diff --git a/ts/smartscaf.classes.smartscaf.ts b/ts/smartscaf.classes.smartscaf.ts
index 69d1503..fea884f 100644
--- a/ts/smartscaf.classes.smartscaf.ts
+++ b/ts/smartscaf.classes.smartscaf.ts
@@ -134,6 +134,50 @@ export class ScafTemplate {
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Renders all template files in memory without writing to disk or running scripts.
+   * Returns new SmartFile instances — does not mutate the original templateSmartfileArray.
+   */
+  public async renderToMemory(): Promise<plugins.smartfile.SmartFile[]> {
+    const renderedFiles: plugins.smartfile.SmartFile[] = [];
+
+    for (const smartfile of this.templateSmartfileArray) {
+      if (smartfile.path === '.smartscaf.yml') {
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      // Render handlebars template
+      const template = await plugins.smarthbs.getTemplateForString(
+        smartfile.contents.toString(),
+      );
+      const renderedTemplateString = template(this.suppliedVariables);
+
+      // Handle frontmatter
+      const smartfmInstance = new plugins.smartfm.Smartfm({
+        fmType: 'yaml',
+      });
+      const parsedTemplate = smartfmInstance.parse(renderedTemplateString) as any;
+
+      // Determine final path (frontmatter fileName rename)
+      let finalPath = smartfile.path;
+      if (parsedTemplate.data.fileName) {
+        const oldFileName = plugins.path.parse(finalPath).base;
+        finalPath = finalPath.replace(new RegExp(oldFileName + '$'), parsedTemplate.data.fileName);
+      }
+
+      // Postprocess: convert {-{ back to {{
+      const finalContent = await plugins.smarthbs.postprocess(parsedTemplate.content);
+
+      renderedFiles.push(new plugins.smartfile.SmartFile({
+        path: finalPath,
+        contentBuffer: Buffer.from(finalContent),
+        base: smartfile.base,
+      }));
+    }
+
+    return renderedFiles;
+  }
+
   /**
    * writes a file to disk
    * @param destinationDirArg