I happened to run across this and found it interesting. Here is a rather expensive render engine that is using the CPU. And, after moving around their site it dawned on me the engineer can now do his own renders. Hey, look at this thing. No Computer Graphics training required. But, to put it into a print ad or TV ready commercial is another matter. Well, that is just my take.
One more observation and this was discussed in another thread. If you have a skill set technology is working to make it irrelevant. I’m out of the workforce now but I find that very scary. And, very sad.
Hm, here's the thing though.. I work in an office with engineers, designers and we even have a full photo studio for our prototypes and display models.
Yes, Keyshot makes it relatively easy to come up with impressive looking renders, however, the engineers have their hands full with engineering. Sometimes they load up Keyshot to make a quick render for discussion purposes with the client, but that's not something they would normally take up with our photographer. It's just another tool to ease discussions.
Likewise, it's saving designers a lot of time having to make hand renderings. We keep our sketching for ideation phases now, if/when it's quicker than modeling/rendering.
Our photographer probably suffers more from the fact that every Joe and his brother has a somewhat decent camera these days and just has more bullshit offers to turn down. Keyshot can actually help him try out studio setups, or composite studio photos in CG backgrounds. The type of work he can offer changes.
The fact is, if you're willing to learn these new techniques rather than being stubborn and stuck in your old ways, you will find ways to take advantage of it. Traditional large format photographers working with big tin-type glass plates had to transition to small 35mm 'pocket' cameras to stay afloat. Nothing lasts forever.