10 Best Rendering Software for SketchUp in 2024

With each passing day, 3D renderings are getting more realistic so that even the most trained eye can’t tell the difference between a real-time snapshot and a rendered picture. As technology further evolves, the demand for high-quality 3D rendering software has become increasingly vital in the architecture, interior design, and construction industries. One such software often named as the best tool is SketchUp.

SketchUp 3D modeling platform is designed for a variety of 3D and 2D designing projects. However, SketchUp doesn’t have its native rendering engine, that’s why I feel that this tool still lacks somewhere when it comes to complex and high-end rendering. As such, there are many software options in the market that are specially created for rendering purposes.

So, in this guide I will share some of the best rendering software for SketchUp available right now. It doesn’t matter if you’re an architect, designer, or a professional, these tools will revolutionize how you showcase your work.

What is Rendering Software?

Rendering software is a computer program used to transform 3D models or scenes into 2D images or animations. It calculates the lighting, textures, and shadows to produce realistic visual representations.

This process is crucial in industries like animation, architecture, and design, enhancing the final presentation of digital creations.

10 Best Rendering Software for SketchUp in 2024 India

• Unreal Engine
• Enscape
• V-Ray
• LightUp
• Thea Render
• Lumion
• Twinmotion
• Twilight Render
• D5 Render
• Brighter3D

Below are some of the best rendering software for SketchUp. We have researched over 20 tools and made a list of the best options for you. Let’s check below:

1. Unreal Engine

Initially started as a game development software, Unreal Engine or UE was developed by Epic Games in 1998. However, now UE is a full-fledged rendering software for photoreal visuals and empowers designers to create mega structures.

The rendering process with Unreal Engine ensures top-notch depiction of object surfaces. This provides architects with the ability to create amazing presentations showcasing the materials that will be used in construction.

Features of Unreal Engine (Rendering Software for SketchUp)

• Animation and character
• Integrated support for media
• Pipeline integration
• Asset optimization
• Effects and simulation
• Industry wise templates
• AR, MR and VR support

Minimum System Requirements for Unreal Engine:

• OS: Windows 10 and above, and macOS Monterrey
• Processor: Intel Quad-core or AMD 2.5 or superior
• Memory: 8GB RAM
• Graphics Card: Any DirectX 11 or 12 compatible card
• Average Rendering Time for Unreal Engine: 3.5-4 Hours

Pricing: Unreal Engine pricing starts at $1,500 per seat per year.

2. Enscape

At number 2 on our list, we have Enscape. It is a well known SketchUp rendering plugin that has become a go-to choice for 3D visualizers and designers.

With Enscape, users can easily create realistic renderings, animations, walk-throughs, fly-bys, and VR presentations along with the atmospheric details for emotionally engaging scenes.

Features of Enscape

• Real-time walkthrough
• VR presentation support
• Material library and editor
• Site context with ortho views
• Team collaboration

Minimum System Requirement for Enscape

• OS: Windows 10 or higher/ Mac Monterey 12.2.1 and higher
• Graphics Card: NVIDIA or AMD GPU with 2 GB VRAM
• GPU Memory: 4 GB
• Average Rendering Time: 2 Hours

Pricing: Enscape SketchUp Rendering software offers a 14-day free trial, and its paid plan starts at $46 per user per month.

3. V-Ray

V-Ray for SketchUp rendering is a famous tool among students and recently they have launched their sixth version for 3D max. It lets you blend vector drawings with 3D images and allows an easy drag-and-drop for layouts.

It works on both Macs and PCs as a SketchUp plugin. This means you can set scenes, add materials, and adjust lighting through a single platform.

Features of V-Ray

• Real-time rendering
• Asset library
• Lightening Generation feature
• VR and animations
• Visualization tools
• Light mix feature
• Lighting analysis

Minimum System Requirements for V-ray

• OS: Windows 10+
• Processor: Intel 64, AMD64 or compatible processor with SSE4.2 support
• RAM: Minimum 8 GB RAM, recommended 16 GB RAM
• Hard Disk Space: Minimum 2GB, recommended 12GB
• Average Rendering Time: 2 Hours

Pricing: V-Ray for SketchUp rendering paid plan starts at $119/user/year.

4. LightUp

LightUp claims to be the fastest and easiest rendering program for SketchUp. While it may seem a bit old-fashioned compared to others like V-Ray or Brighter 3D, it has handy features that can take your rendering to the next level.

For example, features like real-time walkthroughs, Light sources, Lux and Insolation analysis have made it to our list of the best rendering software for SketchUp.

Features of LightUp

• Real time rendering walkthrough
• High resolutions stills
• Isolation and Lux analysis
• Real-time light meter
• Image based lighting

Minimum System Requirements for LightUp

• OS: Windows 7/8/10 64bit
• Processor: Intel Core i3 or equivalent AMD
• Memory: 4 GB RAM
• Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 6770 or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460
• Storage: 8 GB available space
• Average Rendering Time: 1.5 to 2 Hours

Pricing: The annual paid plan of LightUp starts at $189 per year with a 30-day free trial.

5. Thea Render

Thea Render is a top-notch rendering engine that creates realistic images using GPU models and advanced techniques. It has features like editing the lighting and clouds in your model, region rendering etc. There’s also a special editor that lets you make tons of different images from just one picture.

Features of Thea Render (Rendering Softwares for SketchUp)

• Adaptive tracing
• AI denoising
• High performance & accuracy
• Filmic tonemapping
• Back-face material support
• Subsurface scattering
• Relight editor

Minimum System Requirements for Thea Render

• Operating System: Windows 7/8.1/10 or higher with 64-bit, macOS 10.9 or higher
• CPU: Intel SSE3 or compatible
• RAM: 8 GB
• GPU: Nvidia CUDA graphics card with Compute Capability 2.0 or higher
• Average Rendering Time: 4 hours

Pricing: The paid plan of Thea Render for SketchUp will cost you $280 per year per screen.

6. Lumion

With Lumion, you can easily turn your ideas into pictures, videos, or 360-degree views. Its faster rendering speed enables you to incorporate visualizations at any phase. Lumion is designed to be easy, clear, and hassle-free.

Features of this Sketchup rendering software include volumetric spotlights, surface decals, and volumetric Omni lights.

Features of Lumion (Top Rendering Software for SketchUp)

• Animated phasing
• Orthographic views
• Surface decals
• Volumetric spotlights
• Volumetric Omni lights
• Volumetric fire
• Rain streaks

Minimum System Requirements for Lumion

• OS: Windows 10 64-bit
• CPU: A CPU with at least 4.0 GHz and 8 cores
• RAM: 64 GB of system memory
• Average Rendering Time: 3 Hours

Pricing: Lumion’s paid plan starts at $65 a month (approx) per user.

7. Twinmotion

Another amazing tool by Epic Games, Twinmotion is one of the best and most popular rendering software for SketchUp. It is widely used in architecture and designers love its rendering strength built on the Unreal Engine.

Some noteworthy features for Sketch Up rendering include smart 3D assets, a materials library, and texture maps.

Features of Twinmotion

• High-fidelity and real-time lighting
• Source data support
• Drag and drop PBR materials
• Sketchfab and Quixel integration
• Non-realistic styles for rendering
• Export 360-degree panoramas videos

Minimum System Requirements for Twinmotion, SketchUp Rendering Software

• OS: Windows 10 64-bit/ Mac OS X 10.13.6 or later
• CPU: Quad-core Intel or AMD, 4.5 GHz or faster
• GPU: Nvidia RTX 2070 or higher and Radeon RX 5700
• RAM: 32GB RAM
• Average Rendering Time: 3-4 hours

Pricing: Twinmotion is free for educational use. But for the commercial edition, it will cost you $749.

8. Twilight Render

Twilight Render is a robot plugin for SketchUp which is perfect for both beginners. It handles everything from lighting to materials with its features like photon mapping and ray tracing. Plus, you can save your work as templates for later use.

Features of Twilight Render

• Ray tracing
• Photon mapping
• Material templates
• Easy camera set ups
• Image projector
• Deep material editor

Minimum System Requirements

• OS: Mac OS X 10.13.6/Mac OS 10.9 or later
• CPU: Intel Core i5 or AMD processor, 2.5 GHz or faster
• GPU: 8 GB VRAM
• RAM: 8 GB RAM
• Average Rendering Time: 4 Hours

Pricing: Twilight Render pro will cost you $50 for the license and an additional $20 for texture add-ons.

9. D5 Render

D5 Render is the newest software on this list, which was launched in June 2020. Its simple and easy-to-use interface makes it a great choice for even new beginners.

Just import your models into the software and experience realistic visuals instantly. With features like real-time rendering and super-fast results, it’s perfect for SketchUp users who want top-notch rendering performance.

Features of D5 Render (Rendering Program for SketchUp)

• Real-time ray tracing
• DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling)
• Large scene capability
• Super sampling
• Video keyframes
• Multiple frame rate options

Minimum System Requirements for D5 Render

• Operating System: Windows 10 or above
• CPU: At least 6 cores and 12 threads
• RAM: 16 GB
• GPU: Nvidia GTX 1060, Intel Arc 3, AMD RX 6400
• Average Rendering Time: 3-4 Hours

Pricing: D5 Render pricing starts at $38 per user per month

10. Brighter3D

Lastly, we have Brighter3D. It is a SketchUp rendering plugin that supports various lighting options like daylight, artificial, and HDRI lighting. You can focus on specific points in your scene with the depth of field feature.

Plus, there’s an Ambient Occlusion mode for quickly generating images without complex lighting setups. With these handy features, Brighter 3D has to be on our list for sure.

Features of Brighter3D

• Artificial lighting
• Depth in field
• HDRI Lighting
• Ambient occlusion
• 360 degree cameras
• Animation and PBR textures
• Over 100 predefined materials

Minimum System Requirements

• OS: 64 Bit Windows 8/8.1/10/10.1/11
• CPU: 64-bit 1.5GHz processor or higher with SSE3
• RAM: 4GB of free RAM
• HDD: Available space for software and its data, around 16 GB
• Average Rendering Time: 2.5-3.5 Hours

Pricing: Brighter’s annual license will cost you 75$. Moreover, it also offers a lifetime plan which costs $149.

Conclusion

There you have it! List of the best rendering software for SketchUp. However, if you want to choose rendering software for SketchUp, you must consider various factors like project types, project complexity, budget constraints, number of team members, etc.

The software I have listed above offer unique features and capabilities for stunning visual results. So, take the time to explore different options and consider your project requirements to know which software best suits your rendering needs.

FAQs Related to SketchUp Rendering Software