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KIRI 3DGS Render

ADDON
📖5 min read
Latest Version: 5.1.0
3DGS Render 4.0 Update Tutorial by 3D Tools by KIRI Engine

Introduction​

The KIRI 3DGS Render addon imports, edits, and renders 3D Gaussian Splat (3DGS) scans directly in Blender, the format produced by KIRI Engine captures. It renders splats in real time, supports mesh-style editing of the scan, and converts standard mesh objects into 3DGS.

KIRI Engine created the addon, and the project is now moving toward community-led maintenance. KIRI Engine remains the repository owner and project steward, and community maintainers review contributions and prepare releases. Check the release notes for the version you install.

Key Takeaways​

Import & Render 3DGS

Import and render 3D Gaussian Splat .ply files natively in Blender.

Edit & Render Modes

Dual modes balance editing precision with real-time rendering speed.

Clean & Composite

Crop, decimate, and color-clean noisy scans; composite splats with standard meshes.

Installation​

KIRI 3DGS Render is free. The GitHub Releases page is the source of truth for current downloads, supported Blender versions, changes, and known issues. A free mirror also exists on Superhive.

  1. Open the GitHub Releases page.
  2. Open the release that matches your Blender version and operating system.
  3. Download the packaged add-on .zip from Assets. Do not extract it.
  4. In Blender, open Edit > Preferences > Get Extensions.
  5. Open the menu in the upper-right and choose Install from Disk.
  6. Select the downloaded ZIP and confirm the installation.
  7. In the 3D Viewport, press N and open the 3DGS Render tab.

The addon was made for Blender 4.5 and is compatible with 4.3+. It accepts 3DGS .ply files only.

Usage​

The core flow has four moves: import the .ply, choose a mode, clean the scan, and render.

Import the .ply· 3DGS Render tab

Import your 3D Gaussian Splat .ply file (for example, from KIRI Engine). Non-3DGS point clouds cause errors.

Choose a working mode· 3DGS Render tab

Edit Mode treats the splat as a mesh for standard edits. Render Mode (v4.0+) renders splats in real time without the cost of high-poly meshes.

Clean the scan· modifiers

Crop, decimate, or color-clean the scan to remove noise and background artifacts.

Render· 3DGS Render tab

Render the splats in Shadeless or Lit mode, or composite them with standard Blender elements.

Working Modes​

The addon offers three modes for different stages of the 3DGS pipeline:

  1. Edit Mode (Legacy): treats 3DGS files as mesh objects. This allows standard mesh edits (modifiers, animation) but can be slower. Use it for fine-tuning geometry.
  2. Render Mode: introduced in v4.0. Enables real-time and offline rendering of Gaussian Splats without the performance constraints of high-poly meshes.
  3. Mesh-2-3DGS: converts standard .OBJ mesh models into 3DGS .PLY files, provided they have a texture and .MTL file.

Editing​

The addon supports destructive and non-destructive editing:

  • Decimate: reduce the total number of faces/splats.
  • Crop Box: remove splats inside or outside a defined volume.
  • Color Edit: remove splats based on color thresholds (for example, removing a blue sky).
  • Shadeless vs. Lit: toggle between checking the splats with their raw colors ("Shadeless") or reacting to Blender's scene lighting.

Rendering​

  • Real-time Preview: view the splats with high-quality transparency sorting in the viewport.
  • Hybrid Rendering: "Combine With Native Render" composites 3DGS scans with standard Blender mesh elements (reference grids, reconstructed buildings) in the final image.
  • Animation Support: render full animations of camera movements through the 3DGS scene.

Mesh to 3DGS Conversion​

This feature "splat-ifies" traditional models.

  • Requirements: a fully triangulated .OBJ file, a corresponding texture image (.JPG/.PNG), and a .MTL file.
  • Platform: currently Windows only.

Performance Tips​

Gaussian Splats involve millions of points, which can tax your system. The addon provides several tools to manage this:

  • Display as Point Cloud: in Edit Mode, display objects as Point Clouds (rather than fully updated faces) while moving objects or setting up cameras to maintain performance.
  • Camera Culling: a modifier that hides splats outside the camera's view or beyond a distance, which improves viewport responsiveness.
  • Orthographic View Warning: faces cannot update correctly in orthographic view. Use a perspective view to avoid errors.
  • Proxy Objects: Render Mode uses "Proxy Empties" to represent the location and rotation of the splats efficiently in real time.

In an Investigation​

What to document when using KIRI 3DGS Render

In Your Method Section​

When using this addon for visualising a scene, document:

  • Source Data: origin of the .ply file (for example, KIRI Engine app, Luma AI).
  • Cleanup Steps: the modifiers used to clean the scan (for example, "Crop Box used to isolate the vehicle," "Color Edit used to remove sky artifacts").
  • Render Settings: whether you used "Shadeless" or "Lit" mode, and whether "Combine With Native Render" composited the scan with scene elements.
  • Addon Version: for example, v4.0+.

In Your Decision Log​

Record the following:

  • Why you removed specific parts of the scan (for example, "Removed bystanders using Crop Box").
  • Any color adjustments made to improve visibility.
  • The choice between using the scan as a visual reference vs. a measurement source.

Verification​

  • Overlay the 3DGS render with original site photos or video frames to verify scale and orientation.
  • If you used the Mesh-2-3DGS feature, compare the output .ply against the original .obj to ensure texture fidelity.

Example Methodology Statement​

"The scene was visualized using the KIRI 3DGS Render addon in Blender 4.3. The raw 3DGS .ply file, captured via the KIRI Engine app, was imported and aligned to the ground plane. Noise and background artifacts were removed using the addon's 'Crop Box' and 'Decimate' modifiers. The final visualization was rendered using the 'Combine With Native Render' feature to composite the scan with a reference grid and witness camera markers."

Limitations​

  • Import accepts 3DGS .ply files only. Non-3DGS point clouds cause errors.
  • Made for Blender 4.5, compatible with 4.3+. Check the release notes for the current support range.
  • Mesh-2-3DGS conversion is Windows-only currently.
  • Transparency artifacts can appear if depth sorting fails; heavy scenes are slow in Face mode.
  • 3DGS files often carry baked-in lighting that can clash with Blender scene lights; Shadeless mode avoids the conflict.

Resources​