3D and CAD data for AI training
Parametric CAD (STEP, native formats), meshes, BIM models, point clouds and 3D scans with metadata.
- Measured in
- Models or assemblies, part counts, categories and file formats.
- Who buys
- Generative 3D labs, CAD and engineering AI vendors, robotics and simulation teams.
- Where it comes from
- Engineering and product design firms, architects, manufacturers, game and VFX studios and scanning services.
- Rights to clear
- Client ownership of deliverables, NDAs, export control rules and third-party asset licenses.
- Privacy
- Low, but proprietary designs and export-controlled items must be excluded.
- Pricing signal
- Priced by model count, complexity and whether design history is included.
- 3D and CAD data trains generative 3D, engineering design and spatial AI models, and there is very little of it online in usable form.
- Parametric CAD with design history is worth more than meshes, because it shows how a design was built.
- Engineering and architecture firms often created files for clients, so client contracts decide who can license them.
- Assets that pair 3D files with drawings, renders or descriptions are especially useful for multimodal models.
Why buyers want it
Generative 3D and design AI needs examples of real objects modeled properly, and engineering models need to understand constraints, tolerances and assemblies. Public 3D repositories skew toward hobby meshes; professional CAD with history is rare.
What raises value
- Native parametric files with feature history
- Assemblies with part relationships
- Paired drawings, renders, bills of materials or text descriptions
- Clean categories and consistent units
Ownership and controls
Design firms usually assign rights in deliverables to clients. Unless you kept rights to your internal libraries, templates or unassigned work, client consent is needed. Defense and dual-use designs may fall under export controls and should never be offered. Game and VFX studios should check third-party asset store licenses, which often forbid redistribution.
Questions
Can an engineering firm license old client projects?
Only where the firm retained rights or the client agrees. Many firms start with internal libraries and unassigned work.
Are game assets licensable?
Assets you created and own, yes. Purchased store assets usually are not.
Related guides
Related data types
Need 3d and cad data, or hold it?
Tell us what you need or what you hold. We check rights and privacy first, then introduce vetted counterparties. You license directly with each other.
- We reply to every enquiry within two working days.
- No upfront fees for sellers
- We never hold your raw data