KeyShot Plugins

KeyShot for Rhinoceros Plugin

Version 1.7 (Released January 22nd 2025)

These installation notes are specific to the latest version KeyShot, Rhinoceros (Rhino) and the KeyShot for Rhino plugin, unless otherwise mentioned. For questions about other versions, please contact https://www.keyshot.com/support/.

Specifications

The KeyShot for Rhino plugin requirements are as follows:

• KeyShot (Try | Buy)

• Rhino 7 or newer
• Windows 10 and later

• MacOS 12 or later

Plugins for previous versions of KeyShot are available here.

Supported Features

The KeyShot for Rhino plugin supports these features:

• Support for meshes, surfaces, SubD and solids
• Maintain layer structure
• Maintain color and texture assignment
• Hidden objects on layers stay hidden
• Local axis support for layered parts
• LiveLinking (update model inside KeyShot)
• Export KeyShot .bip without KeyShot installed
• NURBS import

Installation 

1. Open the Rhino Package Manager inside your Rhino installation.
2. Search for KeyShot Studio.
3. Follow the prompts inside the Rhino Package Manager.
4. Restart Rhino.

KeyShot for Rhino (Windows)

Once installed, three KeyShot buttons will appear inside Rhino.

Render / Export

• Render: Left-click the KeyShot button to launch KeyShot and transfer the The 3D data. 
• Export: Right-click the KeyShot button to export your geometry as a .BIP file that you can share with other KeyShot users. KeyShot will not launch.

Update
Left-click the KeyShot Update button, while an existing KeyShot scene is open, to update any changes on your model.

Help
Left-click on the KeyShot Help button to launch this page in a browser.

How To Use The Plugin (Windows)

1. Open your scene or model in Rhino.
2. Left-click the Render button to launch KeyShot. The 3D data will be transferred from Rhino to KeyShot. 
3. To update any changes made in Rhino, left-click the KeyShot Update button, while your KeyShot scene is open. All materials, textures, labels, animations, transformations, cameras, and lighting in the scene will be updated. 

Troubleshooting

Show Missing KeyShot Button

1. Go to Rhino>Main Menu>Tools>Options>Toolbars.  
2. The Rhino Options window will appear. Under the Toolbars option you will have two files: default and KeyShotPlugin. Select KeyShotPlugin.
3. Enable KeyShot inside the Toolbars box/list and click OK.
4. The button will re-appear, floating in the middle of the interface, so you may dock it as desired.

KeyShot for Rhino 7 (MacOS)

In Rhino 7 on MacOS, you will not see any KeyShot buttons appear. Instead, use the following commands within Rhino’s command line:

• KeyShotRender to launch a new instance of KeyShot and transfer your 3D data.
• KeyShotExport to export your geometry as a .BIP file to share with other KeyShot users.
• KeyShotUpdate to update the scene you currently have open. If the scene is not already open in KeyShot a new instance of KeyShot will be opened
• KeyShotHelp to open this page in a browser.

How To Use The Plugin (MacOS)

1. Open your scene or model in Rhino.
2. Type KeyShotRender in the command line to launch KeyShot. The 3D data will be transferred from Rhino to KeyShot. 
3. To update any changes made in Rhino, type KeyShotUpdate while your KeyShot scene is open. All materials, textures, labels, animations, transformations, cameras, and lighting in the scene will be preserved.
   

Additional Information

The plugin will transfer model data such as:

• Mesh, surfaces, solids and NURBS geometry
• Visible layers and sub-layers
• Materials and textures
• Saved cameras and views

You can update your scene in KeyShot after making changes to the model. These changes include:

• Geometry changes
• Geometry and model transformations
• Layer name changes
• Layer reordering

Uninstall

1. Open the Rhino Package Manager
2. Find the KeyShot Studio Plugin
3. Click uninstall
4. Restart Rhino

Previous Versions

Plugins that support previous versions of Rhino as well as previous version of KeyShot are available here.