D animation and live-action were used for the Thunder Cranes project. The assembly was shown in animation while live-action was used for establishing scale and context. The video was used in sales discussions, at industry conferences and events, and on the company’s own channels. The latest addition to their project series is the Thunder Glide video.
Future projects from this client will be posted here once permission is granted. An additional reference case study for Thunder Cranes is listed above while the Global Industrial project demonstrates another method for creating industrial equipment demonstrations.
Usual Questions Asked About 3D Industrial Animation
How long does an industrial 3D animation take? Between two weeks for a short product loop and fourteen weeks for a full training module. A single machine demonstration of 30 to 60 seconds usually runs four to six weeks with timely feedback.
Do you need CAD files? They help significantly, but the work is possible without them. Without CAD, the machine is modelled from drawings and photographs, which adds time and cost.
Can a video be made before the product is finished? Yes, and it is one of the biggest reasons to choose animation. Production can start from engineering files months ahead of the first physical unit, which is how equipment appears at trade shows before it ships.
What is the difference between industrial and technical animation? They describe the same work with a different emphasis. Industrial animation usually means machinery, equipment and plant processes. Technical animation is broader and covers any subject where accuracy governs the visual, including medical and scientific work.
Can real people be shown operating the machine? Yes. Character animation can be added, which incurs time and cost. In a hybrid project, people can be added during the AI stage for considerably less.
About Kasra Design
Kasra Design is an animation studio founded in 2011, with offices in Malaysia, Singapore and California, with more than 2,000 videos delivered. Industrial and technical work is produced both ways described here, as full 3D and as hybrid 3D with AI enhancement, for clients including Thunder Cranes, Global Industrial, Shell, Petronas and PetroChina.
Details of both approaches are on the 3D animation studio page and the AI video production service page.