Raya for Rhino - free AI rendering plugin
Raya adds an AI rendering panel right inside Rhinoceros. 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 Rhino work?
Raya for Rhino is a free AI rendering plugin that turns your Rhino views into photorealistic visualizations in under a minute. Instead of exporting files or switching to a separate render engine, you send the active viewport straight to Raya from a panel docked inside Rhino, describe the scene in plain words, and get high-quality images back - with materials, lighting and surroundings handled by AI. It works with Rhinoceros 6, 7 and 8 on Windows 10 and 11, uses your free Raya account, and shares the same credits as the Raya web app and every other Raya plugin. You open the panel with the Raya command and your geometry stays untouched - Raya only reads the image from the viewport. Ideal for architects, interior designers and product designers who need fast concept visuals and client-ready renders straight from a NURBS model in Rhinoceros.
Photorealistic AI visualizations in Rhino - examples of the Raya plugin in use
Video from an AI visualization in Rhino
From a visualization of the form you make a short video that shows the shape in motion. In the panel you set the length, resolution and aspect ratio, and describe the motion in your own words or pick a preset. The film costs from 5 credits and needs no animation built in the scene. In a product presentation a few seconds of rotation or camera travel say more about the form than a single frame.
See how video generation works →AI rendering in Rhino without complex setup
A photorealistic render from a NURBS model usually needs V-Ray, Enscape or KeyShot: you assign materials, set up studio lighting and wait for the image to compute. Raya works differently: this render plugin for Rhino captures the active viewport and turns it into a finished visualization in under a minute. You build no rendering scene and need no powerful computer, because the AI render happens in the cloud. You open the panel with the Raya command, pick the type of lighting and click Generate, and the model stays untouched, because Raya only reads the viewport image. You can steer the result with a reference photo of a material or a setting, decide whether a person or a pet appears in the shot, and add your own comment.
What you can do?
Render straight from Rhino
Capture your active Rhino viewport and generate photorealistic images without exporting files or leaving the program.
AI materials and lighting
Describe the scene in plain words and Raya adds realistic materials, lighting and context automatically.
One account, every tool
Use the same free Raya account and credits here, in the Raya web app and in every other Raya plugin.
Why use Raya in Rhino?
A visualization straight from the viewport
You open the panel with the Raya command and work with what is on your screen. Your model stays untouched, because Raya only reads the viewport image.
Variants without assigning materials
You can view the same shot in sunshine, under a cloudy sky, at golden hour, at dawn and after dark, and try the form in several materials along the way. You do not assign them in the model, so the NURBS geometry stays exactly as you left it.
Photorealism without configuring a renderer
You build no scene and set up no lights or render quality. The image is built from the active viewport, and you pick 2K or 4K with one click.
Faster visualizations in Rhino for architects and designers
A render plugin for Rhino pays off where the model is built quickly and the visualization is needed right away.
Architects
A form designed in Rhino can be shown in its surroundings and in the light you choose, before it ever reaches a BIM program. The visualization comes from the same viewport you work in, so no time goes into exporting and preparing a separate scene.
Product designers
You see a product form in realistic material and light without building a rendering studio. Several finish versions of the same shape sit side by side, so you can pick a direction before you start refining the detail.
Interior designers
An interior from a NURBS model can be shown to the client with materials and light before the detailed design exists. A change of colour or finish is tested on the image, without touching the geometry.
Concepts and quick presentations
A full set of views of one model takes a few minutes, at any stage of the work. Even an early form without materials is enough to keep the conversation with the client on an image rather than on a grey shape on screen.
Requirements
- Software
- Rhino 6-8
- Operating system
- Windows 10 / 11
- Account
- Raya
- Price
- Free
How to install
- 1Download the Raya for Rhino ZIP file from this page and unzip it. Pick the folder that matches your version (Rhino 6, 7 or 8) and keep it in a permanent location, because Rhino loads the plugin from there.
- 2Drag Raya.Rhino.rhp onto the Rhino window and confirm that you want to load the plugin.
- 3Type Raya in the Rhino command line and press Enter. The panel opens right away, no restart needed.
- 4Sign in with your Raya account and start generating. The RayaLanguage command switches the panel language.
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 Rhino 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 Rhino versions are supported?
Raya works with Rhino 6, 7 or 8 on Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit). Rhino for Mac is not supported yet.
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 Rhino model?
No. Raya only captures the active viewport as an image to render from - it never modifies your Rhino geometry or project files.
Does Raya replace a traditional renderer in Rhino?
It depends on the project. Raya builds the image from your viewport, so it does not give you the control over every detail that V-Ray or Enscape does, and it does not guarantee pixel-level repeatability. It works well for concepts, variants and client presentations, where time matters. A final client image is made in it just like a quick pass at the form, so it often stands in for V-Ray or KeyShot. Leave a classic engine for cases where the product has to match the model down to the detail, for example in a catalogue or a manual.
Do I need an additional renderer to use Raya?
No. The plugin needs no render engine and no powerful computer, because generation happens in the Raya cloud. You need Rhinoceros 6, 7 or 8, an internet connection and a Raya account.
Is Raya suitable for photorealistic visualizations from a NURBS model?
Yes. 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 render plugin for Rhino or a separate program?
Raya installs in Rhino like any other rendering plugin, but the image is computed in the cloud. You need no separate render program for Rhino and no powerful graphics card: the plugin sends the model view and the finished visualization comes back in the panel.
Does the Rhino plugin work on a Mac?
No. The Rhino 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 Rhino, 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 Rhino, 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.
