Enscape keeps evolving, and in 2025 it’s delivering features that sharpen its position as a go-to real-time rendering tool. Whether you use Enscape with SketchUp, Revit, Rhino or other host platforms, the latest updates enhance lighting, asset control, integration, and delivery. In this post, we’ll walk through the headline improvements, explore how they impact your day-to-day workflow, and suggest how to take full advantage.
Key Enscape 2025 Updates & Features
Here are some of the major updates rolling out in 2025 (and late 2024) that are reshaping what you can do in Enscape:
| Feature | What It Adds / Changes | Workflow & Visual Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Emissive Materials as Ray-Traced Light Sources | Emissive materials now act as true light emitters in the ray-traced artificial lighting system. | More realistic lighting in scenes with LED strips, signage, and interior light panels. Cleaner renders, fewer artifacts, more artistic freedom. |
| Selective Asset Exclusion in White Mode | Ability to exclude particular assets or asset categories from White Mode. | Better presentation control: emphasize focal objects without reworking entire scenes. |
| Support for SketchUp 2025 & Photoreal Materials | Compatibility with SketchUp 2025 and its physically based (photoreal) material workflows. | Narrower gap between design model and rendered output, reducing material tweaking. |
| Continuous Delivery & Monthly Updates | Shift to a more continuous release model with faster, predictable updates. | Keeps tools fresh with incremental improvements, less waiting for big releases. |
| Enhanced Integration & Host Application Features | Improved handling of Revit filters, linked model overrides, and SketchUp geometry updates. | Tighter fidelity between CAD/BIM environment and Enscape output. |
| Improved Walkthrough Shadows | Refined ray-traced sun shadows during walkthrough navigation. | Smoother real-time presentation with more believable live shadows. |
| New Video Output Options & UI Enhancements | Support for 24 fps video exports, plus UI refinements for asset placement and material editing. | More cinematic video exports and reduced workflow friction. |
How These Updates Will Transform Your Workflow
1. More Realistic Lighting with Less Effort
Emissive surfaces now act as real contributors in your lighting rigs. That means you can design more naturally (e.g. glowing signs, interior panels) and let Enscape handle the light bounce and contribution automatically, instead of faking it manually.
2. Smarter Presentation Control
Selective asset exclusion in White Mode gives you more control over storytelling. You can visually de-emphasize parts of a model while keeping your focus areas crisp, without needing separate scenes or hide/show toggles.
3. Better Material Match Between SketchUp & Enscape
With SketchUp 2025 compatibility and improved material workflows, the gap between your model and final rendered appearance narrows. That means less back-and-forth tweaking.
4. Faster Feature Uptake
Because Enscape is moving to continuous delivery, you won’t wait months for fixes or new tools. Your setup evolves with your needs, letting you adopt incremental improvements without major version jumps.
5. Cleaner Real-Time Navigation
Improved shadows in walkthrough mode make live navigation more believable. That’s helpful when conducting client walkthroughs or navigating the project at design review pace.
6. Cinematic Exports & Interface Smoothness
Support for 24 fps video and quality UI enhancements reduce friction in output delivery. Your presentation videos feel more polished, and interface design helps speed workflow tasks.
7. Reduced Gap Between Design & Rendered Output
Better host integration means you spend less time aligning visibility, filters, or material overrides. What you see in your CAD/BIM work is more reliably what gets rendered.
Challenges, Considerations & Best Practices
- Compatibility: Some features (e.g. SketchUp 2025 support) may still be rolling out gradually.
- Hardware Requirements: Ray-traced emissive lighting and enhanced shadows may push GPU limits.
- Learning Curve: Features like selective asset exclusion and continuous delivery may require workflow adjustments.
- Team Coordination: Ensure all team members use compatible versions to avoid mismatches.
- Bug Risks in New Builds: Test updates before deploying on critical projects.
- Scene Optimisation: Keep practicing good geometry and asset management to maintain performance.
Suggested Workflow Adjustments
- Start with lighting & emissive material strategy in concept stage — let emissives do the work.
- Set up selective asset exclusion for client-friendly White Mode previews.
- Apply materials early with improved SketchUp/Enscape workflows.
- Iterate via live walkthroughs — use improved shadows for client reviews.
- Export cinematic videos at 24 fps for polished outputs.
- Stay updated — enable monthly updates for continuous feature access.
- Test previews early before using new tools in production workflows.
Conclusion
Enscape’s 2025 updates bring meaningful improvements — especially in lighting realism, asset control, host integration, and faster delivery of enhancements. These changes not only boost visual quality but also refine your workflow, reduce friction, and empower you to present designs more compellingly.
