Troubleshooting centre

Question 1

It says “The graphics driver was reset” and the picture is gone

Accepted Answer

Windows restarted the graphics driver, and after that SketchUp’s window cannot use the card again in the same session. Close and reopen SketchUp: your model and settings are kept. Then update the driver. We saw this in SketchUp 2026 in models with plants, also while rendering was paused. If it keeps happening, keep the render window closed while you work with plants in that model.

Question 2

“The browser inside SketchUp could not reach the graphics card (WebGL2 did not open)”

Accepted Answer

If the card has just been reset, restart SketchUp. Otherwise update the driver and check that graphics acceleration is on in Window › Preferences › Graphics (OpenGL). SketchUp 2023 or newer gives the best result.

Question 3

“The graphics card could not open the ray tracing program” and a black window

Accepted Answer

Render Fun first tries simpler versions by itself, so this message means none of them opened. Update the driver and restart the computer. If it stays, press “Save an error report to the desktop” and send us RenderFun_error_report.txt.

Question 4

It says “Compatibility mode” and some details are off

Accepted Answer

Your card accepted only a simpler renderer, so Render Fun keeps working with some details off. You need not do anything, but updating the driver is worth trying: a new card or a new version tries the full renderer again.

Question 5

My laptop has two cards and it is slow: “Your stronger graphics card is not used”

Accepted Answer

Windows is running SketchUp on the built-in graphics. In the Render Fun window open Settings › Graphics card › “Open Windows graphics settings”, add SketchUp, choose Options › High performance › Save, and restart SketchUp. Keep the laptop plugged in as well.

Question 6

“No graphics card in use: the processor draws the picture, very slow”

Accepted Answer

SketchUp’s window is drawing without the card. Update the driver and turn on graphics acceleration in Window › Preferences › Graphics (OpenGL), then restart SketchUp.

Question 7

Will it run on built-in (integrated) graphics?

Accepted Answer

It needs WebGL2 and suggests Low or Medium quality on such cards. We have not measured integrated graphics yet, so we give no speed figures. A current driver matters even more here.

Question 8

The first opening waits on “Preparing the graphics card”

Accepted Answer

This is normal: the card prepares its program once, and it can take a while on the first run. Wait for it; later openings are much quicker. A new driver or a new Render Fun version can bring this wait back once.

Question 9

“Render Fun closed unexpectedly last time”

Accepted Answer

After a crash the window opens with light settings on its own, and your settings are kept. Update the driver, then save the error report and send it to us if it happens again.

Question 10

The library is empty or “The texture library files are missing”

Accepted Answer

Close and reopen the window. If it stays, the installation is incomplete: close SketchUp and extract the whole .rbz into the Plugins folder again. If the files will not copy, the disk folder itself may be damaged; check the disk with Windows’ chkdsk.

Question 11

SketchUp locks up and the Ruby Console fills with Fixnum errors

Accepted Answer

That comes from another old plugin, not from Render Fun: we met it with an arraysum.rb file in the Plugins folder. Remove or update that file.

Question 12

SketchUp 2020 or older says it will not open

Accepted Answer

That is expected: those versions cannot run the render window, however strong your card is. Use SketchUp 2021 or newer, preferably 2023 or newer.

Question 13

The render window is black or empty

Accepted Answer

Update the driver first. Then update Render Fun: we fixed black pictures from empty models, large panoramas and material changes along the way. If it stays black, press “Save an error report to the desktop” in Settings and send the file. If the window cannot even show that, write us your card name and driver version.

Question 14

“The model could not be read” or it stops at 100 %

Accepted Answer

One broken part or texture can cause this. Current versions skip a bad texture and give that material a flat colour, so update first. If it stays, run Smart Check and send us the error report.

Question 15

“Preparing the new material kind” appears the first time I use water or glass

Accepted Answer

The first use of a material kind has to be prepared on the card. The last picture stays on screen meanwhile. It is much shorter than it used to be, and heavy models wait longer. It happens once for each kind.

Question 16

It says “Very large model”

Accepted Answer

Use Settings › Large scene › “Leave out far, unseen objects”, or hide parts with tags. Keep in mind that the shadow of a far building can disappear with it.

Question 17

“This model is too large for this graphics card” or “The graphics card ran out of memory”

Accepted Answer

Hide parts with tags, choose Low quality and close other programs using the card. Then run Smart Check: it finds heavy objects and oversized textures, and one undo brings everything back.

Question 18

The window always opens at Low quality

Accepted Answer

That is by design, so that it opens quickly on any computer. Raise the quality when you are ready.

Question 19

Modelling feels slow while the render window is open

Accepted Answer

Press Pause, or P on the keyboard, so that the card rests while you model.

Question 20

Objects vanish or look exploded after editing, until I reopen the file

Accepted Answer

This came from editing inside a group or component while the window was open, and it is fixed. Update Render Fun.

Question 21

White or black blotches on walls

Accepted Answer

At Low and Medium quality, bright interiors could look blotchy; the current version fixes this. If you still see some, raise the quality or check Automatic exposure in the Colour panel.

Question 22

Thin bright lines where furniture meets the floor

Accepted Answer

These light leaks came from softened edges and are fixed in current versions. Update, and keep walls thick and rooms closed in the model.

Question 23

Half of a surface shows an old or wrong colour

Accepted Answer

Faces are probably reversed. Open Smart Check and let it turn over Reversed faces.

Question 24

Faces flicker, or there are gaps and shadow errors

Accepted Answer

The model is too far from SketchUp’s origin, more than about a kilometre. Move it near the origin; Smart Check warns about this.

Question 25

A carpet or fabric shows wires or holes

Accepted Answer

The texture’s transparency data was read as holes. Current versions detect this, and the material box has a manual choice as well.

Question 26

Glass looks solid

Accepted Answer

Click the surface and choose Glass, so that the engine knows what it is.

Question 27

The picture is noisy or has bright sparkles

Accepted Answer

Let it render longer or use a higher quality, and keep the AI denoiser on. Very shiny scenes clear slowest.

Question 28

“The AI denoiser did not run; the picture was saved with our own filter”

Accepted Answer

Your image is safe, saved with the built-in filter. Update the driver, check that the AI denoiser is turned on in the settings and render again.

Question 29

“The picture could not be saved. Can the folder be written to?”

Accepted Answer

Pictures go next to your SketchUp file. Save the model in a folder you can write to, such as Documents, and check free disk space.