Hi everyone, we’re the team behind D5.
We have just released D5 Lite for Rhino in beta as part of D5 3.1.
Rhino projects often change quickly. You might adjust a façade curve, test a roof profile, compare several massing studies, or move between different material directions within the same session. In that kind of workflow, exporting the model and setting up a separate render every time can interrupt the design process.
D5 Lite runs directly inside Rhino, so materials, lighting, and atmosphere can be reviewed while the geometry is still developing.
What you can do inside Rhino
With D5 Lite for Rhino, you can:
- preview materials and lighting in real time
- review complex or curved geometry under different visual conditions
- test design options while continuing to model
- add D5 assets, proxy models, and Geo Sky
- keep visual feedback close to parametric and iterative workflows
For us, the important part is not only faster visualization. It is being able to judge a design while it is still flexible.
A façade pattern can be evaluated through light and shadow, not only linework. A canopy can be reviewed through the space it creates below. A landscape surface can be understood with planting, atmosphere, and context while the terrain is still being adjusted.
From Rhino to D5 Render
D5 Lite is intended for earlier design exploration inside Rhino.
When the project is ready for more advanced visualization, the workflow can continue into D5 Render for refined images, animation, and Interactive Presentation.
Materials, lighting, proxy models, and Geo Sky created in D5 Lite can be synced one way into D5 Render, so the scene does not need to be rebuilt from the beginning.
The broader goal is a more connected workflow:
Rhino for design exploration → D5 Lite for visual decision-making → D5 Render for final presentation
We would appreciate your feedback
This is currently a beta release, and we would especially like to hear from Rhino users working with:
- complex geometry
- Grasshopper or parametric workflows
- architecture and interiors
- landscape and terrain
- large models or repeated design options
How does it fit into your current workflow? Where does it help, and where does it still slow you down?
Please feel free to share examples, questions, compatibility issues, or feature requests in the replies. Our team will be following the discussion.
D5 Render 3.1:
https://www.d5render.com/download
D5 Lite for Rhino:
https://www.d5render.com/d5-lite
Thanks, and we look forward to hearing how it works with your Rhino projects.