Knowledge

AI Architecture Glossary

Plain-English definitions of the terms used in AI-assisted architectural rendering, interior design and visualization.

AI rendering

Generating a photorealistic architectural image with an AI model instead of a traditional render engine. Where V-Ray or Lumion compute light physics on a full 3D model (minutes to hours), AI rendering works from a photo, sketch or viewport capture and returns a finished visual in seconds. Exterior AI →

Sketch to render

Converting a hand drawing, CAD line export or untextured 3D viewport into a photorealistic render. The line work anchors the geometry and perspective; the AI adds materials, lighting and realism on top of the original drawing. Sketch to Render →

Geometry preservation

The key difference between an architectural AI tool and a general image generator: walls, proportions, openings and camera angle of the input design are kept intact, so the output is a proposal for the actual project rather than an invented building.

Virtual staging

Digitally furnishing a photo of an empty property so buyers can see it as a lived-in home. Traditional staging costs $500–2,000 per listing; AI staging produces the same effect from one photo in seconds. AI Virtual Staging →

AI upscaling (4K enhance)

Rebuilding an existing render or photo at up to 4× its resolution while restoring detail in materials, edges and lighting. Used to turn a low-resolution draft into a print-ready file. It sharpens what exists — it does not redesign the image. Render Enhancer →

Inpainting

Regenerating only a masked (brushed) region of an image while everything outside the mask stays pixel-identical. Used to remove cars or people, swap a sofa, or change one wall finish without redoing the whole render. Inpainting →

Material swap

Changing a specific surface finish (floor, cladding, countertop) in a render while the scene, camera and lighting stay constant — producing honestly comparable material options for client decisions. Material Swap →

Style transfer

Applying the materials, palette, mood and lighting of a reference image (a moodboard or precedent photo) to your own design without changing your geometry. Style Transfer →

Text to render (prompt to image)

Generating an architectural scene from a written description alone, with no input image. Used for concept exploration before a site photo or model exists. Imagine AI →

Prompt

The written instruction given to an AI model. In architectural rendering, strong prompts name the building type, materials, lighting and camera — e.g. "single-storey concrete house, dark timber cladding, golden hour, eye-level view". 40 render prompts →

Photorealistic render

An image indistinguishable from a photograph: physically plausible light, accurate material response and believable context. The standard deliverable for client presentations and marketing.

Archviz (architectural visualization)

The discipline of producing images, animations and interactive media that communicate unbuilt architecture — spanning traditional render engines, real-time engines and, increasingly, AI pipelines.

Walkthrough video

A moving camera sequence through or around a design. AI walkthroughs are generated from a single still render — no keyframes, animation software or render farm. Video Creator →

Image to 3D (GLB)

Reconstructing a textured 3D mesh from a single 2D image and exporting it in the standard GLB format, which opens in Blender, SketchUp, Unreal and web viewers. 2D to 3D →

Viewport render

Using a plain screenshot of a 3D modelling viewport (SketchUp, Revit, Rhino, 3ds Max) as the AI input. The massing and camera are preserved; materials and lighting are generated. Render from SketchUp →

Render plugin

An extension that sends the current viewport of a CAD/3D application to a rendering service with one click. Archome ships free plugins for SketchUp and 3ds Max.

Masterplan visualization

Turning a site plan, CAD layout or massing diagram into a photorealistic aerial image. Road structure and block layout are preserved; greenery, water and context are added. Plan & Render →

Floor plan to 3D

Generating a rendered three-dimensional view (or section) directly from a 2D floor plan, so non-technical clients can read the design without interpreting drawings. Floor plan to 3D guide →

Credits

The usage unit of most AI rendering platforms. On Archome, a standard render costs about 10 credits; every account includes 100 free credits per month, and paid plans or one-time packs add more. Pricing →

Watermark

A visible mark added to free-plan outputs. Paid plans deliver clean, watermark-free files with a commercial license for client work and marketing.

Commercial license

The right to use generated images in paid client work, listings and advertising. On Archome, all paid plans include full commercial rights; generated images belong to the user.

Diffusion model

The class of AI model behind most image generation: it learns to turn noise into coherent images guided by a prompt and optional input image. Modern architectural AI tools build controlled pipelines on top of diffusion models.

Hallucination (in rendering)

When an AI invents details that were not in the input — an extra window, a shifted wall. Architecture-focused tools minimise this with geometry-preserving pipelines; general image tools do not.

GPU-free rendering

Producing renders in the browser via cloud AI instead of local hardware. Relevant for SketchUp users without workstation GPUs, where traditional engines like Enscape or Lumion cannot run well. Enscape & Lumion alternatives →