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.
SU Podium is a SketchUp rendering extension for architectural, interior, landscape, and product stills. Its workflow starts with a SketchUp scene and uses Podium render presets, environment controls, and material properties to turn the model into a more realistic image. Users can work with SketchUp sun and sky or image-based lighting, then adjust exposure and add surface behavior such as reflection, transparency, refraction, bump, or light emission. Podium Browser content can also help populate a scene with render-ready furnishings, fixtures, plants, and materials.
SU Podium is the stronger choice when the model is already open in SketchUp and the final image needs to remain grounded in that scene's camera, geometry, material assignments, and lighting decisions. A designer can make a SketchUp scene for an exterior, room, landscape, or product view, choose an output size and image format, test a render, then refine the environment and Podium material settings. RENDERCAD is useful when the practical starting point is the SketchUp viewport itself - or a design image from another tool - and the goal is to quickly explore a polished presentation direction without installing an extension or rebuilding assets. It is especially suitable for an early client concept, marketing image, or alternate mood from a well-composed viewport. Podium offers more native scene control; RENDERCAD emphasizes fast visual iteration from an existing view.
A typical SU Podium workflow is model-first. The user prepares the SketchUp camera and visible geometry, applies or edits SketchUp materials, selects a Podium preset, and sets an image format and viewport or custom output size. Environment controls cover background, sky, sun intensity, exposure, and image-based lighting. For a more developed scene, Podium material properties can add reflection, refraction, bump, transparency, or emission, while Browser assets can supply context objects and render-ready materials. This makes Podium appropriate when the deliverable must accurately reflect the SketchUp model and the designer is prepared to manage the scene before rendering. RENDERCAD begins after the key design decision has already been framed in a useful image. Export or capture a clean SketchUp viewport, keeping the chosen camera, massing, product silhouette, and important finishes visible, then use it as the input for a presentation render. This is a practical route for fast concept boards, stakeholder reviews, listing imagery, or product and architectural marketing visuals, including teams that receive images from several design applications. RENDERCAD should not be treated as the source of truth for exact SketchUp geometry, editable material parameters, or a repeatable native lighting setup. Use SU Podium when those in-model controls and faithful scene output are required; use RENDERCAD to accelerate visual exploration and improve an existing design view.
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 | Podium (SU Podium) |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | Generative AI | Ray tracing |
| Output | Images + Video | Varies by tool |
| Resolution | HD / 4K | Varies |
| Image Speed | Image renders complete in 60 seconds. | Varies by scene and output 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) | SketchUp extension |
| Install | None | Varies (web or app) |
| Cost | from $9/mo | Commercial license |
Side by side, feature by feature. See how RENDERCAD's AI approach compares with Podium (SU Podium)'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 Podium (SU Podium)
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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