3D model checklist: what to check before sending it to a client

Most bad first impressions in a 3D review have nothing to do with the design. The model opens grey, or a thousand times too big, or lying on its side, or it takes a minute to load on the client's laptop. The client's first note is about the file, not the work, and you've lost a round.

This 3D model checklist covers what to check before sending a model to a client. It takes ten to fifteen minutes and works with any 3D app, file format or viewer. Keep a copy next to your export settings and run through it every time.

#The checklist

Work through it in this order. The early checks change the file, so there's no point checking views and lighting before them.

1. 1

   Scale and units

   Measure one dimension you know, such as an overall height or a hole diameter. If it's off by a round factor (1000, 100, 25.4 or 12), it's a units mix-up between your app and the export format, not a broken model. OBJ, STL, PLY and 3DS files carry no units at all, so the receiving software guesses. If the client will measure, send a format that records units. See wrong size or scale.

2. 2

   Materials and textures

   Open the exported file, not your working scene, in a separate viewer. Grey or missing textures mean the image files were left behind or the materials don't export. Procedural and renderer-specific materials usually need baking to image textures. Check colours against the brief in neutral light. See no textures or grey model.

3. 3

   Part names

   Rename anything the client might see: "Bearing housing", not "Cylinder.042" or "Part 7". Names show up in parts lists and in any notes tied to a part, and clients use them to describe what they mean.

4. 4

   Hidden, internal and leftover parts

   Delete what shouldn't be there: reference images, helper objects, old variants parked off to the side, and internal components you don't want to share. Hiding something in your app doesn't always keep it out of the export, and some viewers let the client show hidden parts again. If it mustn't be seen, take it out of the file.

5. 5

   File size and polygon count

   Your client doesn't need production detail. As a rough example, a few hundred thousand triangles and a file in the tens of megabytes opens comfortably on most laptops and phones. Remove hidden geometry, decimate dense meshes, bring textures down to 2K and use compression. See reduce file size and check the polygon count.

6. 6

   Orientation and origin

   Check the model stands the right way up. Some apps use Z-up and some Y-up, and a mismatch lays the model on its back. Put the origin at the base or centre so it turns round a sensible point.

7. 7

   Lighting and views

   Light it so the form reads: soft, even light and a plain background for a working review, not a moody render setup that hides half the surfaces. Decide which view the client should see first, usually a three-quarter front view.

8. 8

   Version naming

   Use one clear system and stick to it: desk-lamp_v3.glb, not desk-lamp_final_FINAL2.glb. Put the version in your email too, so the client always knows which one they're looking at.

9. 9

   What you want feedback on

   Decide this before you write the email. It's the item most people skip, and it makes the biggest difference to the feedback you get back.

10. 10

    Open it as the client will

    Open the link or file on a different device, ideally a phone, without being signed in. If it doesn't load for you there, it won't for them. See review link not working.

#How do I ask for the right feedback?

Clients comment on what's in front of them. If you don't say what stage the model is at, you'll get notes on placeholder materials when you wanted a decision on proportions.

Tell them three things: what stage it is, what to look at, and what to ignore. Wording you can adapt:

Hi Priya,

Here's v2 of the desk lamp for review.

This round is about shape and proportions:
- Is the arm length right for your desk?
- Does the base feel too heavy?

Materials and colours are placeholders, so please don't worry
about those yet; we'll do them next round.

Could you send your notes by Thursday?

Specific questions get specific answers. "Any thoughts?" gets "looks nice" or a list of everything at once.

#What should I check in the email itself?

The model is half the delivery. Before you click send:

• The right file or link. Open it from the email draft, not from your desktop.
• The version number in the subject line and the body.
• A date you'd like feedback by.
• How to give feedback. One line on where to put notes saves a dozen screenshots in reply.
• Who else should see it. If someone else has to approve, ask your contact to forward it now, not after you've made their changes.

#Running the checks in MeshMarkup

Several items on the list can be checked where you share the model. In MeshMarkup, upload it and open the model page:

• Scale: click Measure on the left toolbar, then two points. See measuring.
• File size: the bottom-left corner shows triangles, meshes and file size, such as 182,440 tris · 12 meshes · 3.1 MB.
• Part names and hidden parts: Parts list shows every part by its name in your file. What you hide there is saved, but your client can show it again, so delete anything confidential before exporting. See parts list.
• Lighting: Lighting sets the preset, brightness, background and shadows, and your client sees what you set. See lighting and backgrounds.
• The client's view: See as client at the top of the model page shows the link as they'll see it.

When it's ready, click Share for review, set Ask for feedback by, and create a Leave feedback link. To ask specific questions, open your own link and pin each one on the spot it's about; your client answers each with Looks good or Needs a change.

#Questions

#Which file format should I send a client?

For a review, a single file that carries geometry, materials and textures is easiest. GLB does that. From CAD, STEP keeps part names, colours and real size. See which 3D format to use.

#Should I send the source file?

Usually not for a review. Send a viewable file or a link, and keep the source for the final delivery your agreement covers.

#How do I stop the client seeing internal parts?

Delete them from the export. Hiding is a display setting and isn't enough on its own.

#Is it worth running the checklist for a quick update?

Yes, at least scale, textures and the final open-as-client check. Those are the ones that break between exports without you noticing.