3ds Max
Raya adds an AI rendering panel right inside 3ds Max. Capture your current view, describe the look you want, and get client-ready visualizations back in under a minute.
How does the Raya AI visualization plugin for 3ds Max work?
Raya for 3ds Max is a free AI rendering plugin that turns your 3ds Max views into photorealistic visualizations in under a minute. Instead of exporting files or switching to a separate render engine, you send the current 3ds Max view straight to Raya from a panel docked inside 3ds Max, describe the scene in plain words, and get high-quality images back - with materials, lighting and surroundings handled by AI. It works with 3ds Max 2022-2026 on Windows 10 / 11, uses your free Raya account, and shares the same credits as the Raya web app and every other Raya plugin. Ideal for architects, interior and product designers who need fast concept visuals and client-ready renders directly from 3ds Max.
Photorealistic AI visualizations in 3ds Max - examples of the Raya plugin in use
AI rendering in 3ds Max without complex setup
A photorealistic visualization in 3ds Max usually means V-Ray or Corona: assigning shaders, setting up lights, test frames and the final computation, which on a full scene takes from a quarter of an hour to several hours and occupies your computer. Raya works differently: this render plugin for 3ds Max captures the current viewport and turns it into a finished image in under a minute. You assign no materials, set up no lighting and do not tie up your workstation, because the AI render happens in the cloud. In the panel you pick the type of lighting and click Generate. You can steer the result with a reference photo, for example of the fabric meant for a piece of furniture, decide whether a person or a pet appears in the shot, and add your own comment.
What you can do?
Generate visualizations
Capture the current 3ds Max view and generate photorealistic visualizations without exporting files or leaving the program.
Edit precisely
Select part of the visualization and describe the change - Raya updates only the chosen area and keeps the rest of the frame.
Create AI video
Turn a finished visualization into a short animation or camera fly-through - video ready to present.
Why use Raya in 3ds Max?
A concept without a full scene setup
You can prepare architectural visualizations in 3ds Max before the scene gets its final materials and lighting. The direction of the design is visible right away.
Variants faster than another render
You can make several versions of the same shot before a first test render would have finished: in sunshine, under a cloudy sky, at golden hour, at dawn and after dark. Your 3ds Max scene stays untouched, so you do not save one more file for every variant of the settings.
Your workstation stays free
You do not pick shaders, lights or engine settings. The image is built from the viewport, and you pick 2K or 4K with one click.
Faster visualizations in 3ds Max for architects and designers
A render plugin for 3ds Max pays off where the scene grows in stages and an image to show is needed earlier.
Architects
You can show the direction of the design from a rough massing, before the scene gets materials and lighting. Instead of investing a day in a setup that may not be approved, you test the idea as an image and only then refine what got the green light.
Interior designers
You see an interior in several material versions without assigning shaders. The client picks the direction from images, and you build the final scene only for the version actually approved.
Visualization artists
Instead of waiting for a free spot in the render queue, you generate the image when it is needed. Raya covers both a quick pass at framing and mood and the final client visualization, while the workstation stays free to work on the scene.
Design studios
Studios that used to outsource rendering can prepare client material in house. The cost of the commission and the wait for a slot disappear, and a revision after feedback goes back into the project the same day.
Video from an AI visualization in 3ds Max
You get an animation without setting up cameras in the scene and without rendering a frame sequence. In the panel you pick the length, resolution and aspect ratio, and describe the motion in words or take it from a preset. A clip of a few seconds costs from 5 credits and does not occupy your workstation, because it is built in the cloud. It is a quick way to get presentation material when a full engine animation does not fit the deadline.
See how video generation works →Requirements
- Software
- 3ds Max 2022-2026
- Operating system
- Windows 10 / 11
- Account
- Raya
- Price
- Free
How to install
- 1Download the Raya for 3ds Max installer from this page.
- 2Close 3ds Max, run the installer and follow the steps.
- 3Open 3ds Max and open the Raya panel from the menu.
- 4Sign in with your Raya account and start generating.
Generate, don't render!
Download the plugin and start generating with your Raya account.
Download the Raya pluginFrequently asked questions
Is the Raya plugin for 3ds Max free?
Yes. The plugin is free to download and install. You use it with a free Raya account and it runs on Raya credits - new accounts start with free credits, and you can top up later.
Which 3ds Max versions are supported?
Raya works with 3ds Max 2022-2026 on Windows 10 / 11.
Do I need an account and internet connection?
Yes. Raya renders in the cloud, so you need an internet connection and a Raya account. Sign in with the same account you use on raya.design.
Does Raya change my 3ds Max model?
No. Raya only captures your current view as an image to render from - it never modifies your 3ds Max model or project files.
Does Raya replace a traditional renderer in 3ds Max?
It depends on the stage of the work. Raya builds the image from your viewport, so it does not give you the control over every detail that V-Ray or Corona does, and it does not guarantee pixel-level repeatability. It works well for concepts, variants and client presentations, where time matters. Final client visualizations come out of it just as well, and for many studios it is an alternative to V-Ray or Corona. Reach for the engine in your scene where you need full control over every detail and pixel-level repeatability of the shot.
Do I need an additional renderer to use Raya?
No. The plugin needs no installed render engine and no powerful graphics card, because generation happens in the Raya cloud. You need 3ds Max 2021 or newer, an internet connection and a Raya account.
Is Raya suitable for photorealistic architectural visualizations from 3ds Max?
Yes, that is its main use. You get the best results from a clear viewport with basic materials, because the AI then has the shapes and textures laid out for it. You can generate in 2K or 4K, and fix individual elements later in the editor by selecting an area on the visualization.
Is Raya a rendering plugin for 3ds Max or a separate program?
Raya installs in 3ds Max like any other rendering plugin, but the image is computed in the cloud. You need no separate render program for 3ds Max and no powerful graphics card: the plugin sends the model view and the finished visualization comes back in the panel.
Does the 3ds Max plugin work on a Mac?
No. The 3ds Max plugin runs on Windows 10 and 11. On a Mac you can use Raya in the browser: you upload a capture of the model view and generate the visualization the same way.
Are my views and visualizations used to train AI?
No. The view captured from 3ds Max, your description and the finished visualization are not used to train or fine-tune models, neither ours nor our providers'.
Can I use visualizations from the plugin commercially?
Yes. You hold commercial rights to the generated images whether you are on free credits or a paid plan. You can use them in projects run in 3ds Max, in offers and in marketing materials.
What happens if a generation fails?
If a visualization fails for a technical reason, the credits return to your account automatically. You do not have to ask for them or recover them by hand.
