SketchUp to photorealistic — kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms rendered in 60 seconds
AI rendering for SketchUp turns your model views into photorealistic images in roughly 60 seconds, without leaving your laptop and without a GPU. Vizbase ships a free SketchUp plugin (Starter tier and above) that exports the active view with one click; uploaded screenshots work on every tier including free. This page covers the full workflow, plugin installation, supported SketchUp versions (2021 and newer), and how Vizbase compares to V-Ray or Enscape on speed and cost.
See the SketchUp plugin in action
Export your SketchUp view with one click. Render to photoreal in under a minute.
Interior designer workflow: SketchUp to photorealistic render in 4 steps
Export your interior from SketchUp
Take a screenshot of your kitchen, bathroom, living room, or bedroom design from SketchUp. Any angle works. PNG, JPG, or WebP. You can also use SketchUp's File → Export → 2D Graphic for higher resolution images.
Upload to VizBase
Drag and drop your interior image into VizBase. The AI automatically detects your room type, identifies every element (walls, cabinetry, countertops, flooring, fixtures, furniture), and generates masks for each one. Ready for customization.
Customize materials for client presentation
Select any element and describe the exact finish you want. "Calacatta marble island countertop", "walnut cabinetry", "light oak hardwood floor", "brass pendant lights" — describe in plain English. Show your client 3 style options: modern, scandinavian, and industrial in minutes.
Present to client or iterate
Your photorealistic render is ready in 30-60 seconds. Download it for your presentation deck, iterate on specific areas with inpainting (change just the backsplash or cabinet color), or upscale to 6x resolution for print-quality marketing materials.
VizBase AI vs traditional SketchUp renderers
Note: Traditional renderers excel at animation, complex lighting setups, and scenes requiring absolute physical accuracy. AI rendering is ideal for fast iteration, early-stage design exploration, and client presentations where speed matters more than animation.
Native SketchUp plugin — render without leaving your model
The VizBase SketchUp plugin sends your current viewport directly to VizBase and returns the render back into your project. No exporting, no uploading, no context switching. Available from the Pro plan. Revit plugin coming soon.
GET STARTED FREEQuestions about the Vizbase SketchUp plugin
How does the Vizbase SketchUp plugin work?
The plugin adds a panel inside SketchUp that sends your current viewport directly to Vizbase with one click. The AI renders it photorealistically and returns the image back into your session — no exporting, no browser switching. Available on the Pro plan and above.
Which SketchUp versions are supported?
The plugin supports SketchUp 2021 and newer on macOS and Windows. It installs as a standard .rbz extension through the SketchUp Extension Manager.
Do I need a powerful GPU to use the SketchUp plugin?
No. All rendering runs on Vizbase servers in the cloud. Your SketchUp model stays on your machine; only the exported image is sent to the API. A standard laptop with any GPU is sufficient.
Can I use the plugin offline?
No — Vizbase requires an internet connection because rendering happens in the cloud. The plugin itself installs locally, but each render call needs to reach the Vizbase API.
What is the difference between using the plugin vs uploading a screenshot?
Functionally identical results — both paths send the same image to the same AI pipeline. The plugin just removes the manual export step and brings the rendered result back into SketchUp automatically, saving a few clicks per iteration.
How does Vizbase compare to V-Ray or Enscape for SketchUp?
V-Ray and Enscape produce renders through physics-based simulation, which takes 5–60 minutes and requires a dedicated GPU. Vizbase is AI-based and renders in 60 seconds on any device with no setup. The trade-off: V-Ray and Enscape offer more precise lighting control and support real-time walkthroughs; Vizbase wins on speed and cost for client-facing still renders. See the V-Ray alternative and Enscape alternative pages for full comparisons.
What file formats does the plugin output?
Vizbase returns a high-resolution JPEG or PNG (your choice) that you can download directly. From the Pro plan you can also upscale to 6x resolution for print-quality output.