Budget planning
How much does 3D product animation cost?
A useful animation budget starts with the product story you need to tell. The number of parts, the condition of your source files and the finished deliverables matter alongside the length of the video.
Pine Atlas starting prices
For new clients, the $250 starter covers one simple product with up to five distinct components, one scene, up to 10 seconds of animation, one revision round and one web-ready video. A suitable supplied model or simple geometry is confirmed during reference review. Prices are in US dollars, before tax.
Fuller projects start at $500 before tax. The cost calculator gives a nonbinding planning range for a focused scope. These are Pine Atlas planning prices, not industry averages. Your final scope, price, timing and terms are agreed in writing before work begins.
What changes the cost?
Use these questions to make two animation briefs comparable. A short video with intricate motion may require more preparation than a longer video of a simple product.
- Model preparation: are you starting with photos and drawings, CAD that needs cleanup, or a usable textured 3D model?
- Distinct components: count each different part that must be created or prepared. Repeated identical parts count as one design.
- Geometry and motion: internal mechanisms, varied materials and coordinated movement affect the work.
- Scenes and duration: decide what each scene explains. The standard calculator offers 30, 60 and 90 seconds, with up to three scenes or guided steps per format.
- Finished formats: specify animation, presentation slides or an interactive demo, plus any required crops, editable files or source assets.
Turn a vague request into a usable brief
Instead of asking for “a video of our valve,” describe the question it should answer: show how the actuator turns the ball and opens the flow path. List the parts to reveal, the motions to show, the source files available and where the video will appear.
Our original valve and compressor demonstrations show how assembly and internal motion can become a product story. They are demonstration concepts, not commissioned client work or evidence of customer results.
When the calculator needs a custom review
Standard instant estimates cover simple or detailed projects with up to 15 distinct components. More components, highly complex geometry or coordinated motion, specialist simulations and uncertain scope need a closer look before pricing.
Full websites, ecommerce, custom integrations, ongoing hosting, display hardware, travel, installation and offline operation are not automatically included. Describe those requirements in a quote request so they can be scoped separately.
Compare the same scope, not just the price
Check the scene count, length, output formats, revision allowance, source-file handover and usage rights in each proposal. Existing CAD can reduce modeling work, but compatibility and preparation still need review.
Pine Atlas includes one consolidated revision round within the approved scope. Additional revisions or added scope receive a separate fixed quote for approval before that work begins. Corrections needed to meet the agreed scope are free.
If you need an animation and an interactive demo, a suitable shared model can support both. Shared preparation is counted once in a combined estimate; each finished format still has its own production and review scope.
Put your scope into a starting budget.
Use the cost calculator for a focused animation or demo, or describe a project that needs a closer look. Estimates are nonbinding; final scope and price are agreed before work begins.