Lite User Manual

Overview

About D5 Lite

D5 Lite is a design tool made for space designers to use in the early stages of a project. It works smoothly inside SketchUp and other popular modeling software, helping designers speed up their workflow and show ideas faster.

D5 Lite combines AI and a rendering engine:

  • The AI image-to-image feature runs in the cloud, and requires no local computing power. It can quickly and reliably generate images. It includes many built-in style presets for architecture, landscape, interior design, and more.

  • The rendering engine is built for a fast and simple workflow. It works as a plugin inside the modeling software and syncs lighting and material data in real time.

    D5 Lite is great for lightweight visual output in early design. All data can be sent to D5 Render for further detailed work.

D5 Lite is great for lightweight visual output in early design. All data can be sent to D5 Render for further detailed work.

Instructions

  1. Currently supports SketchUp 2021–2025.

  2. D5 Lite requires an internet connection:

a. You need to log in to your D5 account. The account and login status are the same as in D5 Render. b. AI features rely on cloud computing, so a stable internet connection is necessary. If your network is poor, some features may not function properly. During peak times, you may experience delays. c. The asset library is online, so you need to download assets before using them.

  1. D5 Lite is a Beta version. Features and performance will be improved based on user feedback.

  2. Hardware requirements: Only NV RTX series graphics cards are supported. NV 20 series and above graphics cards are required. Intel and AMD graphics cards are not currently supported.

Installation and Setup

Installation

  1. D5 Lite supports SketchUp 2021 to 2025. Please close SketchUp before installing.

  2. After downloading, open the installer (.exe file) and follow the instructions to complete the installation.

Startup

  1. Launch SketchUp

  2. In the top menu of SketchUp, select Extensions -> D5 Lite to open the main interface.

  3. After launching, log into your D5 account, and you can start using D5 Lite.

Features

Mode Switching

  1. You can switch between the AI and Render modes using the button in the top-left corner.

  2. The software will remember your last used mode and enter it by default the next time you start.

AI Generation
Real-Time Rendering

Current mode: AI Generation

Current mode: Real-Time Rendering

Click the button to switch to Real-Time Rendering mode

Click the button to switch to AI Generation mode

AI Generation

Capture from SketchUp

  1. Every time Lite is launched, the program automatically captures a screenshot from the current view in SketchUp and imports it into the D5 Lite viewport.

  2. To change the view, click the "Recapture" button in the lower-left corner of the interface. D5 Lite will capture a new screenshot based on the updated view in SketchUp.

  3. The screenshot ratio is always consistent with the SketchUp window. To adjust it, change the window ratio in SketchUp.

Style Presets and Structure Weights

D5 Lite offers multiple parameters to control the image generation effect.

  1. D5 Lite includes a variety of style presets, covering architecture, landscape, and interior design. In the "Style Preset" menu, you can switch between different design categories from the top of the window.

  2. Each category corresponds to different project types, such as commercial, office, villa, residential, etc., in the architecture category.

  3. Each project type further specifies design styles, including aspects like perspective, environment, season, and materials, allowing you to choose corresponding generation styles.

Structure Weight

Used to adjust the similarity between the generated image and the input image structure, affecting the balance between creative freedom and structural consistency.

  1. Creative

    1. Adjusting the parameter to the left leans toward creativity, with less dependence on the lines and structures of the input image, introducing more variation in the results.

    2. This is suitable for early-stage design inspiration exploration.

  2. Precise

    1. Adjusting the parameter to the right makes the model strictly follow the lines and structure of the input image, ensuring higher matching between the generated and input images.

    2. This is more suitable for the later stages of design, where strict control over form and structure is required.

Creative
Default
Precise

Inspiration Description

  1. By inputting a custom prompt, users can more accurately control the content of the generated images to meet specific design needs.

  2. Up to 300 characters are supported.

Image Generation Settings

  1. Image Quality

    1. There are three options: Standard, High, and Ultra Quality.

    2. In addition to resolution, higher quality also enhances detail and visual effects.

  2. Random Seed

    1. The random seed is an integer between 1 and 2,147,483,647.

    2. The seed influences details, colors, and some random factors in the image, causing each generated result to be slightly different.

    3. If you want to preserve a specific generated effect, using the same prompts and a fixed seed will generate the same result. By adjusting the seed, you can explore different image generation effects without changing other input parameters.

  3. Retain Material

    1. Extracts material information from SketchUp to make the generated image closely match the design.

      Retain Material OFF

      Retain Material ON

    2. Avoid enabling this option for models without materials (white models) to ensure that the generated results are as expected.

  4. Number of Generated Images

    1. You can generate up to 4 images at a time for quick comparison of design schemes.

Generate, Re-generate, and Iterative Generate

  1. Generation Process:

    1. Generate:

      1. After capturing a screenshot from SketchUp, add style presets or inspiration descriptions, and start creating a new AI image from scratch.

    2. Re-generate

      1. If you are dissatisfied with the generated image or need more variations, use the regenerate function to obtain a different version.

      2. During the re-generation process, the input image remains unchanged, but the generation parameters (style presets, inspiration description, or random seed) can be adjusted.

    3. Iterative Generation

      1. If you are generally satisfied with the generated result but need some detailed adjustments, iterative generation is suitable for improving the output.

      2. Based on the already generated image, you can continue adjusting parameters (style presets, inspiration descriptions, etc.) to produce a result that better meets expectations.

  2. After the initial generation (or re-capturing a screenshot from SketchUp), you can re-generate the image if needed.

  3. Viewing the image in larger detail initiates the iterative generation process. You can return to the previous step from the top left corner of the interface.

  4. While viewing the larger version of the generated image, you can compare it with the original via the option in the top-right corner, making it easier to evaluate differences and improvements.

Save and Delete Image

  1. After generating, you can click the save button at the bottom right corner to save the generated image locally.

  2. When hovering over a single image, you can choose to save or delete that image.

History

  1. The "History" section is located at the bottom left of the interface, and it records all previously generated images.

  2. By opening the history menu, you can select any previously generated image; and may either regenerate it or use iterative generation to refine it further.

  3. Support switching between “All” and “Current Item”

    1. “All” shows all the generated image records under the current login account.

    2. “Current Project" filters out the images corresponding to the current SketchUp file.

Real-time Render

Real-Time Sync

  1. Model and Material Sync

    1. Supports real-time synchronization of all model and material data.

    2. Includes operations such as model creation, deletion, rotation, and scaling.

    3. Syncs material properties including textures, colors, UVs, and transparency.

  2. View Sync

    1. The camera view in Lite follows the SketchUp camera by default.

    2. Synced parameters include camera position, movement, focal length, and safe frame.

    3. You can navigate in Lite using the W/A/S/D keys and the mouse. To restore sync with the SketchUp camera view, either move the view in SketchUp again or press the 0 key in Lite.

Materials

  1. You can open the Material Editor from the Lite's bottom toolbar or from the Lite menu in SketchUp. The editor is a floating panel, available even when the Lite render window is not active. You can select materials directly from SketchUp for editing.

  2. Once a material is selected in SketchUp, its parameters can be edited in the Lite panel. Texture changes—including editing, deleting, or replacing—are synced in real time between SketchUp and Lite.

  3. D5 Lite uses the same PBR material system as D5 Render. However, D5 Lite can only inherit SketchUp’s single base colour texture. Other PBR channels (e.g. roughness, normal) can be adjusted using simplified parameters for better performance.

  4. Lite supports 6 basic material templates: General, Glass, Metal, Emissive, Water, and Grass. Each has different parameters and render behavior:

    1. General: Suitable for most non-metal materials. Supports base color, texture, normal, specular, and roughness.

    2. Glass: Reads transparency from SketchUp materials and allows control of refraction.

    3. Metal: Metalness is set to 1 by default for quick metallic look.

    4. Emissive: Follows texture color by default, or use custom color and temperature. It also supports brightness adjustment.

    5. Water: Adjustable colour and depth.

    6. Grass: Follows texture colour. The density and height can also be adjusted.

Lighting Tool

  1. Supports four basic light types: Point Light, Spotlight, Strip Light, and Rectangular Light.

  2. Open the Lighting Tool from the Lite bottom toolbar or the Lite menu in SketchUp. Like the Material Editor, it can be used without launching the Lite render window.

  3. Choose a light type in the tool, then place it in SketchUp. Strip and Area Lights can be resized using SketchUp's scale tool.

  4. Select lights in SketchUp to edit their settings in the panel. Supports multi-selection for batch editing.

Material
Light
Environment
Effect

Environment & Effect

  1. Use the bottom toolbar in Lite to adjust exposure or turn auto exposure on/off.

  2. Similar to D5 Render, post-processing features include tone mapping, white balance, saturation, and more.

  3. In the Environment panel, you can use HDRI system: you can upload custom HDRI files and control their brightness and rotation.

Asset Library

  1. Accessing Assets: You can open the Asset Library from the bottom toolbar (this feature is currently in development) or through the Lite menu in SketchUp.

  2. Downloading and Using Assets: The assets are online resources and must be downloaded before you can use them. Once downloaded, they will be marked as locally available.

  3. Similar to D5 Render, D5 Lite places assets in SketchUp as low-poly proxies to reduce your file's resource load. The full-quality asset is only displayed in the Lite render window.

  4. Proxy object position, size, etc. are synced in real time to the render view.

  5. You can edit these proxy objects in SketchUp without exploding them. However, please note that these edits will not affect the final render model in D5 Lite.

Render Settings

  1. Lite only supports image output (no video).

  2. There only two quality options: Standard (2K) and High (4K).

  3. Supports PNG and JPG formats.

  4. Aspect ratio options:

    1. Default: Fit to window

    2. Match SketchUp viewport: render output will match SketchUp’s display exactly (including safe frame area).

    3. Preset ratios: 16:9, 3:2, 4:3, etc.

Render Output

  1. Click the Render button at the bottom right of the Lite window to render the current view.

  2. After selecting the save location, Lite will start rendering and show the estimated time remaining.

  3. Once finished, you can open the saved image file from your local system.

Parameter Saving

  1. Light, material, environment, and post-processing settings are all saved inside the .skp file.

  2. When reopened, even on another device, the settings will be loaded, and render results will remain consistent.

D5 Render Sync

  1. Using the Livesync plugin, you can sync your materials, lights, environment, post effects, and proxy assets from Lite directly to D5 Render for further refinement.

  2. It is important to note that the changes made in D5 Render cannot be synced back to Lite.

Other Features

  1. Always on Top

    1. Lite window stays on top of SketchUp by default

    2. This feature can be disabled.

    3. Shortcut: Alt + Shift + T

  2. Fullscreen Mode

    1. Hides tool panels in render mode

    2. Shortcut: F9

  3. Account Login

    1. D5 Lite and D5 Render share the same login state on a single device.

    2. Logging into one logs you into the other; logging out logs both out

    3. This shared login state supports both personal and team login modes.

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