Overview 3D Walkthrough
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3D walkthrough as a film, an interactive build, VR or a 360° tour

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A 3D walkthrough takes a viewer through a building that is not built yet. It can be a film, an interactive build, a VR experience or a 360° tour.

Overview

A 3D walkthrough takes a viewer through a project room by room. The word covers four different things: a film, an interactive build the visitor steers, the same build in a VR headset, and a 360° tour of fixed viewpoints.

They are made differently, shown in different places and priced in different units. A developer planning a launch usually needs one of them, and sometimes two. This page describes each briefly and helps you choose. Some people write it as two words, 3D walk through. It means the same thing.

What it covers

  • 01

    Walkthrough film

    A rendered video along a planned route, edited with music and titles. It plays wherever a video plays: a launch event, a website, WhatsApp, social media.

  • 02

    Interactive walkthrough

    Built in Unreal Engine, a game engine, and drawn live as the visitor moves. They walk freely and can change furniture, finishes and lighting.

  • 03

    VR walkthrough

    The interactive build viewed in a virtual reality (VR) headset, so the rooms appear at full scale around the visitor.

  • 04

    360° click-through tour

    A set of fixed viewpoints. The viewer clicks the floor to move and looks around in every direction. It opens in a phone browser.

  • 05

    One model, several outputs

    All of these start from the same 3D model, so stills, a film and a tour can be planned together.

From the studio

Walkthrough films, an interactive build and a VR walkthrough from the studio.

Entrance lobby from a residential 3D walkthrough film Residential WalkthroughArchitectural animation & walkthrough
Dollhouse overview from the interactive real-time walkthrough Interactive WalkthroughReal-time configurable architectural walkthrough
Garden entry from the outdoor VR walkthrough Garden WalkthroughOutdoor architectural vr & seaside landscape
The Chambéry living room at golden hour, Abuja The Chambéry — AbujaInterior rendering & ai enhancement
All architectural work

What a 3D walkthrough is

In a 3D walkthrough the camera moves through the building at eye level, the way a person would walk it: in at the entrance, through the lobby, into the flat and out to the balcony. The building is modelled in 3D from the architect's drawings.

The most common kind is a film, also called a walkthrough animation or an architectural walkthrough video. The other kinds let the viewer decide where to go. Who controls the route is the first thing to settle before you ask for a quote.

Film, interactive, VR or 360: how to choose

The table compares the formats on the points developers ask about most. If you are still unsure after it, our guide to walkthrough, interactive, VR and 360° goes further.

FormatWho controls the routeWhere it is shownChoose it when
Walkthrough filmWe do. The route is planned and fixedAny screen that plays videoYou need a launch film for events, your website and social media
Interactive walkthroughThe visitor, walking freelyA PC or touchscreen, or streamed to a browserBuyers should explore the flat themselves and change finishes or furniture
VR walkthroughThe visitor, wearing a headsetA VR headset at your sales office or an eventScale matters and someone is present to guide the visit
Virtual sample flatEither, depending on the formatSales office and websiteThe show flat is not built and buyers need to see one flat in full
360° tourThe visitor, between fixed viewpointsAny phone or computer browserYou want a link that opens on a buyer's phone with nothing to install

When a film is enough, and when it is not

A film suits a launch. It has a fixed length, music and titles, and it plays on a phone, a television or an LED wall. Everyone sees the same route in the same order.

A film cannot answer a buyer's own questions. A buyer who wants to see the second bedroom again or compare two flooring options needs something they can steer: an interactive walkthrough at the sales office, or a 360° tour on their own phone. Some launches use both. They come from one 3D model, so planning them together avoids modelling the project twice.

What decides the price

3D walkthrough services are priced by format, each in its own unit. A walkthrough film is quoted by length, per minute or per second of finished film. The charge moves with how much has to be modelled, how many spaces the camera enters and how detailed they are.

An interactive or VR walkthrough is quoted per project, based on the number of spaces, the options the visitor can change and the devices it must run on. A 360° tour is quoted per viewpoint. The cost guides for walkthrough films and interactive walkthroughs explain what a quotation should list.

How it runs

  1. 01

    Brief

    You send the drawings, the stage the project is at and where the walkthrough will be shown.

  2. 02

    Format

    We suggest a film, an interactive build, VR, a 360° tour or a combination, and quote for it.

  3. 03

    Model

    We build the project in 3D from your drawings and references.

  4. 04

    Draft

    You approve the route or the spaces on plain previews, before materials and lighting are finished.

  5. 05

    Final

    The film, build or tour is finished and delivered for the screens you named.

Questions

How much does a 3D walkthrough cost in India?

It depends on the format. A film is quoted per minute or per second of finished film. An interactive or VR walkthrough is quoted per project. A 360° tour is quoted per viewpoint. We send a quotation after a brief.

Is a 3D walkthrough priced per minute or per sq ft?

A walkthrough film is priced by its length. The area matters only because a larger project usually has more to model. Ask any studio to state the length of the film and the spaces it covers in the quote.

What is the difference between a 3D walkthrough video and an interactive walkthrough?

A walkthrough video follows a route we plan, and every viewer sees the same thing. An interactive walkthrough runs in real time, so each visitor walks where they like and can change finishes and furniture.

Do buyers need a headset?

Only for VR. A film plays on any screen. A 360° tour opens in a phone browser. An interactive walkthrough runs on a PC or touchscreen, or is streamed to a web browser.

What do you need to start a walkthrough?

Floor plans, elevations and sections as CAD or PDF, a material and furniture list or references, and a SketchUp, Revit or 3ds Max model if one exists. Landscape drawings help for exteriors.

How long does a 3D walkthrough take to make?

It depends on the format, the size of the project and how quickly the drafts are approved. The schedule is written in the quote, before work starts.

Keep going

Get in touch

Tell us about the project and where the walkthrough will be shown. We suggest a format and send a quote and a schedule.

or write to hello@covecraftstudios.com