Enscape's latest version, 4.2, gives you host application-specific features for tighter integration with design applications. This assortment of updates strengthens Enscape's most significant advantage—its seamless integration with the host application, allowing you to work faster and more precisely than ever. The list of updates is as follows:
- Revit Graphics Override
- Support for WCS Mapping in Rhino
- Software Ray-Tracing Improvements
- Multiple Section Planes for Rhino & Vectorworks
- Archicad 28 Support
- Artistic Visual Mode Improvements
The release also includes the commercial launch of Enscape Impact, a brand-new add-on designed to integrate real-time rendering with building performance metrics!
Let's get into it.
Enscape Impact
Enscape Impact is a building performance analysis add-on for Windows that works with the Enscape core product. Enscape users were given the chance to test the beta version in Enscape 4.1. Now, we are excited to launch the commercial version.
Enscape Impact empowers you to make informed decisions about your design's sustainability by allowing you to view your building's energy performance in the early stages of design.
By providing fast energy modeling simulation, you can instantly calculate and compare key performance metrics, such as peak cooling and heating loads, as you design. The data can also be seen within the render, making it easier to understand and communicate the impact of design decisions.
Developed in partnership with global climate tech company IES, it is compatible with Enscape 4.1 and Enscape 4.2. Visit the Enscape Impact page for more information.
Revit Graphics Override
The Revit Graphics Override feature lets you visualize material and color overrides in renderings defined by Revit Filters. It ensures that rendering tools reflect the same object appearances and overrides used in Revit, enhancing workflow and presentation capabilities.
This lets you maintain consistency between Revit and Enscape, streamlining the design and presentation process. You also have more control over rendering views by displaying or hiding Revit Filter overrides in Enscape. Learn more about it in the Enscape Knowledge Base.
Support for WCS Mapping in Rhino
This feature allows you to utilize World Coordinate System (WCS) mapping for materials, providing a more flexible workflow and ensuring real-world scale and accuracy. You can utilize the existing Rhino UI to switch between UV and WCS mapping without additional setup in Enscape. You can also work efficiently with library materials that default to WCS mapping and get more accurate visual outputs with precise material rendering.
Software ray-tracing improvements
Enscape 4.2 improves software ray-tracing for global illumination and sun shadows. These enhancements let you deliver high-quality renderings on any device, including Macs and machines with integrated graphics. Confidently predict how light will interact with your building or space in the real world to make better design decisions.
The software ray-tracing for global illumination improvements make your renders more lifelike, with realistic lighting, detailed shadows, mirror-like reflections, and enhanced color accuracy. Similarly, the software ray-tracing for sun shadow enhancements will allow them to benefit from more accurate light direction, intensity, and softness.
While your renders can achieve visual fidelity comparable to hardware ray tracing, some limitations remain. For instance, geometry may still be missing in reflection for global illumination in general with software ray tracing. Also, ray-traced sun shadows are only available for captures, there are no colored sun shadows, and when a scene contains a certain amount of animated geometry, the animated geometry will switch to non-ray-traced sun shadows on lower quality settings.
Multiple section planes for Rhino & Vectorworks
This update enables Enscape to support rendering up to six section planes in Rhino and Clip Cubes in Vectorworks, enhancing design precision and clarity with more detailed cross-sectional visualizations.
Section-cut drawings are critical for architectural understanding and communicating a space. This update allows more control options, which lets you tell your design narrative exactly how you want to. You will also benefit from better client understanding and more impactful presentations with improved design detail and clarity.
Artistic visual mode improvements
Artistic visual modes are rendering styles that allow you to illustrate your ideas easily during the conceptual stage of the design process. The updates in Enscape 4.2 introduce adjustable texture controls in Watercolor mode, and Colored Pencil and Watercolor modes now show the tints of the transparent materials instead of light blue everywhere.
Archicad 28 support
Enscape 4.2 supports the latest version of Archicad on both Windows and Mac.
Get the most out of the Enscape 4.2 updates
The updates of Enscape 4.2 allow you to work faster and more precisely than ever with your chosen host application. And with the commercial launch of Enscape Impact, you can make sustainable design decisions from the start by building performance data integrated into your workflow.
If you haven't already experienced the ease and speed of Enscape, you can sign up for a free trial. For those who already have a license, remember to upgrade to the latest version for free.
