Feature Comparison
There are two versions of the nXt Renderer for SketchUp:
- IRender nXt - the full feature version with everything you need for high-quality renderings.
- ArielVision - a lower cost renderer with an easy to use user interface.
This is a Comparison Chart showings the features of ArielVision and IRender nXt.
Both Products use the same nXt rendering engine, and process textures, lights, transparency and reflections.
However, IRender nXt contains quite a number of advanced features.
Click on any Feature Name for additional information on that feature.
Comparison Chart
| Both products | ArielVision | IRender nXt |
| Antialiasing - High quality images | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Reflection - Automatic reflection for metal, plastic, tile and wood. | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic Bump Maps - 3D lighting effects from 2D surfaces. | Yes | Yes |
| Background Image - Place image behind rendered geometry. | Yes | Yes |
| Remote Rendering - Render in a separate process so you can continue to use SketchUp. | Yes | Yes
|
| Foreground Image - Place image or watermark in front of rendered geometry. | Yes | Yes
|
| Fully integrated into SketchUp - All Rendering settings saved with SketchUp model. | Yes | Yes |
| HDRi Skies - Lighting, reflections or visibility from special image files. | Yes | Yes |
| High Resolution images - Increased image size for high-quality images.. | Yes | Yes
|
| Indirect Lighting - Improved renderings with effects of reflected light. | Yes | Yes |
| IRender Ready Content - Preconfigured components in 3D Warehouse. | Yes | Yes
|
| Lamps and Light Fixtures - Premade components for point, spot and ceiling lights. | Yes | Yes
|
| Lighting Presets - Quick settings for typical environments. | Yes | Yes
|
| Reflections and Mirrors - Define reflection for any surface. | Yes | Yes
|
| Render directly from SketchUp - One click rendering. | Yes | Yes
' |
| Resume Rendering - Add additional passes after rendering is complete. | Yes | Yes ' |
| RpTreeMaker - Fractal 3D trees. | Yes | Yes |
| Save Rendered Image Wizard - Makes it easy to save your rendered images. | Yes | Yes |
| SketchUp Components - Render groups and components. | Yes | Yes |
| SketchUp Materials - Textures, transparency and colors from SketchUp materials. | Yes | Yes |
| Sun and Shadows - Use SketchUp sun position and settings. | Yes | Yes |
| Transparency - Use SketchUp transparency settings. | Yes | Yes |
| Two Point Perspective - Keep vertical lines parallel while panning the view. | Yes | Yes |
| Visible Light Paths - Spot Lights which shine as if in a haze. | Yes | Yes |
| IRender nXt only | ArielVision | IRender nXt |
| Advanced Reflection Properties - Glossy, Fresnel, etc. | Yes
| |
| Animation - Fully rendered movies. | Yes | |
| Arroway Textures - Fully rendered movies. | Yes | |
| nXtRender Batch - Render later, or from a remote machine. | Yes | |
| Caustics - Realistic transparency for glass. | Yes | |
| Clay Rendering - Create monochrome renderings of model. | Yes | |
| Daylight Portals - fast processing of exterior lighting. | Yes
| |
| Depth of Field - Focus and Blur. | Yes | |
| Edge Highlighting - Enhance detail by rendering SketchUp edges. | Yes | |
| Ground Cover - Fractal, 3D plants for ground cover | Yes | |
| Laptop Seat - Free second seat for your laptop. | Yes
| |
| Light Balancer - Adjust intensity of lights after rendering. | Yes | |
| Material Channels - Adjust color or materials after rendering. | Yes | |
| Material Wizard - Advanced features - Multiple Properties per material. | Yes
| |
| Material Wizard - Define properties for materials. | Yes | |
| nXt Material Library - Predefined materials. | Yes
| |
| nXt Plant Library - More than 500 predefined plants. | Yes
| |
| Object Properties - Diffuse lighting, Daylight, Caustics. | Yes | |
| Procedural Bump Maps - marble, wrinkle, bumps, etc. | Yes | |
| Real Time Haze - Post processing for Haze and Fog effects. | Yes | |
| Rendering Editor - Set options and edit materials from rendering window. | Yes | |
| RPC Objects - High quality 3D objects. | Yes | |
| Section Planes - ability to section off part of the model. | Yes | |
| Self Glow - Illuminate a material without making it a light | Yes | |
| Watermarks - Add logos, foreground images or textured masks to the rendering. | Yes |