RAYS

Import, Light and Render: a real path tracer for iPhone.

Need help? Email steve@sketchbot.tv. Tell us your iPhone model and what you were doing, and attach the model file if you can.

Getting started

RAYS opens on a sample scene. Tap Render (the camera-aperture button) to path trace; tap it again to go back to the real-time Preview.
File › Open… opens USDZ, USD, glTF, GLB and OBJ models. You can also send a model to RAYS from Files, Mail, Messages or AirDrop with Open in RAYS.
File › Quick Guide names every toolbar button.

Common questions

Which iPhones can render?

Rendering needs hardware ray tracing: iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 or later. On other iPhones RAYS works in Preview only (open, light, arrange, Preview Effects, snapshots).

My .gltf opened without textures.

A .gltf often keeps its textures in separate files, and iOS only lets RAYS read the one file you pick. Export a .glb instead: it carries everything in one file.

My OBJ's metal parts look grey.

The OBJ material format has no metal setting. Use glTF / GLB or USDZ for metal.

My saved render looks duller on my computer.

HDR photos show their full range only on HDR screens. Save as Photo (PNG), the default, for an image that looks the same everywhere.

Where are my files?

Files › On My iPhone › RAYS: Scenes for saved scenes, Renders for saved images. Renders also go to Photos.

Does RAYS change my model files?

Never. RAYS only reads them; saving writes a new scene file.