Rendering 3D designs using AI rendering
March 17, 2025
AI rendering is revolutionizing 3D design by making it faster, more efficient, and accessible on mobile devices. Here’s what you need to know:
What It Does: AI rendering uses neural networks to handle lighting, textures, and spatial interactions, reducing the need for powerful hardware and manual adjustments.
Why It Matters: Designers can create high-quality visuals in seconds, speeding up workflows and enabling real-time updates, even on mobile.
Key Tools: Apps like uMake, Shapr3D, and Taitopia cater to different needs, from creative sketching to precision CAD modeling and real-time rendering.
Mobile Benefits: AI-powered tools allow faster iterations, energy-efficient rendering, and accessibility for remote workers.
Quick Comparison:
AI rendering is reshaping how designers work, offering speed, flexibility, and cost savings. Whether you’re sketching concepts or delivering polished visuals, these tools are transforming mobile 3D design.
AI Rendering Features in Mobile 3D
Instant Rendering on Mobile
AI-powered tools bring desktop-level visualization to mobile devices, offering real-time updates on textures, lighting, and materials. For example, Onshape's Render Studio enables seamless switching between modeling and rendering tasks.
"Visualization and Webviewer allows clients to check out the designs at their own pace to see how things interact in spaces. It relieves stress for people who don't really get CAD or have difficulty visualizing a part, allowing them comfort in the process."
This feature makes design workflows more accessible and sets the stage for even better performance through machine learning.
How Machine Learning Improves Rendering
Machine learning has introduced cutting-edge techniques that enhance rendering performance. A standout is the MetaVRain AI chip, developed in March 2023 by researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology. This chip achieves 32.8 frames per second, a striking contrast to an RTX 2080 GPU, which renders less than 3% of a frame per second.
Other advancements include NeRF optimization tailored for mobile devices, Re-ReND technology delivering speeds 2.6× faster, and physically based rendering for highly realistic visuals.
These innovations ensure mobile devices can deliver powerful rendering capabilities without compromising efficiency.
Mobile Hardware Performance
Machine learning advancements are also transforming mobile hardware capabilities. AI tools improve performance by intelligently managing resources, often eliminating the need for high-end GPUs. For instance, Avidbots benefits from streamlined workflows using Render Studio.
"The learning curve was pretty fast. I learned everything by discovery after watching an introductory video. Using Render Studio is very intuitive."
AI rendering is also highly energy-efficient. MetaVRain reduces energy consumption to just 133 mW per frame - an astonishing 26,400-fold improvement over typical consumer GPUs. For remote-working design professionals, these improvements are game-changing.
"I travel a lot, and I often give design directions to the team from home. When you get a spark of inspiration, it's great to have tools like Shapr3D."
Create AI generated rendering using your SketchUp® model
AI Rendering Tools for Mobile CAD
Mobile CAD tools are stepping up their game by incorporating advanced AI rendering features, making design work more efficient and accessible.
uMake: Features and Capabilities
uMake is a mobile 3D design and CAD app that caters to designers and businesses alike, boasting a user base of 30,000. It supports sketching, modeling, and visualization on devices like iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The app includes a vast library of models and textures, plus AR presentation features for added functionality. Priced at $7.99 per month (billed annually), the base plan offers unlimited storage, export options, and dimension tools.
"It's really an amazing app that allows you to develop great design ideas, from the initial lines to fully realized 3D concepts, using intuitive tools and a smooth workflow." – Venture Solutions
While uMake stands out for its intuitive design, other tools bring their own unique strengths to the table.
Alternative Mobile Rendering Tools
Shapr3D, powered by the Siemens Parasolid engine, is another strong contender. It focuses on precision CAD modeling, making it ideal for technical work. The app has a free tier for basic use, with a premium plan costing $25 per month.
Taitopia, on the other hand, specializes in cloud-based real-time ray tracing.
"Really impressive stuff. A real-time render completely running inside your browser. A lot of similarities to KeyShot in terms of usability, but dare I say it has the upper hand in a lot of places." – danielbrunsteiner, Senior Industrial Designer
Tool Comparison Guide
Here’s a quick breakdown of the features these tools offer:
Users have reported up to 60% faster ideation, along with the ability to test up to four times more design variations. Meanwhile, MyArchitectAI is entering the scene with an average rendering speed of 9.3 seconds, offering a free plan that includes 10 renders per month.
Using AI Rendering in Your Work
Incorporating AI rendering into your workflow can streamline the design process and save time.
Tips for Better Results
To get the most out of AI rendering, start with simple, clear designs. Focus on:
Structural clarity: Ensure your models have distinct shapes and forms.
Proportions: Keep measurements and ratios well-defined.
Composition: Use straightforward layouts to make AI interpretation easier.
These steps help the AI understand your input better, but challenges can still arise.
Solving Common Problems
AI rendering on mobile devices often comes with its own set of challenges. Here's how to tackle some of the most frequent ones:
For hardware limitations, consider switching to cloud-based GPU rendering for smoother performance.
Making Your Workflow More Efficient
Want to make your AI rendering process faster and more effective? Try these strategies:
Use ControlNet Integration
ControlNet lets you share scene details with diffusion models, helping you maintain your original composition while exploring different visual styles. This keeps your creative vision intact while tapping into AI's potential.
Switch to Cloud-Based Rendering
Cloud platforms offer access to powerful GPUs without needing high-end hardware. Browser-based solutions make it easy and cost-effective.
Train Custom AI Models
Tailoring AI models to your specific art style or brand ensures consistent results. This approach speeds up workflows and helps teams stick to their design guidelines.
"This new workflow allows designers to retain control over their work while benefiting from the flexibility AI offers." - Antoine Vidal
What's Next in Mobile AI Rendering
New AI Rendering Technologies
Mobile AI rendering is evolving with more powerful on-device processing. By 2026, it's expected that 75% of smartphones will include Neural Processing Units (NPUs), combining CPU, GPU, and NPU systems for better performance and energy savings.
Changes in Design Work
AI rendering is reshaping design workflows by drastically cutting iteration times - up to 80% - and reducing revision costs by 30%. Here are some of the game-changing improvements:
Faster Iterations: Designers can test more ideas quickly, thanks to significantly reduced iteration times.
Automated Texturing: AI tools now generate material texture maps, eliminating the need for manual creation or searching for textures.
Real-time Visualization: Instant rendering allows immediate client feedback, speeding up the decision-making process.
These advancements make it essential for designers to stay ahead by adopting the latest tools.
Getting Ready for New Tools
To keep pace with the rapid development of mobile AI rendering, designers should focus on the following:
Embrace On-device Processing
Prepare for edge AI models designed for mobile devices, as highlighted by AWS executive Sameer Vuyyuru.
Invest in AR/VR Integration
Virtual and augmented reality are opening up new possibilities for immersive design.
Focus on Hardware Compatibility
As devices integrate more AI capabilities, it's important to align workflows with these evolving hardware setups.
"Move AI to where the data is." - Kirk Skaugen of Lenovo
Tools like Architect Render are already showcasing how professional 3D renderings can be created in seconds from minimal input. These innovations hint at a future where precision, speed, and collaboration redefine 3D content creation.
Summary
Key Benefits
AI rendering is reshaping mobile 3D design by improving speed, efficiency, and overall output. In 2023, the AI-assisted tools market was valued at $207 million, with projections showing it could grow to $1.3 billion by 2032. This growth underscores the increasing reliance on these tools.
These benefits highlight the potential for designers to leverage AI rendering to improve their workflows and outputs.
Practical Steps Forward
To excel in mobile 3D design with AI rendering, designers should adopt a focused and practical approach. Here’s how to get started:
Adopt Cloud-Based Platforms: Tools like Taitopia allow for high-powered rendering without the need for expensive hardware, cutting costs and offering greater flexibility.
Streamline Mobile Workflows: Mobile apps like uMake and Shapr3D make professional-grade design possible on the go. As Cheng Feng, Packaging Design and Development Manager, explains:
"The app allows you to design anywhere. You can start creating a design, even if you're mid-flight when an idea strikes".
Stay Updated on AI Rendering Technologies: Explore software options to find the best fit for your workflow, learn lighting and composition basics, and make use of new features in established platforms like uMake, which already serves over 30,000 designers.
AI rendering is transforming how designers work, offering new possibilities for mobile 3D design. By taking these steps, designers can stay ahead and make the most of this evolving technology.
