Digital sculpture modelling
Digital modelling - the file everything else is produced from.
- Shanghai Xionglan Culture Communication Co., Ltd. (brand: Xionglan Art)
- Shanghai-based workshop · delivery in 67 Chinese cities
- 10 capability groups / 102 individual techniques · design, fabrication and installation in-house
- Phone +86 156 0163 6249 · Mon–Sun 09:00–18:00 (CST)
Modelling turns a sketch, a photograph or a scan into a file that can be printed, CNC-cut, cast or rendered. It is the least visible part of a project and the one that decides whether everything downstream fits.
Commissioned work in digital sculpture modelling normally runs from 6 to 30 m², with 3–8 working days in production from approved drawings. The reference range for this technique is CNY 80+ per m², quoted itemised. It sits within our 3D Printing & Digital Fabrication capability, alongside 9 related techniques, and the 4-point deliverable below is what a commission includes as standard.
When digital sculpture modelling is the right answer - and when it is not
Digital modelling and scanning is the front end of almost every complex commission: it turns an idea, an existing object or a site into data that can be made. It is chosen when a form must be checked before it is built, when an existing object must be reproduced, or when the geometry is too complex to communicate in drawings. It is not a substitute for design judgment; a model is only as good as the decisions behind it.
How the work is actually carried out
Existing objects and sites are scanned by photogrammetry or structured light, then cleaned up, because raw scans are always noisy and need interpretation rather than direct use. New forms are modelled from the brief and reviewed against the site at scale before anything is fabricated. Files are prepared for the actual production process - printing, CNC, casting - with the tolerances, wall thicknesses and section splits that process requires. Deliverables usually include the model, the drawings and the production files.
Typical applications
Typical specifications
| Deliverables | STL, STEP, OBJ, DWG and render outputs |
|---|---|
| Sources | Sketch, reference photography, photogrammetry, laser scan |
| Capability | Organic sculpting, hard-surface modelling, repair of damaged scans |
| Lead time | 2 days to 3 weeks |
| Capability | 3D Printing & Digital Fabrication |
| Reference range | CNY 80+ per m² |
| Techniques in this capability | 10 |
| Coverage | Shanghai base, nationwide delivery, overseas projects on request |
Reference price bands for Digital sculpture modelling
Indicative only, based on the scope normally quoted for digital sculpture modelling. A firm price follows a site survey and an itemised quotation split into material, labour, finishing, packing and freight.
| Pricing basis | Priced per piece or per project rather than per square metre |
|---|---|
| Reference range | CNY 80+ per m² |
| How we quote | Itemised: material, labour, finishing, packing and freight shown as separate lines |
Build tiers for digital sculpture modelling
Digital sculpture modelling is not one product at one size: the table below is the same scope ladder we quote on, so you can see where your project sits before asking for a price.
| Build tier | Typical area | Production days | What changes at this tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 6–30 m² | 3–8 | Up to 30 m², one substrate and one access setup, 3–8 days in the workshop. |
| Tier 2 | 6–30 m² | 3–8 | 6–30 m² across two or more faces, 3–8 days, substrate build-up agreed per location. |
| Tier 3 | 6–30 m² | 3–8 | 6–30 m² across two or more faces, 3–8 days, substrate build-up agreed per location. |
| Tier 4 | 6–30 m² | 3–8 | 6–30 m² across two or more faces, 3–8 days, substrate build-up agreed per location. |
| Tier 5 | 6–30 m² | 3–8 | 6–30 m² across two or more faces, 3–8 days, substrate build-up agreed per location. |
| Tier 6 | 6–30 m² | 3–8 | 6–30 m² across two or more faces, 3–8 days, substrate build-up agreed per location. |
| Tier 7 | 6–30 m² | 3–8 | 6 m² and above, multiple substrate types and phased access, 3–8 days with a join and numbering plan. |
What we deliver
- Digital modelling from sketches, scans or reference images
- Large-format printing, section splitting and structural joining
- Sanding, priming, painting and surface texturing
- Master-pattern printing for subsequent casting
Faults we see most often in digital sculpture modelling
Each of these is a field failure rather than a workshop one, and each is cheaper to prevent at enquiry stage than to correct after installation.
- Using a raw scan directly, which carries noise, holes and incorrect scale into the production files.
- Modelling for the screen without checking against the site, so proportions that look right on a monitor are wrong in place.
- Delivering a model without production files; a model no process can make is not a deliverable.
What to settle before an overseas project starts
| Source material | Tell us what exists - sketches, photographs, an object to scan, a site. The starting point decides the method and the timetable. |
|---|---|
| Production process | Tell us how the piece will be made. Files must be prepared for printing, CNC or casting, and the requirements differ. |
| Scale and accuracy | Send the key dimensions and the tolerance that matters. It governs the scanning method and the survey required. |
Working with us from overseas
Enquiry to installation, one point of contact. Export packing, shipping, commercial terms and quality control →
Design intent and what drives the cost
| Technique | Digital sculpture modelling |
|---|---|
| Positioning | Digital modelling - the file everything else is produced from. |
| Floor area normally quoted | 6–30 m² per commission |
| Typical production window | 3–8 working days from approved drawings |
| Main cost drivers | Area and repetition; substrate preparation; detail and modelling time; surface finish; access and working hours |
| What we quote separately | Material, labour, finishing, packing, freight and site measures - each as its own line |
Representative work
3D Printing & Digital Fabrication projects photographed on completion.
3D Printing & Digital Fabrication — Art derivatives & designer toys
3D Printing & Digital Fabrication — Digital sculpture modelling
3D Printing & Digital Fabrication — Large-scale 3D-printed sculpture
3D Printing & Digital Fabrication — 3D printing material selectionCommon questions
Can you work from photographs only?
Do we receive the source files?
What is the maximum size of a single printed part?
Discuss digital sculpture modelling
Send photographs, drawings or a 3D file with approximate dimensions. You will get a technique recommendation, a reference price band and a production schedule.