---
title: "Getting Started"
description: "Requirements, add-in installation and your first photorealistic render of a KOMPAS-3D assembly."
canonical_url: "https://www.softellion.com/en/docs/spectrum/getting-started"
---

> Index of every page on this site: [llms.txt](https://www.softellion.com/llms.txt)

<section-md>

Spectrum is a photorealistic rendering application built on AMD Radeon ProRender. It takes scenes from KOMPAS-3D, performs ray tracing and renders the result in real time, letting you apply materials to models and create photorealistic images.

## System Requirements

- **OS** — Windows 10/11, 64-bit.
- **GPU** — virtually any modern card works: AMD, NVIDIA or Intel. A card with hardware ray tracing (GeForce RTX, Radeon RX 6000 or newer) is recommended for a smoothly interactive viewport.
- **Internet** — not needed for rendering; the connection is only used to load the built-in [AMD GPUOpen](https://matlib.gpuopen.com/main/materials/all) material library.

## Installation

![Video: Plugin installation](https://www.softellion.com/video/docs/spectrum/install-plugin.webm)

1. **Unpack the distribution.** Extract `spectrum_vX.Y.zip` to any folder — there is no installer. Use a directory with user write access (eg. `C:\Users\user`) to avoid errors while the app is running.
2. **Connect the add-in in KOMPAS-3D.** Open the **Applications** menu. Point it to `spectrum.kompas3d.rtw` from the unpacked folder — the plugin ships as this single file.
3. **Launch Spectrum.** Run `spectrum.exe`. Spectrum must already be running when you export from KOMPAS-3D.

## Your first render

![Video: full first-render flow](https://www.softellion.com/video/docs/spectrum/basic-first-render.webm)

1. **Send a model from KOMPAS-3D.** Use the Spectrum plugin in KOMPAS-3D to export the current assembly. The scene appears in Spectrum automatically.
2. **Frame the view.** Rotate and pan the camera in the viewport until the model is positioned the way you want it (see [Camera & Viewport](https://www.softellion.com/en/docs/spectrum/viewport)).
3. **Assign materials.** Open the **Materials** tab, pick a material from the library and apply it to the selected objects (see [Materials](https://www.softellion.com/en/docs/spectrum/materials)).
4. **Save the result.** Use the button in the left side menu or choose **Save rendered image** from the context menu of the render area.

</section-md>

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