Remote CAD workflow
Turn a photo, sketch or existing part into precise 3D CAD
You don't need to know CAD terminology to get a part made. Send what you have, phone photos, a napkin sketch, caliper measurements, or the part itself, and get back a 3D model and the files a machine shop or printer needs.
01
Start with what you already have
Most people arrive with one of four things: a part in their hand, a photo of a part they can't buy, a sketch of something that doesn't exist yet, or a set of dimensions scribbled on paper. All four are workable starting points.
What matters is not how technical your input looks, it's whether the geometry can be pinned down. Our job is to work out which dimensions actually control the part and ask you only for those.
02
How to photograph a part so it can be modeled
Shoot straight-on views of each face rather than dramatic angles, front, back, both sides, top and bottom. Lay a ruler or a caliper in the frame for scale. Use flat, even light and avoid harsh shadows across the surfaces you care about.
Then add close-ups of the important details: bolt holes, threads, clip tabs, sealing faces, and anything that mates with another part. Ten good photos beat fifty random ones.
03
The measurements that actually matter
Overall length, width and height set the envelope. After that, the critical numbers are almost always the interfaces: hole diameters, hole-to-hole center distances, bolt circle diameter, material thickness, and the distance from a hole to the nearest edge.
Digital calipers are ideal; a steel rule is usually fine for the envelope. If you're unsure, send the part, measuring it here removes the guesswork entirely.
04
Shipping a part to us, from anywhere in the US
We work with customers nationwide. Pack the part so it can't move inside the box, label it with your name and the quote reference, and send it to the address provided with your quote. Local customers in Orange County can also drop parts off in person. Parts are returned with the finished files unless you tell us otherwise.
05
Review before you commit
You see the model before it's finalized, rendered views and a dimensioned drawing, with the key interfaces called out. That's your chance to catch a misread hole spacing or a clearance issue while it costs nothing to change. Revisions at this stage are part of the process, not an extra.
06
What you get at the end
STEP for machine shops, STL for 3D printing, DXF for laser and waterjet, IGES where a shop asks for it, PDF drawings for quoting and inspection, and the editable source model so the part can be revised later. The files are yours, see prototyping and manufacturing if you'd like the part physically made too.
FAQ
Common questions
- Can you really model a part from photos alone?
- Sometimes, if the part is simple and there is a reference of known size in the frame. More often photos define the shape and a few key measurements lock in the dimensions. We'll tell you upfront which case you're in.
- I don't know any CAD terms. Is that a problem?
- No. Describe the part, what it bolts to, and what it needs to do in plain language. Translating that into geometry is the service.
- Can I get an editable file, not just STEP?
- Yes. You receive the editable source model along with the neutral formats, so the part can be revised in future.
Get a Quote
Send photos and we'll tell you what's possible
Attach a few photos and whatever measurements you have. If we need something else to model it accurately, we'll tell you exactly what to measure and how.