Dimension 5 Techs releases D5 Render 2.6
Originally posted on 12 December 2023, and updated with details of the final release.
Dimension 5 Techs has released D5 Render 2.6, the next version of its GPU ray tracing renderer.
The release adds new AI-based tools, including a new feature for matching the atmosphere of a scene automatically to a source image, and support for AI texture generation.
There are also updates throughout the existing material editing, lighting and post effects toolsets, to the Video Editor, and to the asset library and 3ds Max and Cinema 4D plugins.
A rapidly evolving GPU ray tracing renderer for architectural visualisation
First released in 2021, D5 Render is an increasingly powerful architectural renderer with linking plugins for a range of DCC and CAD tools, including 3ds Max, Blender and Cinema 4D.
As well as rendering scenes directly from a linked DCC app, users can import models in FBX, Alembic or SketchUp’s SKP format, apply PBR materials, and assign HDRIs, lights and LUTs.
Other features include object scattering and shot dressing tools, support for volumetric and particle-based effects, and path-based animation tools for crowd characters or vehicles.
The software supports DXR-based hardware-accelerated ray tracing on current NVIDIA, AMD and Intel GPUs, and is capable of rendering 16K still images and panoramas, and 4K videos.
The community edition of the software is free for commercial use, and is fully functional, with commercial Pro subscriptions adding access to advanced features and extra stock assets.
D5 Render 2.6: new AI tools for matching atmospheric looks and generating texture maps
To that, D5 Render 2.6 adds new AI-based tools, including a new AI Atmosphere Match feature for matching the atmosphere of a scene automatically to a source image.
It generates a sky matching the target image, either through D5 Render’s Geo&Sky system, or by selecting a readymade HDRI, and also generates matching weather effects.
The release also adds support for AI texture generation, with users now able to upload a diffuse map and have D5 Render generate matching normal, roughness, and displacement maps.
Specular and metalness maps will be supported in future releases.
Another new tool, AI Material Match, automatically applies a D5 Render material template to imported 3D models, covering “most of the commonly used material keywords and map types”.
New materials, lighting and rendering features
Other material-related features in D5 Render 2.6 include a new Flowing Water material template, and a new transparency parameter in the Multimedia Transparency Material template.
The latter – previously the Video material – can be used to apply video footage to objects like TVs and monitors in a scene, with the new parameter mimicking the look of real-world displays.
There is also a new UV Randomizer for avoiding visible repeats in textures like water and grass.
The update also introduces new light attenuation controls, the option to customize the sun position in Geo&Sky, and the option to adjust the exposure of renders locally as a post effect.
Updates to scene navigation, the Video Editor, and pipeline integration
Other changes include a new Human Point-of-View Walk Mode for navigating scenes, and the option to view and edit camera paths in the Video Editor.
The update also introduces support for materials in imported FBX files, and adds more controls for playing back animations imported as Alembic ABC files.
Asset library: new HDRIs, 3D people and 3D plants
Outside the core software, the asset library gets a complete new HDRI library, and 169 new 3D human characters, 92 of them animated.
New 3D plant models include six procedural vines, 18 low-poly trees, and eight cacti.
There are also new particle assets, including fog and futuristic particle effects.
Updates to the 3ds Max and Cinema 4D integration plugins
3ds Max users get an experimental new live sync plugin on top of the existing sync plugin; and both the 3ds Max and Cinema 4D plugins now support syncing of camera animation
Pricing and system requirements
D5 Render 2.6 is available for Windows 10+. It requires a compatible GPU: Dimension 5 recommends a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060+, an AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT+ or an Intel Arc A3+.
Integration plugins are available for 3ds Max 2014-2016 and 2018+, ArchiCAD 21+, Blender 2.93+, Cinema 4D R20+, Revit 2018.3+, Rhino 6.1+ and SketchUp 2017+.
The Community edition is free; subscriptions to the Pro edition, which includes advanced features, access to the full asset library and sequence rendering, cost $38/month or $360/year.
Read a full list of new features in D5 Render 2.6 in the online release notes
Read an overview of D5 Render’s features on Dimension 5’s website
Read Dimension 5’s privacy policy
(The firm is based in China, and is governed by Chinese law)
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