Applying and swapping materials
Browse, upload and direct the surfaces in your renders.
Materials decide how a render reads as much as the form does. The same massing feels warm in timber, sharp in dark anodised metal and calm in pale stone, and clients often respond to the finish before they notice anything else. Being able to present several material options of one design, without remodelling a thing, is one of the fastest ways to move a conversation forward.
The materials library lets you find a finish quickly and use it to direct the surfaces in a render. This guide shows how to browse the library, add your own reference swatches, and use a material to steer a render into a new palette.
Browse the material library
The materials screen is a searchable library of finishes grouped by category. Use the search box to find a surface by name, or filter by category to narrow to wood, stone, metal, glass, concrete and more. Each entry shows a preview so you can judge the finish before you commit to it.
Add your own material
Your own samples often matter most, whether it is a specific brick, a client supplied stone or a fabric from a moodboard. Uploading them keeps your real palette one click away.
- 1Open the Materials tool and select Upload.
- 2Add a clear, well lit reference image of the finish you want.
- 3Give it a name and category so it is easy to find again.
- 4Use it like any other material when you direct a render.
Build a material board from one view
- Pick the material that matches the look you are after.
- Reference it in your direction so the studio applies it to the right surfaces.
- Keep each attempt as a version so you can line the finishes up on the same view.
- Repeat for each option, then present them together as a board.
Use cases
A few ways architects and designers put this to work.
Client facing options
Render a facade in brick, render and timber from the same model and present the three as a board, so the client chooses a direction from images rather than samples on a desk.
Facade study
Test how a dark metal cladding reads against a stone base at the same time of day, keeping everything else constant so the comparison is honest.
Interior palette
Swap flooring and joinery finishes across a living space to settle a palette quickly before drawing up a finishes schedule.
Common questions
- Can I use my own material samples?
- Yes. Upload a clear reference image of the finish, name it and file it under a category, and it joins your library for use in renders.
- Will swapping a material change the design?
- No. A material swap changes the surfaces only. The geometry and layout of the render stay the same.
- How do I show a client several finishes?
- Render each option as a version of the same view, then present them side by side as a material board so the comparison is direct.