At Beyond CAD, we understand this challenge intimately. As our founder, Sam Lytle, previously founded and sold Civil FX (a 3D viz studio focusing on transportation and civil projects), he learned that the average 3D visualization for a transportation project typically ran between $40,000 to $60,000. Beyond the sticker shock, these costs also reflected lengthy production cycles, often stretching from weeks to months, requiring highly specialized software like 3ds Max or raw Unreal Engine development, and demanding constant iteration with external teams.
This is where Civil Engine fundamentally changes the equation.
The Time Revolution: Weeks to Hours
Civil Engine was built from the ground up to empower in-house teams—engineers, planners, and visualization professionals—to create stunning, immersive 3D visualizations with unprecedented efficiency. What once required a dedicated studio and weeks of complex work can now be accomplished in mere hours.
How does Civil Engine achieve this remarkable acceleration?
Civil-Specific Workflows: Unlike general-purpose 3D software, Civil Engine is designed with civil and transportation infrastructure projects in mind. Its intuitive interface and specialized tools streamline tasks that would be cumbersome elsewhere.
Streamlined Model Integration: Seamlessly import base models from familiar platforms like SketchUp or InfraWorks, then rapidly enhance them with high-fidelity textures, dynamic assets, and realistic lighting.
Intelligent Asset Management: Access a robust library of 700+ objects, including dynamic traffic, pedestrians, and construction equipment. Our “Paths” and “Areas” systems allow for quick, intelligent placement and animation, eliminating tedious manual positioning.
Real-time Interactivity: Explore your designs in real-time with “Explore Mode,” or quickly generate high-resolution stills and 4K videos using the powerful camera and rendering system. Adjustments can be made on the fly, dramatically reducing iteration cycles.
Built-in Phasing: Visualize construction sequencing or project alternatives with an integrated phasing system, transforming complex timelines into clear, animated narratives in a fraction of the time.
Beyond Direct Costs: The Hidden Savings
While the time savings are monumental, the financial benefits of Civil Engine extend far beyond reducing hourly expenditures:
Massive Cost Reduction: Instead of a $40,000-$60,000 per-project fee, Civil Engine is available for around $300/month/user. This means for the cost of a single outsourced project, you could equip your team with Civil Engine for more than a decade, creating an unlimited number of visualizations in-house. Our enterprise plans offer even greater efficiencies at scale.
Accelerated Approvals: Clear, interactive visualizations lead to better stakeholder understanding, fewer miscommunications, and faster approvals, keeping projects on schedule and avoiding costly delays.
Enhanced Bid Success: Present more compelling proposals and win more projects by showcasing your designs with unparalleled clarity and impact.
Empowered Team: Cultivate in-house expertise, reducing reliance on external consultants and gaining greater control over your project’s visual output.
Design Optimization: The ability to rapidly visualize design iterations allows engineers to identify and resolve potential issues earlier in the process, mitigating risks and avoiding expensive changes down the line.
In today’s fast-paced project environment, time truly is money. Civil Engine isn’t just a powerful visualization tool; it’s a strategic investment that empowers your team to work smarter, communicate more effectively, and deliver projects with greater efficiency than ever before.
Ready to transform your visualization workflow from weeks to hours?