Sherpa, an AI rendering tool developed by AI-brouwerij, is now available for SketchUp, giving architects and interior designers a way to create AI-assisted visuals directly from the SketchUp viewport. Unlike many generative AI tools, Sherpa does not require users to write detailed text prompts. Instead, it uses image-to-image processing based on a snapshot of the existing design, tells AEC Magazine.
The software converts typical prompt instructions into adjustable controls. Users can modify luminosity, time of day, color temperature, artificial lighting, the presence of people, styling levels, and materials assigned to individual surfaces. If a control is left unchanged, Sherpa preserves that aspect of the original model. This approach gives designers more direct control over what the AI changes while keeping the underlying geometry and camera view consistent.
A single viewpoint can also be used to generate several design variations. For example, architects can compare daylight and evening scenes, remove people for handover drawings, test a marble floor, or replace furniture. Sherpa keeps these versions grouped with the original image, making alternatives easier to compare during early design discussions.
Although the SketchUp extension provides an integrated workflow, Sherpa itself runs in a browser and can process base images exported from Revit, Archicad, SketchUp, or other applications. The extension also includes a perspective-straightening feature that converts the camera view to two-point perspective so vertical lines remain vertical.
Sherpa is intended primarily for pitches and concept development rather than final visualization. Its developers acknowledge that the results are not photorealistic and position the software as a complement to established rendering tools such as V-Ray and Enscape rather than a replacement. The extension is available through the SketchUp Extension Warehouse.
