Create stunning photorealistic images and videos from any CAD system, real life photo, or even a quick napkin sketch.
IMAGE RENDERS COMPLETE IN 60 SECONDS.
IRender nXt is a Render Plus rendering extension for SketchUp that produces photorealistic stills, panoramic images, and animation from prepared SketchUp scenes. It is aimed at architectural, interior, landscape, exhibit, and product visualization work where the model remains the source of truth. Within SketchUp, artists can develop material appearance, lighting, sun and sky, HDRI backgrounds, reflections, cameras, plants, and render settings before starting a render. The rendered image can then be adjusted with built-in post-processing tools, while geometry and scene changes are still made in SketchUp.
IRender nXt is strongest when SketchUp is the render workspace. A designer can use the active camera or saved scenes, refine SketchUp materials with reflection, transparency, bump, or texture settings, establish sun, sky, HDRI, and artificial lighting, then render a still, panorama, or animation. That is valuable when the deliverable must follow a deliberately prepared model and its lighting decisions. RENDERCAD fits an earlier or adjacent presentation step: use a clean SketchUp viewport, section perspective, CAD screenshot, product view, or architectural image that already communicates the design, then create polished visual directions without installing a SketchUp-specific renderer or rebuilding the scene. It is particularly useful for exploring client-facing mood, finish, or marketing-image options from a chosen view.
Choose IRender nXt for controlled, model-based SketchUp rendering when the team needs to manage lighting, indirect illumination, material behavior, reflection, transparency, backgrounds, vegetation, panoramic views, or camera-sequence animation in the scene. Its workflow is tied to the prepared SketchUp model: material and lighting choices affect the result, and final render time depends on geometry, image size, quality settings, and the scene being rendered. This makes it a suitable tool for repeatable views where the render needs to remain closely governed by the model.
Use RENDERCAD when the immediate need is a presentation image rather than a full model render setup. Export or capture the most informative SketchUp view - for example, an exterior perspective, interior camera, section view, massing study, or product close-up - and use that image as the visual reference for a cloud render. The result can support concept presentations, stakeholder options, campaign imagery, and fast visual exploration, including sources from CAD tools beyond SketchUp. RENDERCAD does not replace IRender nXt for model-accurate material assignment, physically controlled lighting, panoramic output, or frame-by-frame animation. Keep the SketchUp model and IRender nXt scene as the source of truth whenever those controls or exact model fidelity are required.
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 | IRender nXt |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | Generative AI | Physically based ray tracing with indirect lighting |
| Output | Images + Video | Varies by tool |
| Resolution | HD / 4K | Varies |
| Image Speed | Image renders complete in 60 seconds. | Minutes, depending on scene complexity and render settings |
| Video Speed | Videos complete in 2-5 minutes. | 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) | Desktop SketchUp extension |
| Install | None | Varies (web or app) |
| Cost | from $9/mo | Paid SketchUp subscription or license options |
Side by side, feature by feature. See how RENDERCAD's AI approach compares with IRender nXt's rendering workflow.
Skip a separate local scene build. Pick a condition, material, and background while RENDERCAD handles the image-generation step. Image renders complete in 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 IRender nXt
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. Image renders complete in 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. Videos complete in 2-5 minutes.
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. Image renders complete in 60 seconds.
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