Create stunning photorealistic images and videos from any CAD system, real life photo, or even a quick napkin sketch.
MOST IMAGE RENDERS COMPLETE IN ABOUT 60 SECONDS.
Caravaggio 3D was a SketchUp-focused rendering plugin developed for the SketchUp environment. Its site now preserves the project for historical reasons and states that it is no longer supported. That makes it chiefly relevant to people reopening an older SketchUp visualization workflow, rather than to teams selecting a maintained renderer for new architectural or interior presentation work.
Caravaggio belongs to an older SketchUp rendering workflow: build the architectural or interior model, choose a saved camera view, prepare visible materials and lighting, then render through the desktop plugin. RENDERCAD is more useful when the design view already communicates the massing, layout, furniture, or product form and needs a stronger presentation image without restoring a legacy plugin setup. Export a clear SketchUp viewport or screenshot from the intended camera, use it as the visual reference, and iterate toward a polished render for a concept review, client presentation, listing, or marketing board. The SketchUp view remains the source of truth for dimensions, geometry, and design decisions.
Caravaggio was made for rendering within the SketchUp environment, so its value depended on a working local installation and a prepared SketchUp scene. For an existing legacy file, that means the model, camera framing, visible faces, colors or materials, and lighting choices should be resolved in SketchUp before the renderer is involved. Its historical, unsupported status is an important boundary: compatibility and repeatability can be difficult to establish on a current workstation, and it is not a dependable foundation for a new visualization pipeline.
RENDERCAD works downstream of the modeling step. Start with a high-quality SketchUp viewport, scene export, or screenshot that has a readable camera angle and clearly separates important surfaces. It can help turn early interior, exterior, retail, furniture, or product-design views into more persuasive visual output while the designer continues to revise the model in SketchUp. This approach is suited to exploring atmosphere, material character, lighting direction, and presentation style without rebuilding the project in an aging renderer. It should not be used to validate exact construction details or to replace the SketchUp model: check generated imagery against the original model before using it as a technical reference.
Screenshot the CAD viewport you already have, render in the browser, and download a client-ready still or video without exports, plugins, or GPU setup.
Modeled by CADSharp in Onshape. Rendered with RENDERCAD.
Add | Change | or Remove referenced objects with the stroke of a brush.
RENDERCAD uses a maintained selection of image-generation models for different rendering tasks. Results can vary by model and input, so compare generated output with the source design before relying on geometry, materials, or dimensions.
| Feature | RENDERCAD | Caravaggio (SketchUp) |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | Generative AI | Legacy SketchUp Renderer |
| Output | Images + Video | Varies by tool |
| Resolution | HD / 4K | Varies |
| Image Speed | Most image renders complete in about 60 seconds. | Hardware-dependent |
| Video Speed | Most videos complete in about 2-5 minutes. Timing varies by model, duration, request, and queue. | Varies by workflow |
| Scene Set Up | No separate local scene | Varies by workflow |
| Input | Screen Snip | Varies by tool |
| Materials | 2,600+ Textures | Library varies |
| Backgrounds | 1300+ Backgrounds | Tool-dependent |
| Conditions | 40+ Effects | Tool-dependent |
| References | Up to 6 Per Render | Varies |
| Hardware | Cloud (None Required) | SketchUp desktop plugin |
| Install | None | Varies (web or app) |
| Cost | from $9/mo | Commercial legacy plugin |
Side by side, feature by feature. See how RENDERCAD's AI approach compares with Caravaggio (SketchUp)'s rendering workflow.
Skip a separate local scene build. Pick a condition, material, and background while RENDERCAD handles the image-generation step. Most image renders complete in about 60 seconds.
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RENDERCAD™
Use the browser workflow directly, capture a selected view with the desktop app, or start from the browser extension.
Get StartedCommon questions about RENDERCAD vs Caravaggio (SketchUp)
Yes. Request a golden-hour look and describe the mood or direction you want. The generated warmth, shadows, and light direction can vary between results, so compare important design details with the source image.
Describe an environment such as a sunny forest or urban street and use a reference image when needed. Most image renders complete in about 60 seconds without building a local scene file or environment map.
RENDERCAD's Create Video workflow generates a video from a single image and provides Camera and Product Motion controls. Most videos complete in about 2-5 minutes; timing varies by model, duration, request, and queue.
RENDERCAD can generate orbit-style motion from a single image using a Camera option. Because the motion is inferred rather than rendered from a complete 3D model, review geometry and hidden-side details before publishing the result.
Usually. Generation runs in the cloud, so it does not occupy a local renderer. Keep the relevant browser workflow available as required, and expect normal network and browser resource use while the job is submitted and results are loaded.
RENDERCAD processes generation in the cloud, so it does not require a dedicated local rendering GPU. You still need a supported browser and internet connection, and normal browser, upload, and download activity can use local device resources.
RENDERCAD avoids much of the scene, shader, and local-renderer setup used by traditional rendering tools. Users still need to prepare a useful source image, choose suitable options, describe the intended result, and review generated details.
RENDERCAD starts at $9/month with credits that refresh monthly - predictable costs with no upfront investment or perpetual license fees.
RENDERCAD is designed to create more polished, realistic-looking presentation images from a source view. Results vary by input and settings, and generated images should be checked against the original model before they are used to communicate exact design details.
RENDERCAD can generate a visual interpretation of a described or referenced material without requiring shader parameters. It does not guarantee physically measured or specification-accurate material behavior, so validate critical color, grain, reflectivity, and finish details against approved references.
Describe the wood species and finish you want, and provide a reference image when scale or grain direction matters. RENDERCAD can generate a wood-like visual treatment, but it does not replace model-level texture mapping or guarantee an exact, repeatable grain pattern.
With RENDERCAD, upload or snip a clear image, describe carbon fiber, and add a material reference when exact visual direction matters. Most image renders complete in about 60 seconds; timing varies by model, request, and queue.
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