Most studios show a showreel. Few can open a 40,000-part machine assembly. These ten questions separate them quickly.
1. Which CAD formats do you work with daily?
Look for STEP, JT and native formats, not just meshes. Ask what they do with an assembly that opens at two gigabytes.
2. Who assesses our files?
If the answer is an artist rather than an engineer, expect the geometry that matters to you to be simplified away. See how we work.
3. Will you sign an NDA before we send anything?
Machine CAD is among the most sensitive data you hold. The answer should be yes, immediately, and before transfer.
4. How is our data transferred and stored?
Private upload links rather than email attachments. Ask who has access, whether anything is subcontracted, and how deletion works.
5. What exactly is in the fixed price?
CAD preparation, materials, the deliverables, the revision rounds, and all cutdowns. Ask what is quoted separately, such as licensed music or voice talent.
6. What happens if our machine changes mid-project?
Engineering revisions are normal. Ask how a design change is handled and priced.
7. Who owns the output, and the model?
Rights to delivered assets should transfer on final payment. Ask whether you can take the prepared model to another studio later.
8. How do you handle a fixed show date?
Ask for a milestone plan counted backwards from build-up week, not a vague delivery window.
9. Can you show industrial work, not product work?
Consumer product renders do not prove anyone can handle a production line. Ask for machine assemblies, and for the source CAD shown next to the result, as in our case studies.
10. What does the second project cost?
A studio that keeps your prepared model should charge noticeably less the second time. If every project costs the same, they are rebuilding from scratch each time, and you are paying for it.
A simple test
Send one CAD file to two studios and ask for a written assessment. The useful reply tells you what is usable, what needs rebuilding, what it costs and how long it takes. Ours is free.
Send one CAD file for a free assessment.
We open it, tell you what is usable, and return a fixed price and delivery date within one working day. NDA first if you need it.
