What 4DMax Ltd does

4DMax Ltd is a privately held UK-based specialist provider of 3D scanning and digital modelling services to the film and television industry. Founded in 2009 and headquartered at Longcross Film Studios in Chertsey, Surrey, the company delivers precise 3D assets of characters, props, sets, and locations that feed directly into visual effects (VFX) pipelines. Its customer base comprises VFX departments, production companies, costume and art departments, and major studios including Warner Bros, Disney/Lucasfilm, Paramount, 20th Century Fox, HBO, and EuropaCorp, with visible credits spanning the Fantastic Beasts, Star Wars, Marvel, and House of the Dragon franchises, among others.

The company's technology stack combines photogrammetry, laser, LIDAR (Leica RTC360 and P40 systems), and structured light scanning, supported by proprietary hardware rigs developed in-house. These include the Bubble photogrammetry rig for full-body and high-resolution head capture, the Road-Runner Cross (RRX) mobile scanning trailer that can be deployed on location within two hours, the Multi-Pass (DS1) photometric head scanner, and Hexagon Romer arm integration for submillimeter prop scanning. Canon 5DS-based studio texture photography complements the scanning services. The company can deliver textured LIDAR meshes, polarised and non-polarised texture data, normal maps, and displacement data as production-ready assets.

Commercially, 4DMax operates as a B2B professional services firm on a project-based, quote-based pricing model, engaged directly via enterprise field sales. The company deploys mobile scanning capabilities worldwide — including major UK studios (Leavesden, Pinewood, Shepperton) and international locations in France, Taiwan, and India — and is led by Louise Brand as the key business development contact. No institutional investors, parent companies, or headcount disclosures were identified in the source material, indicating a founder-operated, small specialist firm with deep relationships in the global VFX supply chain.

Name

4DMax Ltd

Legal name

4DMax Ltd

Website

https://4dmax.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

4DMax Ltd provides 3D scanning and digital modelling services for film and TV visual effects, using proprietary photogrammetry, LIDAR, and structured light rigs to capture characters, props, sets, and locations for major studios worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

3D Scanning Services for Film & Television Visual Effects

NAICS

Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

On-Set VFX & Data Acquisition (Witness Cams, Lidar/Photogrammetry, HDRI, Plates) (MPADAHAK)

Keywords

• 3D scanning services
• Visual effects scanning
• Photogrammetry services
• LIDAR scanning
• Digital modelling

Headquarters

HQ city

Chertsey

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. 3D Scanning Services: Professional 3D scanning services for visual effects production including character scanning, prop scanning, LIDAR scanning, and texture photography. Services are provided to film and TV production companies, visual effects departments, and art departments on a project basis. Pricing is quote-based and negotiated per project.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

4DMax Ltd provides professional 3D scanning and digital modelling services for the film and television visual effects industry. The company captures characters, props, sets, and locations using photogrammetry, laser, LIDAR, and structured light systems, and produces digital assets and texture photography for downstream VFX pipelines. Services are available in-studio and on location via transportable capture systems.

Product overview

4DMax Ltd is a specialist 3D scanning and digital modelling service provider for the film and TV industry. The company offers a portfolio of complementary scanning services and proprietary technologies: Bubble and Road-Runner Cross (RRX) are photogrammetry-based full body and head scanning systems; Multi-Pass (DS1) provides photometric scanning with configurable multi-light capabilities; Prop Scanning delivers submillimeter-accuracy prop scanning using Hexagon Romer arm technology; Lidar Scanning utilizes Leica RTC360 and P40 for large-scale set and location capture; Texture Photography provides Canon 5DS-based studio photography. These services are offered both from their Longcross Studio facility and on-location worldwide, serving visual effects, costume, and art departments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Character Scanning Service 3D scanning of human characters from head to toe for film and TV visual effects, including full body scans, high resolution head scans, Bubble studio capture, RRX on-location capture, Multi-Pass photogrammetry, and Structured Light Scanning. Designed for VFX studios and production companies needing digital doubles and character assets.
• Prop Scanning Service 3D scanning of props for film and television productions using 3D scanning systems, producing digital prop assets for downstream VFX pipelines. Targeted at production companies, art departments, and VFX studios needing accurate prop geometry and surface detail.
• Lidar Scanning Service 3D scanning of sets and locations using the Leica ScanStation P30 LIDAR scanner to capture accurate environments and locations as digital assets for film and television visual effects. Suited to VFX studios and production companies needing precise environmental reference geometry.
• Set and Location Scanning Service 3D scanning of sets and locations for film and TV visual effects, capturing full environments as digital assets using LIDAR, photogrammetry, and structured light systems. Offered in-studio and on location for production companies and VFX studios.
• Texture Photography Service Ultra-high-resolution texture photography using Canon 5DS cameras to capture detailed surface maps for 3D scanned assets in film and television VFX pipelines. Provided alongside 3D scanning deliverables to VFX studios and production companies.

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Dimension Studios: London-headquartered volumetric capture and 3D scanning studio serving film, TV, gaming and immersive content. Directly comparable in providing specialist 3D capture services to VFX and content clients in the UK ecosystem.
• Clear Angle Studios: UK-based specialist 3D scanning and digital doubles provider serving the film and TV VFX industry — the closest direct comparable in scope, technology stack (photogrammetry, structured light), and customer base (major Hollywood and UK studio productions).
• Metron (Metronik): Boutique 3D scanning and on-set data acquisition service for film VFX; comparable as a specialist provider of photogrammetry/LIDAR scanning for character, prop, and set capture on major productions.
• The Scan Shop: Specialist 3D scanning service provider for film, TV and VFX — comparable niche competitor offering photogrammetry, structured light and LIDAR scanning to VFX departments.

Others

• Framestore:

Broad incumbents

• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM): Lucasfilm-owned VFX powerhouse that operates substantial in-house 3D scanning and on-set data acquisition teams for tentpole features. Comparable in that ILM both performs and consumes the kind of scanning work 4DMax provides, and represents a customer/partner as well as a potential in-houser.
• DNEG: Global VFX and animation services provider that operates in-house 3D capture and scanning teams for film and episodic work. Comparable as a major buyer of scanning services and an in-house competitor for premium VFX scanning work.
• Weta FX: New Zealand-based VFX house with deep expertise in 3D capture, photogrammetry, and digital asset creation for feature films. Comparable as a vertically integrated VFX player that both consumes scanning services and operates internal capture teams.

Emerging players

• Polycam: Consumer/prosumer photogrammetry and 3D capture platform widely used for asset creation. Comparable as an emerging technology alternative that lowers the barrier to entry for 3D scanning and could pressure 4DMax's lower-end scanning work.
• Luma AI: AI-driven 3D capture and neural rendering company whose photogrammetry/NeRF/Gaussian splatting tools are increasingly used by VFX and creative teams. Comparable as an emerging technology provider that could either complement or commoditize parts of 4DMax's traditional photogrammetry offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 4DMax Ltd