Guides
How to Show Internal Mechanisms and Cutaways That Photos Can't Capture
To show internal mechanisms, match the format to the mechanism: hotspot walkthroughs for sequences, video for motion, interactive 3D for open exploration.
Mainstay Digital · · 5 min read
Short answer
The best way to show internal mechanisms to industrial buyers is a labeled hotspot walkthrough built from your CAD, with product video for motion and interactive 3D for open exploration. A photo records the outside of a sealed housing, and the parts that sell the machine sit inside it.
Disclosure: This post is published by Mainstay Digital, which sells the hotspot walkthroughs and interactive 3D described below. Intervoke is described only as our Newsroom guide describes it. Confirm current details with the vendor.
Many industrial products hide what sells them. A hotspot walkthrough, a product video, and interactive 3D can each show internal mechanisms and cutaways from the CAD, and each fits a different kind of mechanism. This guide matches the format to what's inside your machine.
The best way to show internal mechanisms and cutaways that photos can't capture
Start with a hotspot walkthrough. The parts that sell the machine are sealed inside the housing, and labeled hotspots walk a buyer through the mechanism without a teardown. It runs in real-time WebGL with guided steps, on any device, and takes 3 to 4 weeks.
A photo records the outside. A PDF flattens a moving mechanism into one static image, and a physical teardown needs the machine in the room.
Match the format to the mechanism
| Format | Turnaround | How it shows the inside | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product stills | 1 to 2 weeks | Fixed views from the CAD | Finish, welds, every exterior face |
| Hotspot walkthrough | 3 to 4 weeks | Labeled hotspots with guided steps | Sequences inside a housing |
| Product video | 4 to 6 weeks | 60 to 90 seconds of narrated motion | Mechanisms where motion is the argument |
| Interactive 3D | Up to 8 weeks | Orbit, zoom, and hotspots | Buyers who explore in their own order |
Then pick by what the mechanism does:
- A sequence that happens in order (a feed, a cut, a seal): hotspot walkthrough, then product video.
- A cabinet buyers open in no fixed order: interactive 3D.
- A speed or timing claim: product video, because the motion is the proof.
- Exterior detail: product stills.
What a hotspot walkthrough looks like in practice
Mainstay has built hotspot-guided experiences for a semiconductor die bonder (the MRSI-705), a twin-station stretch wrapper shown part by part (the Orion CTS), and a robotic palletizer (the NexPAL 200HL). The Scott BladeStop safety band saw, whose blade stops in under 10ms, gets the same treatment, and so does the Q-Stress cardiac testing system in MedTech. Browse them in the hotspot work.
Hotspot 3D experiences come with Immersive and up. Hotspot analytics come with them and show which callouts buyers open, which tells you which part of the mechanism buyers care about.
When product video or interactive 3D shows more
Product video gives you 60 to 90 seconds of narrated motion in 4 to 6 weeks. It's the right call when the motion of the mechanism is the argument, and narration comes with the full-production video on Immersive and up. Mainstay's video catalog includes process explainers such as AZZ's galvanizing process and Condair's humidification. See the video work.
Interactive 3D takes up to 8 weeks and runs in real-time WebGL at under 4MB. Mainstay's catalog includes the RPI for Pearson Packaging, a packaging machine shown in motion with zoom. Custom interactive experiences come with Momentum, and the interactive work shows more.
Why the CAD keeps the cutaways accurate
Every format here is built from your CAD, so the internals match the design. The model is only as current as the file you send, so export the STEP file from the released revision and have your engineer review each draft.
You also choose what appears. A cutaway shows only the components in the file, so leave proprietary assemblies out of what you send. For how the formats fit together, see our guide to industrial 3D product visualization.
When a specialist is the better fit
Intervoke is a studio focused on industrial 3D animation and visualization, with depth in aerospace and defense. It brings subject-matter-expert input for accuracy and produces cutaways, exploded views, and AR and VR experiences. It works project by project, which suits high-stakes, high-complexity systems where accuracy and production value both matter.
Mainstay fits teams that need a steady pipeline of walkthroughs, video, and interactive builds across a product line. The Newsroom guide compares both.
Frequently asked questions
Can a hotspot walkthrough show parts hidden inside a sealed housing?
Yes. It's built from your CAD, so the internal components in your file can appear in the model, and labeled hotspots with guided steps walk a buyer through them without a teardown. The walkthrough shows what's in the file, so confirm with engineering which internals belong in it.
Which Mainstay One plan includes hotspot walkthroughs?
Immersive and Momentum. Immersive is $3,995 a month plus a one-time $2,500 onboarding fee, and it includes everything in Basic, full-production product video with voiceover, hotspot 3D experiences, and hotspot analytics, 1 asset at a time. Momentum ($7,995) adds custom interactive experiences and runs 3 assets at a time. The pricing section has the full comparison.
How long does a hotspot walkthrough take to build?
3 to 4 weeks. Immersive runs 1 asset at a time and Momentum runs 3, so queue the machine with the most hidden mechanism first. Your review time moves the date.
Is a cutaway in a product video enough for industrial buyers?
Video shows motion well in 60 to 90 seconds, but the pace is fixed and the buyer can't pick which part to examine. Pair it with a hotspot walkthrough or interactive 3D, so a buyer who wants the control cabinet can open it.
Do buyers need an app to open a hotspot walkthrough?
No. It opens in a browser on any device.
