To celebrate Enscape's 10th birthday this year, let's look back at the decade of innovation that brought us to where we are now. Ready for a trip down memory lane?
2015: Enscape is introduced as a Revit plugin
The idea for Enscape emerged when Founders Thomas Willberger and Moritz Luck wanted to find a way to speed up VR rendering for architects. At the time, long rendering wait times were the norm.
"We looked at the market, and there was nothing there," said Moritz. So, they created their own software and introduced a beta version.
Enscape Founders: Thomas Willberger and Moritz Luck
The software not only made VR faster but also instantaneous. It was game-changing as it allowed you to explore your models instantly as a 3D virtual reality rendering with only one click! From day one, VR walkthroughs were built right in, making Enscape one of the first tools to offer seamless virtual experiences for architecture and design.
We also achieved 100 licenses in the first year!
Celebrating 100 licenses with cake
2016: Enscape solidified itself as a must-have tool for immersive design reviews
Enscape was already fast and smooth, but the release of Enscape 1.6 elevated it even more. Global illumination enhancements made lighting and reflections more realistic, image adjustments let you create more beautiful scenes, and an improved UI made it easier than ever to integrate Enscape into your workflow.
This version brought presentations to the next level—VR walkthroughs became even smoother, solidifying Enscape as a must-have tool for immersive design reviews. You could create even more beautiful scenes by adjusting the clouds in more detail. And with the new Advanced Light View, you could visualize light intensity in lux, helping you fine-tune their lighting setups with precision.
Enscape in Revit showing a light view analysis
2017: Enscape supported SketchUp and Rhino
This was the year we spun off as a separate company from Inreal Technologies and added support for SketchUp and Rhino. Support for additional design applications made real-time rendering accessible to even more architects and designers.
"Enscape is designed to meet the top demands of today’s architect, delivering an extremely fast, effortless, beautiful end product that is inexpensive and directly integrated with Revit and SketchUp," shared Thomas.
"We are proud that Enscape is being used as a standard application in projects worldwide and at leading firms such as Foster + Partners and Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF). Its accessibility and low cost make it a must-have tool for every architect’s arsenal."
Enscape 2.0 was released and included features that enhanced realism in renders, such as real-geometry grass and trees for more lifelike outdoor scenes, real-time path tracing for better reflections, and indirect lighting.
The team traveled to Singapore for BILT Asia 2017 to connect with the Enscape community and learn about industry trends. Here is a video of a short recap of the experience:
2018: Enscape added an asset library and support for Archicad
Support for Archicad was added to Enscape in version 2.3, giving another group of BIM/CAD users access to real-time rendering.
Another notable feature added was the Enscape Asset Library, which was introduced with version 2.4. The collection included people, vegetation, accessories, and other assets. Since then, new assets have been added to the library regularly.
A collection of assets in the Enscape Asset Library
An improved path creation system, better VR controls, and a dedicated material editor for SketchUp were just a few of the exciting features developed that year.
The success of Enscape meant the team was growing, and with a growing team came the need for more space. The Enscape headquarters doubled its office space to cater to the growing team, which had 33 employees by the end of the year (almost double the amount at the beginning of the year).
The team enjoying drinks on the terrace of Enscape's former HQ
2019: Enscape set a new standard for real-time rendering with RTX
In version 2.6.1, Enscape became one of the first rendering engines for architects to support NVIDIA’s revolutionary RTX technology, setting a new standard for real-time rendering.
Crisp, accurate reflections with one click thanks to RTX technology
Project by tas_1985
Architects and designers could enjoy more speed, accuracy, and realism in their 3D models. The way Enscape is used has not changed; however, the results can be more realistic, with no extra effort needed on your part.
2020: Enscape supported Vectorworks and became multilingual
Enscape expanded access to a new BIM/CAD audience and introduced support for Vectorworks in early 2020.
This year also saw the development of the Custom Asset Library, which allowed users to upload their own assets for use in projects. Other exciting features included video textures, orthographic views, collaborative annotation, and animated vegetation.
Custom Assets in the Enscape Asset Library
Plus, Enscape became available in multiple languages: German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese, which meant native speakers of those languages could design and visualize in their mother tongues!
We also farewelled Thomas and Moritz and welcomed a new CEO, Christian Lang.
The development team after pressing the 'release' button for Enscape 2.7
2021: Enscape got a new look
2021 was the year of the makeover. The Enscape UI was overhauled, and we said goodbye to our trusty mascot, Dr Photon, with a rebrand.
Celebrating the launch of Enscape 3.0 virtually during lockdown
The material editor also got a little makeover, and we introduced the Enscape Material Library, which gives you a selection of predefined high-quality materials to use in your projects. And just like the asset library, we regularly add more materials with releases.
A selection of materials in the Enscape Material Library
Enscape’s Dynamic Asset Placement was developed in version 3.2. This feature lets you select, place, and edit assets in your design via the Enscape rendering window. It provides two-way asset placement, something that wasn’t available in other tools at the time.
Multi-asset placement in Enscape
The same year, we kicked off our first virtual user and community event, ENVISION 21. The 3-day virtual event was packed with insightful sessions and enthusiastic conversations hosted by internal and external Enscape experts. We welcomed over 6,000 architects, designers, and professionals from 140 countries to the event.
The marketing team managing our live virtual event, ENVISION 21
We also celebrated our 100th employee and moved to a bigger office space, our current HQ in Durlach.
2022: Enscape merged with Chaos and released a Mac version
The team enjoying themselves at the summer party in 2022
In early 2022, it was announced that Enscape would merge with Chaos. The newly combined company retained the Chaos name and established itself as a global leader in the 3D visualization and design workflow sectors. A few months later, Cylindo joined Chaos to make 3D, AR, and VR content more accessible.
2022 summer party
This year, a significant milestone was achieved with the open beta version of Enscape for Mac. This allowed Mac users to try out Enscape and experience fast and easy design and visualization.
Enscape became available for Mac
Other exciting features included the alpha channel export, transparent materials in reflections, and Japanese and Chinese language support.
2023: Enscape transformed people into 3D assets
We invested in a 3D scanner to scan real-life people and turn them into assets. In 2023, a collection of unique people assets was introduced into the software, giving you access to people assets that you wouldn’t find anywhere else! The exciting and innovative technology allowed us to add a variety of people assets that are unique to Enscape.
Turning real people into 3D assets with our People Scanner
The scanner is portable, and we have since brought it along to events, scanning not only our employees but also members of the Enscape community.
Enscape's People Scanner at BIM World Munich
This year, we introduced Enscape to V-Ray compatibility, our first step towards a more unified visualization workflow and interoperability within the Chaos ecosystem. This compatibility lets you go from real-time design to photoreal even faster and easier.
V-Ray on the left, Enscape on the right
2024: Enscape integrated AI and sustainable design
The Chaos AI Enhancer was introduced this year for active Enscape users. The AI feature elevates Enscape assets, improving realism without sacrificing performance.
An example of how the Chaos AI Enhancer works
We also partnered with IES, a leading global innovator in building design and analysis, and introduced Enscape Impact. The add-on integrates real-time rendering with building performance analytics to close the gap between energy modeling and design visualization. This access to simple-to-use building performance and analytics technology helps you make better design decisions that lead to a more sustainable and energy-efficient environment.
Enscape Impact
The Enscape codebase was overhauled to ensure better stability and performance, as well as stronger interoperability with Chaos products. We developed artistic visual modes, colored shadows for artificial light sources, and ray-traced sun shadow improvements.
We also welcomed a new CEO at Chaos, Stephan Sieber.
2025: Enscape turns 10
10th birthday celebration in the Karlsruhe office
Earlier this year, we announced we’ve moved to a continuous delivery release process. This means you’ll receive regular, incremental updates as soon as they’re ready, ensuring you have access to the latest features, performance improvements, and bug fixes.
We also welcomed a new member to the Chaos family, EvolveLAB, which is known for its AI-powered AEC tools, most notably Veras. Many customers already use Enscape and Veras together, and we’re looking into the ideal integrated workflow. So, stay tuned!
From a bold idea to changing the game, Enscape’s journey over the past 10 years has been remarkable. And we have you—our wonderful community—to thank, as we wouldn’t be here without your support. 🧡
