Collaborative & AI-Powered Rendering: Why D5 Is Gaining Ground in AEC
May 5, 2025
As architects and designers increasingly seek faster, more intuitive ways to bring their ideas to life, D5 Render is quickly becoming a game-changer in real-time visualization. We spoke with Shouzhi (Neo) Huang, co-founder of D5, to learn how the platform evolved from a deep passion for immersive technology into a powerful design tool built specifically for AEC professionals. With seamless integrations for tools like Revit, SketchUp, and Rhino, and AI-powered features that enhance collaboration and standardize workflows, D5 is transforming how teams visualize, iterate, and communicate—without the complexity of traditional rendering software.
Fig. 1) D5 combines intuitive usability with real-time photorealism—empowering architects to design and iterate faster.
1) Why did you build D5?
The inspiration behind D5 Render traces back to 2015 when the Oculus Rift first sparked our fascination with virtual reality. We wanted to create something meaningful in the 3D space. Personally, I was deeply involved in VR and game development during my college years. My final project was a 3D environment editor—a simple tool where you could sculpt terrain, create lakes and rivers, and place various models. In many ways, it was a primitive version of what would later become D5 Render.
Driven by our passion for immersive technology, we experimented with multiple prototypes—AR furniture placement app, multiplayer VR games, virtual showrooms for real estate, and even a dome decoration tool called D5 Fusion. It was a journey of trial and error, but through these experiences, we realized something crucial: instead of chasing trends, we needed to focus on solving real problems for our users.
Fig. 2) An early prototype of D5 Fusion, showcasing the team's initial steps towards creating an intuitive 3D environment editor.
The key insight came from D5 Fusion. We noticed that designers struggled with traditional rendering—they wanted a tool that could deliver high-quality visuals in real time, allowing them to focus on design rather than technical complexities. Then, at the end of 2019, NVIDIA announced the first hardware-accelerated ray tracing technology. We saw an opportunity to revolutionize architectural visualization. That’s when we decided to go all-in, developing the first real-time ray tracing renderer tailored for architects and designers.
At its core, D5 Render solves a fundamental problem: freeing architects from the constraints of traditional rendering workflows. Instead of spending hours mastering complex software or waiting for external specialists, designers can now visualize their ideas instantly and intuitively. It’s about empowering creativity, not complicating it.
2) How does D5 Render integrate with mainstream modeling tools like Revit, SketchUp, and Rhino—and are there any limitations or best practices to know?
D5 Render was designed from the very beginning to fit seamlessly into architects’ existing workflows—without requiring them to switch tools. To support this, the platform offers native plugins for major modeling software including Revit, SketchUp, Rhino, ArchiCAD, and Cinema 4D. The recommended workflow is Live-Sync: once the D5 plugin is installed for your modeling software, your model can sync to D5 in real time with just one click—no need for exporting or importing. Any changes made in the original software are reflected instantly in D5 as you work.
Fig. 3) Streamlined workflows: D5 offers live-sync with tools like Revit and SketchUp, and multi-editor support for diverse design roles.
D5 also enables multi-software collaboration by acting as a standalone visualization hub. Users can combine models from different tools (e.g., a Revit building, Rhino context, and SketchUp interiors) within one D5 scene, with each maintaining its own live-sync connection to its source software. Additionally, direct import is supported for flexibility.
To ensure optimal performance, it’s recommended to simplify geometry for heavy models before syncing. All D5 plugins are free and updated within a month of any new software release. The ultimate goal is to allow architects to visualize their designs effortlessly, without the friction of switching tools or dealing with complex file formats.
3) How does D5 Render support real-time collaboration among design teams and consultants?
D5 Render transforms team collaboration in architectural visualization through two powerful features:
A. Multi-Editor Worksets: Inspired by Revit’s workset concept, this approach allows multiple disciplines to work simultaneously within a single project. For example:
Interior designers can refine furniture layouts in their dedicated workset
Architects can update the building façade in parallel
Landscape teams can develop the exterior environment concurrently
Visualization specialists can polish specific elements in real-time
All updates are synced seamlessly to a central model, eliminating version conflicts and endless file exchanges. It’s true parallel workflow—no more waiting turns to edit the design.
B. Team Asset Library: D5 provides a shared ecosystem where teams can:
Build and access a centralized library of models, materials, and lighting setups
Maintain consistent visual quality across projects
Save favorite assets that reflect the firm’s visual identity
Onboard new team members quickly using pre-approved resources
This asset library evolves with every project, becoming a growing knowledge base for the entire firm. Together, these features enable real-time, collaborative design where visualization and intent evolve hand in hand—just the way modern AEC teams need to work.
Fig. 4) Multiple disciplines—from interior to landscape—can work in parallel using D5’s multi-editor environment.
4) How does D5 Render help firms establish a standardized rendering workflow?
D5 Render supports workflow standardization through three key pillars:
A. Unified Platform Approach
Loved by everyone—from principals to junior designers—ensuring the entire team operates within the same ecosystem
Combines intuitive usability with high-quality, photorealistic output, encouraging firm-wide adoption
B. Template-Based Standards
Enables creation of branded preset libraries for:
Scatter patterns
Material libraries
Environmental settings
Ensures visual consistency across all projects and team members
C. Institutional Knowledge Building
The Team Version serves as a growing repository of firm knowledge
New hires gain instant access to approved workflows and assets
Continual refinement of templates and resources builds long-term competitive advantage
All teams benefit from shared best practices across the organization
The result is a streamlined, scalable workflow where quality and efficiency grow with your firm.
Fig. 5) AI Enhancer, Sunlight Caustics, Semi-Transparent Materials, and LiveSync with Rhino & Vectorworks
5) How do D5 Render’s AI tools—like D5 Hi and the AI Enhancer—improve the design and rendering workflow?
At D5, AI is thoughtfully integrated to enhance—not disrupt—the architectural design process. Our approach focuses on two key phases of the workflow:
A. D5 Hi – The AI Design Partner
(Powered by a custom Stable Diffusion model)
Sparks creativity in the early concept phase
Generates architecture-specific inspiration from sketches or text prompts
Helps explore design alternatives without needing 3D modeling
Trained on architectural datasets for highly relevant output
B. AI Enhancer – The Finish Perfecter
Automatically polishes renderings for presentation
Handles stylization, motion blur, and inpainting
Replaces time-consuming Photoshop touch-ups
Fig. 6) AI tools in D5 speed up everything from concept generation to final polishing—making workflows 10x faster.
C. AI Material Assistants
Material Match: Aligns your material names with D5’s library
Texture Maps Generator: Creates normal, roughness, and height maps from a single image
Make Seamless: Removes texture seams in one click
Ultra HD Texture: Enhances texture resolution up to 4K
D. AI Atmosphere Match
Analyzes reference photos to replicate lighting and ambiance
Ideal for recreating specific moods or client-provided inspiration
Fig. 7) AI-generated textures, seamless materials, and high-definition finishes save hours of manual editing.
6) How does D5 Render help users manage and customize its 14,000+ assets for specific project needs?
Assets are a critical part of creating compelling visualizations, but architects shouldn't have to waste time modeling every chair or tree from scratch.That’s why D5 Render has built a robust asset ecosystem designed to save time and boost creativity. Users can take advantage of smart organization tools like local and team libraries, advanced filters, and full asset customization—including materials, scale, and properties. D5 also supports user-driven development, with a request system, monthly updates of 50+ assets, and strict quality control to ensure real-time performance. Looking ahead, an expanding ecosystem will offer an asset marketplace for sharing or selling user-made content, plus third-party integrations for access to manufacturer libraries.
7) How does D5 Render deliver high-quality results quickly compared to other rendering tools?
D5 delivers photorealistic results in real-time through three key technological innovations:
A. Next-Gen Global Illumination System
Our proprietary GI solution accurately simulates light bounces and indirect lighting
Dynamically updates as you adjust lighting, materials, or camera angles
Maintains visual fidelity while remaining interactive
B. AI-Accelerated Workflow
Hybrid rendering combines ray tracing with intelligent denoising
Neural networks predict lighting calculations for faster feedback
AI Enhancer automatically refines final outputs
C. Hardware Optimization
Full leverage of modern GPUs (NVIDIA RTX/DLSS support)
Designers get instant visual feedback without compromising quality - something previously only possible with offline renderers. Learn more about our GI technology here.
8) For professionals new to D5 Render, what resources or support systems are in place to facilitate a smooth onboarding experience?
We understand architects are busy delivering projects and can't afford steep learning curves. That's why we've designed every aspect of D5's onboarding to minimize disruption to your workflow. Our philosophy: Make adoption so smooth you'll wonder how you worked without it.
For Individual Users:
Step-by-Step Video Academy: Lots of tutorials (10 - 30 mins each) on our Official YouTube channel covering everything from basic navigation to advanced techniques
Community Learning Hub
Active user forum with support and troubleshooting
User-generated tutorials from industry professionals
Template Sample Projects
Pre-built scenes with optimized settings to jumpstart projects
For Teams & Firms:
Dedicated Onboarding Program
Personalized workflow assessment
Custom training sessions (live or recorded)
Priority Support Network
Dedicated customer success manager
Private Teams groups for immediate assistance
Version-upgrade migration assistance
Most users become proficient within 2-3 days thanks to our "learn by doing" approach
Fig. 8) D5 is trusted by over 2 million users across 190+ countries—and available in 5 languages.
9) How does D5 Render integrate with project management or BIM workflows, and does it support version control or change tracking?
Currently, D5 Render offers auto-saving functionality but doesn't yet support version control or direct integration with project management platforms like Speckle. However, we're actively exploring these integrations as part of our development roadmap to better support collaborative BIM workflows.
10) To what extent can users customize the rendering environment, materials, and lighting within D5 Render to match specific project requirements?
D5 Render gives users extensive creative control to customize every aspect of their visualization—making it easy to match specific project requirements.
Material Customization: Users can fully edit PBR materials, including properties like metallic, roughness, and anisotropy. Custom texture mapping (UV, tri-planar, or box projection) is supported, and materials can be saved and reused across projects.
Lighting Control: D5 offers both natural and artificial lighting options. Users can adjust physical sky settings based on time, date, and geolocation, or fine-tune artificial lights using parameters like color temperature, intensity, and IES profiles. HDRI environments can also be swapped and adjusted for mood control.
Environment Settings: Designers can enhance realism with weather effects (like rain and snow), fog, aerial perspective, and even procedural landscape generation to reflect unique site contexts.
AI-Enhanced Editing: AI-powered tools like the AI Enhancer and Atmosphere Match allow post-render tweaks to exposure, contrast, and lighting conditions. Material Assist suggests textures based on context, while additional tools streamline seamless material creation and refinement.
Whether you're working with built-in assets or importing your own, D5 ensures that every design element is customizable—helping you bring your unique vision to life with accuracy and consistency.
Fig. 9) D5 Render 2.10 | The Wait is Over: Realtime Path Tracing & More
11) What upcoming features or improvements can users look forward to in D5 Render's development roadmap?
D5 Render is accelerating its AI-powered workflow with several exciting developments.First, the platform is introducing seamless AI-to-3D integration, allowing users to instantly apply D5 Hi-generated textures and materials directly onto 3D models, implement lighting setups, and even transfer styles from inspiration images to live projects. Second, a Smart Design Agent will offer context-aware suggestions for material combinations, lighting enhancements, layout compositions, and planting arrangements—making the design process more intuitive and efficient.Lastly, improvements to the collaboration ecosystem are underway, including better version control, enhanced BIM coordination, and real-time multi-user editing, all aimed at streamlining teamwork and project management.
Join our upcoming webinar to discover how D5 is transforming architectural visualization—and explore some of their latest case studies on their profile.
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