Estimation feature
With our user-friendly interface, you can effortlessly access the price estimation feature, enabling you to plan your project and make well-informed decisions regarding your rendering needs. We believe that providing you with cost estimations beforehand empowers you to make the most efficient use of your resources and achieve the desired results within your budget and timeline.
To get a price estimation before starting your rendering, you have multiple options at your disposal to estimate the costs based on:
Your data
Test/preview renderings
Let Helio estimate it
Estimation method | User effort | Estimation costs | Estimation Accuracy |
Local data | low | free | low |
Preview | medium | low | medium |
Preview | medium | medium | high |
Learn more about the different methods:
Based on your data
You can input the frame render time and scene opening time on your machine, enabling our system to calculate an accurate cost estimate based on your specific settings and requirements. This way, you have a clear idea of the expenses associated with your rendering project.
Frame render duration
If a frame takes 20 minutes to render on your local machine, please enter 20 here. Our desktop client will read out your local CPU and calculate the costs / speed based on the local computer.
Rendering animations? Please take the average duration of your scene. For example:
The animation has 100 frames: render frame 0, 50, 75 locally and input the average of it.
Frame render duration
This is how long it takes to open your project/scene with your digital content creation tool. If your 3ds max takes 5 minutes to load the scene, please input 5.
Note: Long scene loading times majorly impact the cost and render duration. Please optimize your scenes.
Previews / Test Renderings
One frame
Moreover, we provide the option to render a test frame beforehand and record the time it takes. This allows you to gauge the expected rendering duration and corresponding cost more accurately.
By previewing the process with a test frame, you can make informed decisions and adjustments before proceeding with the full rendering, further optimizing your workflow. Learn more about previews here.
If you did render a preview, please make sure you select "input data is based on": Helio, to make more accurate decisions.
Multiple frames (animations)
If accurate cost estimations are important for you, we recommend rendering a few test/preview frames before the final job submission. This allows us to estimate the costs / speed much better. The reason is, that the complexity of the scene/camera can change during an animation. e.g. frame 1 takes 20' to render, and frame 50 over 40'.
If you render 300 frames, please do at least 5 test frames: 0, 75, 150, 225, 300 and enter the average duration of it in the calculator.
Flexible Rendering Modes
Additionally, if you need faster results or are working with budget constraints, we offer flexible rendering modes. You can choose the higher-speed option to accelerate the rendering process when time is of the essence. Alternatively, you can opt for the lower-cost mode to accommodate budget considerations while still ensuring high-quality results.
High speed
Low cost
Helio estimation
Still unsure? Please contact us, and we can offer you a fixed price for the rendering.
Transparency
Our commitment to transparency and customer satisfaction drives us to offer these valuable features. So, before starting your rendering project, feel free to take advantage of our price estimation option, and embark on your creative journey with confidence, knowing you have a clear understanding of the costs and delivery time associated with your project.