Veras 4.6 release graphic featuring an abstract wooden geometric sculpture on a dark background.
Benjamin Guler

Benjamin Guler

Published: July 09, 2026  •  4 min read

Veras 4.6 adds Google's Veo 3.1 model for construction animation

Veras 4.6 is here! The latest version adds Google's Veo 3.1 video model, turning static key frame images into fluid, cinematic animation without external tools or timeline rigging.

This release also brings updates to 3D video, video renders, and general software improvements. Below, I'll walk through exactly how to animate a construction sequence using Veras and Veo 3.1.

 

Jump straight to a section:

New video models - Google Veo 3.1

The video tab gets a major upgrade: Google Veo 3.1 is now the flagship video model family in Veras. Pick the tier that fits your job:

  • Veo 3.1 — highest quality, resolutions up to 4K

  • Veo 3.1 Fast — faster, lower-cost generation with the same features

  • Veo 3.1 Lite — the most cost-effective tier, up to 1080p

All three support text-to-video (no source image needed), image-to-video from any source image, and first + last frame animation — set a starting and an ending frame and Veo animates the transition between them.

Add reference images to steer characters, objects, or style, choose 4, 6, or 8 second durations, and get native audio generated with every video (with a one-click “No audio” toggle when you want silence).

Wan 2.2 remains available in the model dropdown for existing workflows.

Veras Video tab dropdown showing Veo 3.1, Veo 3.1 Fast, Veo 3.1 Lite, and Wan 2.2 video models.

Note: Give Veo a start frame and an ending frame, and it animations the journey between them.

3D viewer in the video tab

The 3D viewer now works inside the video tab — the 2D/3D toggle is no longer limited to still images. Even better, there’s a brand new “3D Viewer” source option: point your video’s start frame (or ending frame) directly at the loaded 3D model, frame the shot with the viewer camera, and the live snapshot feeds straight into the render.

  • Use the 3D Viewer as the Start and/or Last frame of a video — frame two different camera angles and let Veo animate between them

  • Use it as the Source Image for still renders and as a reference image

  • Each frame keeps its own frozen snapshot, while the active frame tracks your camera live

  • Available wherever the 3D viewer exists: Revit, Rhino, SketchUp, and the web app

Veras Video tab with 3D Viewer selected as the source image for direct 3D model animation.

NOTE: Frame your 3D model in the viewer and use the live snapshot as a video frame — no exporting screenshots

Show original for video renders

The Show Original button now works on video renders. Press it to see the source image behind any video — the same one-click compare you already use on still renders. Source images are carried with the video render itself, so Show Original keeps working when you come back to a video from the gallery or another machine.

NOTE: Toggle between a video render and its original source frame with one click

More improvements

  • Video renders are more reliable — status checks now ride out transient backend hiccups instead of failing mid-render with “Failed to check video status”

  • 3D camera restore — loading a 3D render from the gallery now restores its camera position, even in a new session or on a different machine

  • Show Original keeps your zoom/pan — toggling no longer resets the view, and the source stays aligned with the render

  • Fixed Show Original with Rotate Image renders

  • Upload image on every platform — the manual upload button is now available in all design integrations, not just the web app

  • Style chips no longer appear wrongly selected when switching between image and video modes

  • Fixed prev/next navigation when using a rendered image as a reference image

  • Preview refreshes from the host app no longer override your selected source image

  • Security updates for third-party dependencies

How to animate construction with Veras and Veo 3.1 video model

In this walkthrough, I'll show you how I built a full construction-to-completion animation: from generating a building's key stages as still images, to animating between them with Veo, to combining everything into one video.

1. Create key frames

Building design

  • I started with a sketch image

  • The sketch was generated from text to image, and the preferred design was cherry picked

  • The sketch was then generated as a real image on the compose tab

  • See prompt in image for reference

Veras Compose tab generating an architectural pen sketch of a modern building design.
Veras Compose tab turning a sketch into a photorealistic architectural rendering.

Building structure

  • I worked backwards in time to get to the key frames

  • With the realistic image input, I generated a new image that removes everything except the building frame

  • I generated a few iterations, and then cherry picked my favorite

  • See the property pane for settings and the prompt used

Veras-generated image showing a building's structural steel framing mid-construction.

Excavated site

  • I used the structural framing image to generate the excavated site

  • See property pane for the settings and the prompt used

Veras-generated image of an excavated construction site before structural framing begins.

Bonus (hero graphic)

  • I then used these images to generate the hero graphics for this post

  • This was exploratory, where something looked almost there, and I further refined the image

Veras Compose tab generating a four-phase construction graphic using reference images.

2. Animate the frames

Use the first and the last frame

  • I took the key frames and used them as 'start and end frames' to generate videos

  • For this exercise, the Veo 3.1 Lite produced good results

  • Handpick which animation works best (you can use the favorite feature)

Veras Video tab using Veo 3.1 Lite to animate first and last frames into a construction clip.
Veras time lapse video render showing a building under construction with a tower crane.

Extend the last frame

  • I can make two videos with three key frames

  • I don’t want the video to abruptly stop when the building is finished

  • Generate a thirds video with the building finished frame to showcase the finished project

  • This can be a simple orbit or pan for the project

Veras Video tab using Veo 3.1 Fast to generate a drone orbit animation of a finished building.

3. Combine the videos

  • I selected the three cherry picked videos using shift click

  • The “RENDER” button now says “COMBINE,” click this button

  • All done!!

Veras Video tab with three animation clips selected and ready to combine into one video.

Bonus

Simpler alternative: use reference image

  • NOTE: this sometimes doesn’t work

  • You can try to do this in one shot, if you are ok with less control

  • Instead of using first and last frame, select none

  • Use the final project image as a reference image

  • Make a prompt to use the reference image as the end of the video:

Veras Video tab using a reference image to generate a full building construction time lapse.

Video output

This one was cherry picked from a few tries:

 

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Benjamin Guler
Benjamin Guler

A Director of Software Development at Chaos, Ben drives computational design, process management, and standardization. His architectural background, BIM platform knowledge, and software engineering skills bridge the gap between design and technology. Using C# and Python, he builds custom Revit add-ins and standalone software for the AEC market, and relies on Dynamo both to automate complex design challenges and to storyboard his add-ins.

Veras Video tab dropdown showing Veo 3.1, Veo 3.1 Fast, Veo 3.1 Lite, and Wan 2.2 video models.
Veras Video tab with 3D Viewer selected as the source image for direct 3D model animation.
Veras Compose tab generating an architectural pen sketch of a modern building design.
Veras Compose tab turning a sketch into a photorealistic architectural rendering.
Veras-generated image showing a building's structural steel framing mid-construction.
Veras-generated image of an excavated construction site before structural framing begins.
Veras Compose tab generating a four-phase construction graphic using reference images.
Veras Video tab using Veo 3.1 Lite to animate first and last frames into a construction clip.
Veras time lapse video render showing a building under construction with a tower crane.
Veras Video tab using Veo 3.1 Fast to generate a drone orbit animation of a finished building.
Veras Video tab with three animation clips selected and ready to combine into one video.
Veras Video tab using a reference image to generate a full building construction time lapse.