Chaos releases V-Ray 7 for 3ds Max in beta
Chaos has released V-Ray 7 for 3ds Max, the next major version of the production renderer – and the first of the next generation of updates to the entire V-Ray product family – in beta.
The update adds support for rendering 3D Gaussian Splats, a new scene-profiling system, and features updates to V-Ray GPU, the V-Ray Frame Buffer and Chaos Scatter.
The first of a new generation of updates to the V-Ray product family
Chaos typically introduces new features in the 3ds Max and standalone editions of V-Ray before rolling them out the other versions, starting with V-Ray for Maya.
As a result, the V-Ray 6 beta provides a glimpse not just of the new features for 3ds Max users, but of the next generation of releases for the product family as a whole.
Native support for rendering 3DGS scan data
New features in V-Ray 7 for 3ds Max include support for 3D Gaussian Splats (3DGS).
A new 3D scanning method, 3D Gaussian Splatting generates high-quality reconstructions of real-world objects or scenes from source photos or video.
Although there are free third-party add-ons for rendering 3DGS data in Blender, Unity and Unreal Engine, V-Ray is the first CG application we know of to support the format natively.
Lighting and rendering: V-Ray Luminaires and updates to V-Ray Sun and Sky
Other changes to lighting and rendering in V-Ray 7 include support for luminaires.
Users can now import baked lighting data for real-world light fittings in PLW format, making it possible to recreate the illumination they create more accurately in interior scenes.
In addition, the V-Ray Sun and Sky system has been updated to support the PRG Clear Sky model used in Corona, Chaos’s other major production renderer.
The firefly removal algorithm, for removing bright flecks in renders, has also been updated.
V-Ray GPU: initial support for caustics
V-Ray GPU, V-Ray’s hybrid CPU and GPU renderer, gets initial support for rendering caustics, bringing it closer to feature parity with the main CPU render engine.
You can see a list of the remaining features not supported in V-Ray GPU here.
VFX: vignetting and freeform render regions
The V-Ray Frame Buffer (VFB), for viewing and editing images rendered in V-Ray, gets a new Vignette Layer, making it possible to apply vignetting effects to renders.
The VFB also now supports freeform region rendering, making it possible to specific a render region of arbitrary shape.
Updates to Chaos Scatter
Chaos Scatter, the object scattering system introduced in V-Ray 6, also gets an update.
new features include the option to use texture maps to control scattering, and a new Instance brush to paint in scattered objects manually.
Other new features
V-Ray for 3ds Max now includes V-Ray Profiler, the new tool for identifying performance bottlenecks in scenes introduced in the Maya and Houdini editions of the software.
It is currently only available in V-Ray CPU.
The release also features updates to the V-Ray Lister, and extends support for Open Shading Language (OSL) and the Universal Scene Description (USD) framework.
You can find a full list of changes via the link at the foot of the story.
Subscription prices up since V-Ray 6
Chaos has also raised the price of V-Ray subscriptions since the previous release.
V-Ray Solo subscriptions now cost $84.90/month or $514.80/year, up $5/month or $48/year, and V-Ray Premium subscriptions cost $119.90/month or $718.80/year, up $24/year.
V-Ray Enterprise subscriptions are unaffected.
Pricing, system requirements and release date
V-Ray 7 for 3ds Max is available in beta for subscribers. Chaos hasn’t announced a final release date.
The current stable release, V-Ray 6 for 3ds Max Update 2, is compatible with 3ds Max 2020+, running on Windows 10+.
The software is rental-only, with V-Ray Solo subscriptions costing $84.90/month or $514.80/year, V-Ray Premium costing $119.90/month or $718.80/year, and V-Ray Enterprise costing $598.80/year.
Read an overview of the new features in V-Ray 7 for 3ds Max in Chaos’s blog post
Read a full list of new features in V-Ray 7 for 3ds Max on Chaos Group’s website
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