Faster, photoreal AI Shots you can edit
Have you been fighting for truly photorealistic results with your AI tools? Fight no more: AI Shots now provides significantly more realistic results, and it’s even easier to use. This means:
Background mode is more accurate, placing your 3D objects into the background with correct perspective and scale.
Short prompts can give equally good results now. No need to write a novel-length prompt!
NEW – Upscaling: You can double or quadruple the resolution of both traditional 3D renderings and AI Shots in a fraction of the time. This yields better results than generating an AI Shot at a lower resolution and then upscaling.
Now you can edit your AI Shots or rendered images: Need to tweak your results? No problem. The new Transform mode modifies an existing rendered or AI-generated image with a given prompt. Replace mode gives you the ability to paint a simple mask within the existing image and use the text prompt to describe the desired change in the masked region.
The fine print in case you’re wondering: AI Shots is using several custom-trained AI models that have been fine-tuned to work with the CAD data in your scene. AI Shots in 2026.1 is using a highly customized version of the Qwen AI model as compared to the Flux Schnell model used in KeyShot 2025. AI Shots still runs locally on your machine with no significant changes to the hardware requirements.
More Powerful Custom Pivot + Move Tool
It is now possible to give parts or groups multiple custom pivots in addition to origin and center. These custom pivots can be named for organizational purposes and are stored in your scene.
The move tool gizmo is now synchronized between realtime and geometry view. Previously, there was a separate move tool in each view; now it is one, and the same tool shows up everywhere. This avoids confusion when working in both views simultaneously.
Introducing the Gallery: Find your render output right away
The latest version of KeyShot comes with a new window called the Gallery, where you can find your render output once the renderings are done. The Gallery is searchable, sortable, and supports folders and subfolders so you can organize your renderings however you prefer.
Easier Keyframe Animations
Away with the workarounds: A new “per keyframe” toggle makes keyframes show up right in the curve editor. This makes it possible for you to tweak easing curves while still actively adding, moving and deleting keyframes. This also allows you to add pauses more easily.
Animation support (3x faster!) + CAD Metadata in Scripting
Last year, we introduced CAD metadata support where extra information stored within CAD files is imported, alongside the geometric shapes and materials, and displayed inside of KeyShot Studio. In 2026, this metadata is now also exposed to scripting.
The new script function lux.sceneNode.getMetadata() makes it possible to write scripts that read, understand and act upon CAD metadata. This allows you to develop your own highly advanced plugins for KeyShot Studio that perform specific tasks (i.e. applying a material, moving an object, rendering a thumbnail, etc.) based on annotations provided by the CAD engineer.
Are you rendering animations? You can now render animations in headless mode with the newly added renderAnimation() Python function. Instead of starting up the render engine for each individual frame, KeyShot Studio in Headless mode now starts up once and then renders the entire animation, like it would when running with the user interface. This provides a 3x faster render output (on average) and makes KeyShot Studio even more powerful when used as a headless render engine.
New Integrations: IFC, PBR material info, + updated Solidworks, Solid Edge, Catia and NX
In addition to the dozens of integrations already available, now KeyShot Studio supports:
- Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) file import
- PBR material information import from USD files
- Updated support for importing the latest versions of SolidWorks, Solid Edge, Catia and NX
GPU Performance Improvements
Enjoy an even faster GPU mode, which improves material evaluation and significantly speeds up rendering of scenes with complex materials, including faster performance of marquee selections in scenes with many parts.
Requested Usability Updates: Ground Planes, Marquee Deselect and your new user avatar
You asked, we answered. KeyShot Studio 2026 features the following usability updates:
- New ground planes now only get added to the active model set instead of all model sets.
- Added a user avatar and navigation section to the top-right of the ribbon. This allows easy access to your KeyShot account, KeyShot Luminaries, the support landing page, KeyShot manual, and more.
- Made it possible to marquee deselect by holding the left mouse button and dragging while holding control and shift on Windows (command and shift on MacOS).
