@vello said:

would love to try it out, studying architecture so it should be fun

Hey Vello,

Thanks for your interest. I'm putting you on our list and will be reaching out in a couple of weeks.

@l i am said:

Could you please let us know what is your target audience? Pro, enthusiast how would it be a killer or competitive application?

Thanks

Hey,

The target audience would be hobbyists, architects, and product designers that want to quickly visualize their creations. I'm not focusing on the experienced render pros, because I don't have any advanced features on my roadmap (e.g. render passes, GI bounce control, ...). So definitely simpler, and less expensive than let's say: V-ray, Octane, Lumion, etc.

I hope to build a competitive application by:

• Building a great integration with SketchUp. There's a high variance in commercial plugin quality, that's no dig, just an observation.
• Solid render engine with a feature set that covers a large gamut of common use cases.
• Offering a large set of high-quality assets bundled with the software (textures, materials, etc).
• Long term, I also plan to offer cloud render integration.
• Reasonable pricing for hobbyists and professionals alike.
• Great user support and training resources.

As for killer application, let's see how that goes - There are a lot of render engines out there either for SketchUp or for other DCC software. I don't have the audacity to say that I will come in and disrupt all that, but I hope to build a strong user base and loyal following over time.

Will post some screenshots here soon to make it less abstract.

Cheers,
Thomas

@l i am said:

I would like to throw my hat in the ring. I use, or have used Twilight, Podium Raylectron, D5 and Twinmotion.

Hey there,

Great to see the experience with other engines. I put your name down and will reach out in a couple of weeks.

Cheers,
Thomas

@solo said:

I have some time available to play now that I semi-retired, I'll give it a go
lets play

and based on above question I'll assume you gonna ask me too.

I have pretty much used most if not all the render engines integrated with Sketchup, from vray, Podium, Thea, and so on to the new and easy real-time solutions like Lumion, Enscape, and Twinmotion

Hey Solo,

Thanks for your interest. The beta program is a couple of weeks out, but I will put you on the list! Great to see you have experience with most render engines for SU, so your feedback would be very valuable.

@mike amos said:

Me three please.

Noted Mike, thanks for your interest.

Cheers,
Thomas

@rich o brien said:

One more post and your off the leash....

Thanks for clarifying that! So this should be the one

Is that documented somewhere? I could not find it in the FAQ: https://sketchucation.com/forums/faq.php#f5r0

@rich o brien said:

Thanks, Rich, noted. I also will reply to your DM as soon as I figured out how to unlock DMs

Cheers,
Thomas

Hey folks,

We are looking for beta testers for our new render engine for SketchUp. We are working very hard to get our first beta version out.

Our render engine is designed to be fast, efficient, and easy to use. It is perfect for creating realistic renders of 3D models and scenes. We are targeting both Windows and Mac operating systems. We will start posting more details, screenshots, and videos of our progress very soon.

We are looking for beta testers experienced with 3D modeling and rendering that can help us give product feedback and squash bugs.

If you want to become a beta tester, please reply to this thread. We plan to start the program in a couple of weeks.

We look forward to hearing from you and are excited to put this product in your hands.

Thank you,
Thomas

UPDATE: June 6, 2023
Hey folks,

The software isn't beta test ready but I decided to post weekly updates. We plan to start beta testing in early July.

Here's a screenshot of the work in progress. Don't read too much into it. The look and feel will still change and will have more eye candy. The name WolfRender is a codename, it doesn't actually make sense to name a render engine like that

Cheers,
Thomas

UPDATE: June 14, 2023
Hey friends,

I created a sneak preview of the extension: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrEvEthBAvE - It's so weird to see yourself on video I will follow up with more preview videos.

Oh yeah, the name will be Rayscaper. I plan to have the website up soon.

UPDATE: August 9, 2023
Hey friends,

I made a quick and dirty, unscripted update of what happened with Rayscaper in the last month. Here's the video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lh8Eynrn6L8

UPDATE: September 6, 2023
Hey friends,

A lot of progress. Currently, we are alpha-testing the software and adding some new features. Rayscaper now has delicious new icons, courtesy of Rich O'Brien.

UPDATE: October 27, 2023
hey friends,

I'm proud to announce that the first alpha version of Rayscaper is public now. It's alpha so only for the brave ones Get it here: https://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=80&t=76360

Cheers,
Thomas