Guide Interactive Walkthrough Cost
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Interactive walkthrough cost why it is quoted per project

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Prices for real-time walkthroughs are rarely published, and this guide gives no figure either. It explains the scope items, so you can ask for a fair quote and read it.

Guide

An interactive walkthrough is priced per project. It has no length to charge per minute and no fixed set of views to charge per view. We publish no rate card, because the price depends on the brief, and we quote once we have a short one.

An interactive walkthrough is a 3D space that runs live, the way a video game does. The visitor walks where they like and can change furniture, finishes and lighting. We build ours in Unreal Engine. Three things decide the price: the rooms that are built, the options the visitor can change, and the platforms it must run on. This guide takes each in turn, then compares the effort with a walkthrough film.

In short

  • 01

    Priced per project

    The quote is for a written scope: the spaces, the options and the platforms. Area and running time are poor measures of this work.

  • 02

    Rooms are the base of the price

    Every space the visitor can enter is finished in all directions, because they can turn and look anywhere.

  • 03

    Options multiply the work

    Each floor finish, furniture set or lighting mood the visitor can switch is built, then tested with every other option.

  • 04

    Each platform is a separate item

    A touchscreen PC, a VR headset and a stream to a web browser each need their own setup and testing.

  • 05

    More work than a film of the same flat

    A film shows only what the camera passes. A real-time space has to look right from every position and run smoothly.

  • 06

    One build, several outputs

    Stills, a film and a VR version can come from the same build, which lowers the cost of each.

Seen in practice

Two real-time builds from the studio, and a walkthrough film for comparison.

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
Entrance lobby from a residential 3D walkthrough film Residential WalkthroughArchitectural animation & walkthrough
All immersive work

Why there is no per-minute or per sq ft rate

A film has a length, so it can be charged per minute. A real-time walkthrough has no length. One visitor spends a short while in it and another explores every room. Nothing is rendered in advance. The picture is drawn live as the visitor moves.

Area does not work as a unit either. A small flat where the visitor can switch the flooring, the kitchen and the furniture is more work than a large flat with no options. So an Unreal Engine walkthrough price is quoted for the project, against a written scope. If a supplier does give a per sq ft rate, ask which options and platforms it includes.

The three scope items that set the price

Decide these three before asking for a quote. They are also the first three things to compare between two quotes.

Smaller items are added to these: a dollhouse view, which shows the whole floor plan from above, a menu to jump between rooms, and your logo and colours on the screens. If the options are the main point of the project, see the apartment configurator.

Scope itemWhat it coversWhat to decide first
Rooms and spacesEvery room, balcony, lobby or garden the visitor can enter, and what is seen through the windowsWhich spaces buyers need to walk through, and which can only be seen from a distance
Options the visitor can changeFlooring, wall finishes, kitchen and furniture sets, lighting moods, day and nightA list of each option and the number of choices in it
PlatformsA PC or touchscreen in a sales office, a VR headset, or a stream to a web browserWhere buyers will use it, and whether it has to open from your website

How the effort compares with a walkthrough film

The same flat usually takes more work as an interactive walkthrough than as a film. The table shows where the extra work is. Film pricing is covered in 3D walkthrough cost in India.

A film is enough when you need one clear story for a launch. An interactive walkthrough is worth the extra cost when buyers choose between finishes or layouts, or when a sales team uses it with every visitor.

Point of comparisonWalkthrough filmInteractive walkthrough
What is builtOnly what the camera sees on its routeEvery room, in every direction
How the picture is madeEach frame is rendered once, in advanceDrawn live as the visitor moves, so the scene is prepared to run smoothly
What the buyer doesWatches a route you choseWalks freely and changes finishes
A design change laterThe changed shots are re-renderedThe build is updated and issued again
How it is pricedPer minute or per second of filmPer project, on rooms, options and platforms

What each platform adds to the cost

PC or touchscreen. The walkthrough is installed on a computer in your sales office. The computer is a separate purchase, so ask what specification it needs before you budget.

VR headset. The same build is set up for a headset. The way the visitor moves has to be made comfortable, and the scene is tested in the headset itself. This is what a VR walkthrough cost covers, in addition to the rooms. See VR walkthrough.

Web browser. With pixel streaming, the walkthrough runs on a server and the picture is sent to the visitor's phone or laptop. Nothing is downloaded. A server has a running cost for as long as the link is live, separate from the build. Ask who arranges the server and who pays for it.

What enlarges the scope, and how to keep it small

Each factor below is a decision about scope. A smaller scope is a smaller price, and the build can grow later.

FactorWhy it mattersHow to keep it down
Number of roomsEach is built and finished on every sideStart with the flat type that sells most
Number of optionsEvery option is built, and tested with all the othersOffer only the choices buyers really make
Custom furnitureEach piece is modelled, then made lighter so it can run liveAccept a close match where the exact piece does not matter
Number of platformsEach needs its own setup and testingLaunch on one platform and add the others later
The device it must run onA modest computer or a standalone headset needs a lighter sceneTell us the device before the build starts
Late design changesRooms and options already built are redoneFreeze the layout and the finish list first
No existing 3D modelEverything is built from drawingsShare the SketchUp, Revit or 3ds Max model if one exists

What the quotation should list

A quotation for an interactive walkthrough is longer than one for a film, because the scope has more parts. To compare two quotes, line up the three scope items first. A quote with fewer rooms or fewer options is a quote for a smaller product, however the totals compare.

  • The rooms and spaces the visitor can enter
  • Each option, and the number of choices in it
  • The platforms, and the device each one needs
  • Who hosts a browser stream, and who pays its running cost
  • Revision rounds, and the stage at which each happens
  • What is handed over (an installed application, a link, or both) and where you may use it
  • The schedule for each stage of the build, and what you must supply
  • What is excluded, and how later design updates are charged

How to pay less without a weaker experience

The surest saving is a smaller first scope, built to the same finish.

  • Build one flat type first, then add others to the same project
  • Limit the options to the choices buyers actually make
  • Pick the platform your sales team will use most
  • Send complete drawings and the finish schedule together
  • Approve the layout on a plain preview before materials are applied
  • Use the same build for stills and a film, so the model is paid for once

Questions

How much does an interactive walkthrough cost in India?

It is quoted per project, and we do not publish a figure because the scope varies so much. The price follows the number of rooms, the options the visitor can change and the platforms it runs on. Send the drawings and those three answers for a quote.

What does a VR walkthrough cost?

A VR walkthrough is quoted per project. If an interactive walkthrough is already built, VR is one more platform on the same build. If VR is the only output, the rooms still have to be built first, and that is most of the work.

Is there an Unreal Engine walkthrough price per sq ft?

Some suppliers quote one, but area is a weak measure of this work. Options and platforms change the effort more than size does. Ask what any per sq ft rate includes.

What is the VR for interior design price for one home?

One home in VR is a small real-time project: a few rooms, usually one design and one headset. It is quoted per project. The charge depends on the number of rooms and how exactly the furniture must match the design.

Is a 360° virtual tour cheaper than an interactive walkthrough?

It is less work, so in most cases yes. A 360° tour is a set of fixed viewpoints, and nothing runs live. Our guide to 360° virtual tour cost in India explains how a 3D virtual tour is priced.

Does the visitor need a headset or a gaming computer?

No. A headset is needed only for the VR version. In a sales office the walkthrough runs on the computer there. Streamed to a browser, it runs on a server, and the visitor needs only a phone or laptop with a good connection.

Can the same build also give us stills and a film?

Yes. Still images and a film can be taken from the real-time build, so the rooms are modelled once for all three.

How long does an interactive walkthrough take to build?

It depends on the rooms, the options and the platforms, and on how quickly previews are approved. The schedule comes with the quote.

Keep going

Get in touch

Tell us the rooms, the options and where it must run. We send a per-project quote with a schedule.

or write to hello@covecraftstudios.com