Starting from version 2026.R2, released in July 2026, a new Artificial Intelligence module is available that allows you to create photorealistic images simply and quickly, precisely thanks to the use of AI.
The Artificial Intelligence module is an optional module, which is not included in the standard licence you have purchased. Contact your sales representative to learn more.
This module is called Smart Painter. In the following image, you can see an example of its window.
Smart Painter can be accessed in 3 different ways:
From the 3D Navigation window
As you already know, in this window you can interact with the project elements to cover surfaces, insert furniture, lights, etc. However, to move quickly in this environment, the graphical quality of the scene must be lower than what you usually get with the rendering engine. Although it is still possible to obtain a high-quality image with the rendering engine, starting from this version you can get help from AI to create images with a highly photorealistic impact easily and quickly.
Look for the button related to the command 'Create image with AI' in the Ribbon. You will see that the 3D Navigation image is transferred to the Smart Painter window to be processed. The only thing you need to do is choose the specific prompt for generating photographic images from the Navigation ones. In the prompt section titled 'Improve image quality', select the prompt called 'Create Rendering with AI'. Then click the Generate button.
The AI will start working to create an image as realistic as possible of the scene you provided in low quality, enhancing the objects, materials, and lighting.
Regarding lighting, try some combinations (in addition to the previous prompt) also adding one of the first prompts present in the Lighting section.
Certainly, the quality of this image will never be equal to what you are used to obtaining with V-Ray, but the quality/effort/time ratio will certainly surprise you and you will definitely like this command.
The following is a series of examples showing how a 3D Navigation quality image has been converted effortlessly into a first photorealistic image.
From the Interactive Rendering window
Sometimes the 3D Navigation window cannot yet offer the rendering of materials with a particular surface finish. In such cases, the AI might generate an image with artefacts near those materials.
You can help the AI by starting from a more refined image by launching, while in 3D Navigation, the 'Interactive Rendering' command, also present in the Ribbon. Thanks to this mode, in a few seconds you can obtain a better starting image (albeit at smaller dimensions than the original (**)). Once Interactive Rendering has rendered the image (and after calibrating the exposure value), you can access Smart Painter with the 'AI' button found in the toolbar (see next image)
From this moment, you can use the prompts in the same way as described in the previous paragraph.
From the image editing window
You can also access Smart Painter once a rendering with V-Ray is finished. As you know, at the end of the rendering procedure, the image is loaded into a dedicated window of the programme. Even in this context, you can invoke Artificial Intelligence to edit the image. In the Ribbon, select the command 'Edit with AI' to access Smart Painter.
Editing images with Smart Painter
Even if your image is already of good quality, thanks to the rendering performed with V-Ray, you can continue to make interesting modifications, such as:
improving the scene lighting
automatic insertion of accessories (to speed up the design of an environment, focusing only on its essential elements)
insertion of backgrounds
insertion of people
for specific models: the custom prompt field allows you to write a description of the modification you want Smart Painter to make on the image.
Load the image into Smart Painter, then use the prompts available on the right side of the window. A very useful feature is the automatic insertion of accessories. This series of prompts allows you to save a lot of time in project setup, focusing only on the essential items. In the next pair of images, you can see an example of a kitchen.
The project:
The result of the conversion from Navigation to Rendering, and the subsequent automatic insertion of accessories and people:
(***) The size of images coming from the AI
To ensure good performance, the AI cannot work on large images. The loaded image is therefore resized by the engine. When using the download button from the Smart Painter window (to bring the image obtained with AI into DomuS3D), you can specify if you want a more defined image. If so, the AI will proceed to increase the resolution, a procedure that may take a few tens of seconds (and decreases the available credits for the AI Module).
Performance and costs
The speed of image generation by Smart Painter is remarkable, but it can vary depending on the prompts requested, the selected Artificial Intelligence model, and the queue of requests waiting on the AI Cloud infrastructure.
AI involves extremely high management costs, so it cannot be made available free of charge in your licence. As happens with all providers offering Artificial Intelligence services, Maticad also provides these services combined with prepaid credit packages, which each function will deduct differently (based on its complexity level).
Periodically check the table showing the credit cost of each function by visiting Credit management and available models.