Chaos releases V-Ray 7 for 3ds Max
Orignally posted on 2 October 2024 for the beta, and up to date for the ultimate launch.
Chaos has launched V-Ray 7 for 3ds Max, the subsequent main model of the production renderer – and the primary of the subsequent technology of updates to the whole V-Ray product household.
The replace provides help for rendering 3D Gaussian Splats, a brand new scene-profiling system, and options updates to V-Ray GPU, the V-Ray Body Buffer and Chaos Scatter.
The primary of a brand new technology of updates to the V-Ray product household
Chaos sometimes introduces new options within the 3ds Max and standalone editions of V-Ray earlier than rolling them out the opposite variations, beginning with V-Ray for Maya.
Consequently, V-Ray 7 offers a glimpse not simply of the brand new options for 3ds Max customers, however of the subsequent technology of releases for the product household as a complete.
Native help for rendering 3DGS scan knowledge
New options in V-Ray 7 for 3ds Max embody help for 3D Gaussian Splats (3DGS).
A brand new 3D scanning methodology, 3D Gaussian Splatting generates high-quality reconstructions of real-world objects or scenes from supply photographs or video.
Though there are free third-party add-ons for rendering 3DGS knowledge in Blender, Unity and Unreal Engine, V-Ray is likely one of the first CG functions to help the know-how natively.
Chaos tells us that it expects the performance to attraction to each architectural visualization and VFX studios, significantly as a means of making detailed background environments.
You’ll be able to learn overview of how 3D Gaussian Splats work, and the professionals and cons of workflows based mostly round them in this post on Chaos’s weblog.
Lighting and rendering: V-Ray Luminaires and updates to V-Ray Solar and Sky
Different modifications to lighting and rendering in V-Ray 7 embody help for luminaires.
Customers can now import baked lighting knowledge for real-world gentle fittings in PLW format, making it doable to recreate the illumination they create extra precisely in inside scenes.
As well as, the V-Ray Sun and Sky system has been up to date to help the PRG Clear Sky mannequin utilized in Corona, Chaos’s different main manufacturing renderer.
In response to Chaos, it generates extra sensible lighting results than the earlier mannequin, significantly at dawn and sundown, and when rendering the sky from higher altitudes.
The firefly removing algorithm, for eradicating brilliant flecks in renders, has additionally been up to date.
V-Ray GPU: preliminary help for caustics
V-Ray GPU, V-Ray’s hybrid CPU and GPU renderer, will get preliminary help for rendering caustics, bringing it nearer to characteristic parity with the primary CPU render engine.
You’ll be able to see an inventory of the remaining features not supported in V-Ray GPU here.
VFX: vignetting and freeform render areas
The V-Ray Frame Buffer (VFB), for viewing and modifying pictures rendered in V-Ray, will get a brand new Vignette Layer, making it doable to use vignetting results to renders.
A brand new Filters tab applies readymade, non-destructive colour correction presets.
The VFB additionally now helps freeform area rendering, making it doable to specify render areas of arbitrary form to assist resolve key areas of a picture extra shortly.
Updates to Chaos Scatter
Chaos Scatter, the thing scattering system launched in V-Ray 6, additionally will get an replace.
New options embody the choice to make use of texture maps to manage scattering, and a brand new Occasion brush to color in scattered objects manually.
Different new options
V-Ray for 3ds Max now contains V-Ray Profiler, the brand new instrument for figuring out efficiency bottlenecks in scenes launched within the Maya and Houdini editions of the software program.
It’s at present solely accessible in V-Ray CPU.
The discharge additionally options updates to the V-Ray Lister, and extends help for Open Shading Language (OSL). You will discover a full listing of modifications by way of the hyperlink on the foot of the story.
Updates to Chaos Cloud and Chaos Cosmos
Outdoors the core software, cloud rendering service Chaos Cloud will get new performance for creating virtual tours of 3D environments, full with flooring plans and minimaps.
Customers can place Hotspots to behave as navigation factors within the setting for the viewer, and Highlights to offer textual content or picture annotations for key particulars.
Chaos Cosmos, the web asset library now accessible with all V-Ray subscriptions, will get “a whole bunch” of latest property, together with a brand new Luminaire class.
The library additionally now helps asset variants, making it doable to change between variant appears for an asset with out having to re-import it into the scene.
The variant system is initially getting used for seasonal modifications to bushes and crops.
Subscription costs up since V-Ray 6
Chaos has additionally raised the value of V-Ray subscriptions for the reason that earlier launch.
V-Ray Solo subscriptions now price $84.90/month or $514.80/yr, up $5/month or $48/yr, and V-Ray Premium subscriptions price $119.90/month or $718.80/yr, up $24/yr.
V-Ray Enterprise subscriptions are unaffected.
Value and system necessities
V-Ray 7 for 3ds Max is suitable with 3ds Max 2020+, operating on Home windows 10+.
The software program is rental-only, with V-Ray Solo subscriptions costing $84.90/month or $514.80/yr, V-Ray Premium costing $119.90/month or $718.80/yr, and V-Ray Enterprise costing $598.80/yr.
Read an overview of the new features in V-Ray 7 for 3ds Max on Chaos’s blog
Read a full list of new features in V-Ray 7 for 3ds Max in the online release notes
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