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.
Unreal Engine 4, including the documented 4.27 release, is Epic Games' previous-generation real-time 3D engine for maintained games, interactive applications, simulations, architectural visualization, product visualization, and cinematics. Its editor works from an editable project containing levels, actors, geometry, materials, lights, cameras, and optional Blueprint or C++ behavior. Teams can use Sequencer to arrange cameras, keyframes, animation, and shots, then render cinematic frames or image sequences. UE4 remains meaningful when an existing project is already built around its assets and runtime behavior, but Unreal Engine 5 is the current major engine line for new engine work.
Unreal Engine 4 is appropriate when a maintained UE4 project needs an interactive build, a navigable design review, real-time playback, or a controlled cinematic sequence. That workflow starts with structured scene data and continues through level assembly, material and lighting work, camera placement, optimization, and often Blueprint or C++ logic. RENDERCAD serves a narrower but faster visual task: turn a useful existing image into a polished still. A clear UE4 viewport capture, camera composition, product angle, architectural interior, exterior view, or design screenshot can provide the starting point for an alternate presentation render without rebuilding the scene or maintaining an Unreal project. It is especially useful for early concepts, stakeholder reviews, product-marketing explorations, and one-off visuals where an image is the deliverable. Keep UE4 as the source of truth when the result must preserve editable geometry, exact materials, animation, runtime interaction, or packaged application behavior. For new full-engine work, evaluate the current Unreal Engine line rather than treating UE4 as the default.
UE4 and RENDERCAD meet at the final image, but they work with very different inputs. UE4 expects a complete project: imported assets are placed in a level, then artists and technical teams manage materials, lights, reflection and post-processing settings, cameras, and performance. Its Sequencer workflow can organize multi-track shots, keyframes, animation, and camera moves for cinematic output. The engine can also support applications and simulations that need runtime logic and a repeatable scene, not just a single attractive frame. Those responsibilities make UE4 valuable for an established production, but they are more setup than a designer needs when a single visual is the goal. RENDERCAD starts after the design has already become legible in a view. Capture an Unreal viewport with the intended camera angle and enough visible form, or start from a CAD viewport, product image, architectural view, or concept screenshot. Use that image to explore a more presentation-ready render for a client deck, design review, sales concept, or campaign direction. The practical boundary matters: RENDERCAD does not replace UE4 project files, level logic, collision, gameplay, animation systems, sequencing, or deterministic engine rendering. It also should not be used as the authority for exact technical dimensions, material specifications, or build-ready assets. Use UE4 when the deliverable must remain an editable, interactive scene; use RENDERCAD when a fast still image is the useful next artifact. For API implementation details, see RENDERCAD developer documentation.
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 | Unreal Engine 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | Generative AI | Real-time rasterization with ray tracing and path tracing options |
| Output | Images + Video | Varies by tool |
| Resolution | HD / 4K | Varies |
| Image Speed | Image renders complete in 60 seconds. | Real-time previews; final stills and sequences depend on scene complexity, quality settings, and hardware |
| 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) | Legacy UE4.27 desktop editor for Windows, macOS, and Linux; runtime targets vary by project |
| Install | None | Varies (web or app) |
| Cost | from $9/mo | Legacy engine version under applicable Unreal Engine license terms; Unreal Engine 5 is current |
Side by side, feature by feature. See how RENDERCAD's AI approach compares with Unreal Engine 4's interactive visualization 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 Unreal Engine 4
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.
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.
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