Rendering FAQ
Do I need a GPU to use Rayscaper?
Section titled “Do I need a GPU to use Rayscaper?”No. On Windows, Rayscaper renders on your NVIDIA graphics card (GPU) when it finds a suitable one, and on the processor (CPU) otherwise. On a Mac, it renders on the Mac’s own GPU. A GPU makes rendering faster, but every feature works on the CPU too.
When no suitable GPU is found, the GPU Rendering section of the settings shows this message: “No suitable GPU devices found. GPU rendering is disabled.”
What GPU do I need for GPU rendering?
Section titled “What GPU do I need for GPU rendering?”On Windows, GPU rendering needs an NVIDIA GPU. See the GPU requirements. On a Mac with Apple silicon, Rayscaper renders on the GPU that is built into the Mac.
Rayscaper renders on a suitable GPU automatically. To turn GPU rendering off or on, open File > Settings… (Ctrl+,). Use Use GPU Rendering under GPU Rendering and click Save changes.
Why does the first render on my Mac take a few minutes?
Section titled “Why does the first render on my Mac take a few minutes?”The very first time you render after installing or updating Rayscaper on a Mac, it prepares the GPU of your Mac. That can take a few minutes, longer on an older Mac. The status bar shows Preparing the GPU with its progress, and the render stays empty until it’s done. Rayscaper isn’t stuck: leave the render window open and let it finish.
The first render with a Grass or Fur material prepares the GPU once more. After that, renders start right away, also after you restart SketchUp.
Why isn’t my GPU listed in the settings?
Section titled “Why isn’t my GPU listed in the settings?”On Windows, Rayscaper only lists the NVIDIA GPUs that it can render on. If your GPU is missing, or the settings say that no suitable GPU was found:
- Check that your GPU meets the GPU requirements.
- Update to the latest NVIDIA driver and restart SketchUp.
What happens when the GPU runs out of memory?
Section titled “What happens when the GPU runs out of memory?”A large model, many textures or a very large image may not fit in the memory of your graphics card. When a render fails on the GPU, Rayscaper renders on the CPU instead, and shows a notification with the reason. Rendering on the CPU is slower, but the result is the same.
To render on the GPU again, make the scene smaller: use a lower resolution, or fewer and smaller textures. Then open File > Settings… and click Save changes, or restart SketchUp. For a very large image, the Resolution settings of the camera show how much memory it needs.
How can I improve responsiveness while rendering?
Section titled “How can I improve responsiveness while rendering?”Rendering on the CPU uses a lot of your computer’s power, which can make SketchUp and other programs slow. Try these solutions:
Reduce render threads: Open File > Settings… (Ctrl+,) and lower Render threads under CPU Rendering. SketchUp then gets more of the CPU, but rendering takes longer.
Use GPU rendering: If you have a suitable NVIDIA GPU, check that Use GPU Rendering is ticked under GPU Rendering in the same dialog. Rendering on the GPU leaves the CPU free for SketchUp. A separate graphics card works best.
How do I save a render?
Section titled “How do I save a render?”Choose File > Save…, press Ctrl+S or click the save button in the toolbar. Pick the file type in the save dialog:
- PNG saves the image as you see it, with the post-processing applied: the exposure, the colors and the effects.
- EXR saves the render with its full range of brightness, also the light far brighter than white. Use it to edit the render afterwards in other software. EXR export needs a license.
Where do I set the render resolution?
Section titled “Where do I set the render resolution?”In the Resolution settings of the Camera section of the Scene Editor. See Cameras.
In SketchUp, unlicensed renders and saved images are limited to 1280 pixels on the longest edge. The camera keeps your requested resolution and uses it automatically after you activate a license.
Why do my renders have a watermark?
Section titled “Why do my renders have a watermark?”Renders made without a license include a watermark. See Is there a free version? and How can I get a Rayscaper license?
Why do some faces appear cyan?
Section titled “Why do some faces appear cyan?”
Cyan means that a texture is missing: the material uses an image that Rayscaper can’t find or load, for example because the file was moved, renamed or deleted, or sits on a drive that isn’t connected.
To fix it, choose Assets > Missing Files… in the Rayscaper window. When a scene opens with missing images, the notification about them has a Review files button that opens the same window. It lists every missing image, with its path and what uses it. Click Browse for replacement… and select the file at its new location. Rayscaper updates every place in the scene that uses it.
You can also fix one texture at a time. Select the material in the Materials section of the Scene Editor and open the texture that uses the image. Click New to pick the file at its current location, or Reload once the file is back in place. For a texture that comes from SketchUp, click Reload at the top of the material editor. It gets the texture from the SketchUp material again.
Faces without any material aren’t cyan: they render in a matte clay color, see Material Requirements.