Why Choose Onshape Render Studio for CAD Visualization?

Hanen Bdioui

6 January 2026 6 mins to read

What is Onshape Render Studio?

Onshape Render Studio is a cloud-native, photorealistic rendering environment built directly into the Onshape product development platform. Unlike traditional desktop rendering tools, Render Studio works entirely in the browser, allowing users to create high-quality visuals without installing additional software or relying on high-end local hardware.

Because it is fully integrated with Onshape CAD, designs can be rendered directly from Part Studios and Assemblies with no file export or translation required.

If you haven’t had a chance to try Onshape, PTC’s cloud-native CAD and PDM platform, yet, you can use the link below to sign up for a free account or explore Onshape Professional including tools like CAM Studio, Simulation and Render Studio with 6 months of free access.

Understanding Onshape Render Studio

Onshape Render Studio enables users to transform engineering models into realistic visuals by working with:

CAD geometry directly from Onshape

Materials and appearances

Scene environments and lighting

Cameras and depth of field

Advanced visual effects such as transparency, glow, and volumetric effects (smoke/fire workflows)

Accessing Render Studio

Render Studio can be launched directly from your Onshape document.

Where to Find Render Studio:

From a Part Studio or Assembly tab

Right-click the tab → Create Render Studio

Or use the + (Add Tab) menu and select Render Studio. Once created, the Render Studio tab remains linked to the original model.

Exploring the Onshape Render Studio Interface

Onshape Render Studio is designed to feel simple and intuitive, so you can focus on your visuals instead of the tool itself.

Toolbar

At the top of the page, the toolbar gives you quick access to the actions you use most, from setting up the scene to rendering the final image.

Scene List

On the left side, the Scene list shows all parts, Part Studios, and Assemblies in your render.

When you click on any item, the panels on the right update automatically, making it easy to adjust materials, scenes, or environments.

Graphics Area

Appearances Library

At the bottom of the page, the Appearances library lets you add materials with a simple drag and drop. It’s the fastest way to give parts realistic colors, textures, and finishes.

Environments Library

Next to it, the Environments library helps you set the mood. Choosing an environment changes both the background and the lighting of your scene.

Scene Panel

On the right, the Scene panel controls the overall behavior of the scene, such as ground, shadows, and global settings.

Appearance Panel

The Appearance panel is where you fine-tune how a part looks. The options change depending on the material, like metal, glass, fabric, or plastic.

Environment Panel

This panel lets you adjust lighting and atmosphere settings based on the selected environment.

Render Options

Once everything looks right, click Render Scene in the toolbar. From there, you can export high-quality images in JPEG, PNG, or HDR/EXR formats, with resolution options ranging from HD and Full HD to UHD, 4K, and 8K.

Why Choose Onshape Render Studio?

Render Studio is ideal for engineers, designers, educators, and marketing teams because it:

1.Works in a web browser
2. Eliminates file exports and rework
3. Updates automatically when designs change
4. Produces professional visuals quickly
5. It is easy to learn, even for non-rendering experts

You don’t need to use high-end hardware or upgrade your hardware every year.

Render Studio vs. Render Studio Advanced

Render Studio is ideal for engineers and designers who need fast, cloud-native rendering for design reviews and presentations, with image export up to HD and Full HD.
Render Studio Advanced is built for high-end visualization and marketing use cases, offering ultra-high-resolution rendering up to 8K, AxF measured materials, volumetric effects (smoke, fog, fluids), and Stereo and panoramic rendering.

Using the Denoiser for Cleaner Renders in Onshape

The Denoiser helps improve render quality by reducing the grain and noise that often appear in fast or early renders. It uses AI to clean up the image, giving you smoother surfaces and clearer details without waiting for long render times.

To keep the workflow smooth, you can choose when the denoiser starts working. By delaying it for the first few iterations, you avoid performance slowdowns while moving the camera, and you also ensure the denoiser works on a more stable image.

If you are exporting images with transparency, the Denoise Alpha option can also clean up the alpha channel. Keep in mind that enabling it takes more processing time, so it’s best used only when transparency quality really matters.

New: Volume Entity for More Realistic Visual Effects

With the latest updates, Render Studio Advanced introduces Volume Entities. These allow you to add effects such as:

Smoke and fog

Fluids and gels

Soft translucent or atmospheric elements

These effects add depth and realism, making your renders feel more lifelike.

Advanced users can also work with OpenVDB files, which are commonly used to create complex volumetric effects. If you don’t have the Advanced version, you can still open scenes that include volumes, but you won’t be able to edit them.

AXF APPEARANCES FOR RENDER STUDIO ADVANCED

Render Studio Advanced now supports AxF measured materials. These are physically accurate materials created by scanning real-world surfaces.

Using AxF appearances allows you to apply highly realistic materials to your models, which is especially useful for product visualization and marketing-quality renders.

As shown in the 8K render, the helmet demonstrates the level of detail, realism, and surface accuracy that AxF materials can achieve.

Panoramic and Stereo Rendering

Render Studio now allows you to create and export panoramic EXR/HDR files. These panoramas can be used as lighting environments for other renders.

Creating panoramic environments is usually complex and expensive, often requiring special cameras and setups. With Render Studio, you can define and control these environments digitally, giving you consistent lighting across multiple renders or completely unique setups.

Projector Manipulators for Texture Control

You can visually move, rotate, and scale textures directly on the model, without guessing values.

Different projection types are available depending on the shape:

Planar for flat surfaces

Cylindrical for round geometry

Spherical for fully curved shapes

Cubic for box-like parts

Surface to follow the exact shape of the model

This gives you better control over how materials and decals appear, helping you achieve cleaner and more realistic results with less effort.

Quick Updates to References Changes

Render Studio now updates geometry and configuration changes without reloading the entire scene, improving workflow speed and making it easier to work with evolving designs

When we make a change in the table, the Scene List immediately shows a blue icon in the tree, indicating that a newer version is available.

As shown in the Reference Manager, a message appears stating that a newer version is available. By clicking Update All, the scene updates instantly to reflect the latest changes.

Tangent Lines in Stylized Views

In stylized render views, you can now customize the appearance of tangent lines. This gives you more control when creating technical or illustrative visuals.

Wrapping Up

Onshape Render Studio makes rendering feel easy and natural. You can turn your CAD models into realistic visuals directly in the browser, without extra tools or powerful hardware, and your renders always stay up to date as your design changes.

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Hanen Bdioui

Sales Development Representative at ChampionXperience

Hanen Bdioui is the Editor-in-Chief at ChampionXperience, where she leads content on CAD, VR, and emerging engineering technologies. She works with Dassault Systèmes as a Content Creator and SOLIDWORKS Application Engineer, and contributes as a technical writer for Engineering.com and EngineeRules, covering topics in CAD, PLM, and simulation. Hanen also creates specialized content for 3DEXCITE, the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, and Onshape, supporting engineers and companies in adopting modern digital workflows.