What it costs
Verbal scope changes
Something agreed on a site walk becomes a dispute on the invoice.
How it’s solved
Scope lives on the estimate in StudioLink. Changes are quoted there before work starts.
How it works
Step by step.
01Order at the level you need
02Get the estimate in StudioLink, share it with whoever needs to see it, and accept it with the terms of engagement online
03Pay the deposit and invoices in the same place
04Review in the Review Theatre, with pins on the image, threaded comments and side-by-side versions
05Approve, and the approved file is what everyone uses
06Invoices, payments and history stay on the same record.
The problem
Scope on a phone call, approvals in an inbox
"We agreed the views on a call. Three rounds later nobody could say whether moving the entrance was a revision or a new image, the architect's comments were in a PDF, marketing's were in an email, and the version we approved wasn't the one that went to print." If you've commissioned visuals on a development project, you've lived some part of that.
The work itself is rarely the problem. The problem is the record. Scope, comments, versions and approvals end up in different places, held by different people, and the gaps between them are where time and money go. Order & review is live in StudioLink today, and it puts all of that on one record.
Who uses it
Everyone who has an opinion on the image
The developer orders, accepts the estimate and gives the final approval. The architect checks that the building is right: massing, openings, materials. The landscape architect and interior designer check their parts. Marketing checks mood, styling and the story. Accounts sees invoices and payments. Each of them can comment on the same image, and each comment is kept with their name on it.
You order at the level you need: Model Only, Essentials or Premium, with Interactive as a separate line when you're ready to sell. The levels are named in StudioLink so everyone knows what detail, lighting and context to expect before the first image arrives. See renderings for what each covers.
How to review well
What separates a two-round review from a six-round one
Split design comments from styling comments. "The parapet is too low" is a design question for the architect. "The sky feels cold" is a styling question for marketing. Mixing them in one list slows both down and invites the architect to comment on sky colour.
Consolidate before you send. One reviewer per discipline, one set of comments per round. Five people commenting separately produce contradictions the studio can't resolve.
Know what a revision is. A revision adjusts the approved scope: a material swap, a camera nudge, more people on the plaza. A new camera angle or a redesigned facade is a change of scope. Your scope sets how many rounds are included; extra rounds are quoted before they start, never after. Our guide on reviewing renderings as a team goes deeper.
Day to day
One record, from order to invoice
01
Order and share the estimate
You order in StudioLink, get the estimate there, share it with whoever needs to see it, and accept it with the terms of engagement online. We don't offer contracts; the estimate plus terms is the agreement.
02
Pay in the same place
Deposit and invoices are paid inside StudioLink, on the same record as the work.
03
Review in the Review Theatre
Pins on the image, threaded comments, and versions side by side. For film, comments pin to a moment in the timeline.
05
Keep the history
Every version, comment, approval, invoice and payment stays on the record for the next phase or the next season.
What gets in the way
Where reviews go wrong, and the fix
What it costs
The wrong version
Someone downloads version three from an old email and it goes to print.
How it’s solved
Only the approved version is marked approved, and every older one is labelled.
What it costs
Comments you can't locate
"Make the left one warmer" means nothing without the picture.
How it’s solved
Comments pin to the spot on the image, or the moment in a film.
What it costs
Approvals nobody can find
Months later, nobody can show who approved the marketing set.
How it’s solved
Each approval is recorded with a name and a date.
What it costs
Marketing that no longer matches the design
The design changed at council; the brochure didn't.
How it’s solved
Updated approvals replace the old set, so the library everyone pulls from stays current.
More →The people next to you
Who needs what, from whom
RoleThey need from youYou need from themOn one record
Architect
They need from you
To see every image before it's public.
You need from them
Their sign-off that the building is right.
On one record
They comment on the same image as marketing, and their approval is on the record.
Marketing agency
They need from you
Final, approved files in the formats they use.
You need from them
Styling notes consolidated in one round.
On one record
They pull from the approved library instead of an email attachment.
Landscape architect
They need from you
Planting shown at a believable size and season.
You need from them
The planting plan and species list.
On one record
Landscape comments sit in their own thread on the image.
Accounts
They need from you
Invoices tied to what was delivered.
You need from them
Payments made on time.
On one record
Estimate, invoices and payments sit on the same record as the work.
Questions
Can I sign off online?+
Yes. You accept the estimate and terms of engagement, and pay, inside StudioLink. (Terms of engagement only; contracts are not offered.)
Can our architect and marketing team both comment?+
Yes, on the same image, with each comment kept.
Can we review video?+
Yes. Comments pin to a moment in the film.
How many revision rounds are included in a rendering?+
Your scope says how many. Each named level includes review rounds, and extra rounds are quoted before we start them, never after.
Do we sign a contract?+
No. You accept the estimate and our terms of engagement inside StudioLink. Contracts are not offered.
Can our architect and marketing team review the same image?+
Yes. Both comment on the same image, and each comment is kept with the reviewer's name.
Can we review animation and film online?+
Yes. Comments pin to a moment in the film, so the studio knows exactly which frame you mean.
Can we pay invoices online?+
Yes. Deposits and invoices are paid inside StudioLink, on the same record as the work.
What files do you need to start a rendering?+
Drawings in CAD, Revit, SketchUp or PDF, finishes if you have them, and the story you want to tell. We flag what's missing.
Do guests need an account to review?+
Yes. Everyone you invite gets a free guest dashboard with the access you give them.
What drives the cost of an order?+
The level, the number of views, how final the design is and how many rounds you need. See what drives rendering cost.
