New Guidance Notes give shipyards and designers a practical route to use intelligent 3D models during class approval

Lloyd’s Register (LR) has published what it believes is the maritime industry’s first dedicated guidance for using digital 3D models in support of classification approval, marking a significant step towards digital-first ship design and review processes.

The new LR-GN-066 Guidance Notes for Digital 3D Models provide shipyards, designers and owners with a practical and structured framework for using intelligent 3D models in lieu of traditional 2D plans during the early stages of structural plan approval.

The publication reflects the growing use of digital design environments in modern shipbuilding, with 3D models becoming the primary source of engineering information across design, construction and manufacturing workflows.

While standards for 2D shipbuilding plans are well established, comparable guidance for the use of 3D models in classification approval has been largely absent. LR’s new Guidance Notes aim to bridge that gap, helping clients make greater use of digital assets they already create and maintain throughout a vessel’s lifecycle.

The guidance sets out how 3D models can be used to support the structural plan approval process and defines the characteristics such models should possess. It covers file formats, model organisation, metadata requirements, levels of structural detail, revision control and submission requirements, providing a consistent framework for both designers and class reviewers.

For shipyards and design offices already working in 3D environments, the Guidance Notes provide a clearer route for integrating those models into the approval process. Rather than creating additional digital assets solely for class review, the framework encourages the use of models that are already embedded within established design and manufacturing workflows, helping to reduce duplication and improve consistency between design, production and approval activities.

Use of the Guidance Notes is voluntary and non-prescriptive. Whilst the framework is intended to be applicable across a variety of software ecosystems, LR recognises that shipyards, designers and software providers may develop alternative methods, workflows and technologies capable of delivering equivalent or enhanced outcomes.

As maritime digitalisation advances, LR will continue to collaborate with shipyards, designers and software providers to test and adopt new digital approaches that improve the approval process while maintaining confidence in safety, quality and compliance.

João Estevens, Senior Specialist, Lloyd’s Register, said: “For many projects, the most complete representation of a vessel now exists in a digital model. By defining what information should be included, how it should be structured and how it can be reviewed, we are giving clients greater clarity on how to use those digital assets to support class approval and maximise the value of the work they are already doing.”

The publication forms part of LR’s work to support maritime digitalisation and gives shipyards and designers a clearer pathway to align classification activities with modern design and manufacturing practices. Models submitted under the framework can also be reviewed and managed through LR’s Digital Workbench platform.

The new Guidance Notes have been published as LR-GN-066 Guidance Notes for Digital 3D Models, July 2026 and are available through Regs4ships.