The new V-Ray for Blender is available in beta
Originally posted on 25 October, and updated with the link to the initial beta release.
The long-awaited new version of V-Ray for Blender is due out in beta this year, developer Chaos has told CG Channel.
The updated plugin will have a feature set based on the V-Ray 7 core, and will be available via its own single-product subscription, in addition to standard V-Ray subscriptions.
The first update to the V-Ray Blender integration for five years
V-Ray actually already has an integration for Blender: just not a current one.
The old plugin, which exported scenes from Blender to V-Ray Standalone, became an official Chaos product in 2014, but has been in limbo for years.
The last new nightly build came out in 2019, and supports Blender 2.79: 19 releases and four entire release series behind Blender 4.3, the current version of the software.
Since then, Chaos has periodically hinted that a new version was in development, most strongly in its Chaos Unboxed livestream in February.
Includes core features from V-Ray 7
The new V-Ray for Blender is a brand new – and more conventional – integration.
Chaos tells us that it is based around V-Ray 7, the latest version of the renderer, currently available for 3ds Max.
The initial release will be based around the V-Ray 7 core, but will not have V-Ray 7’s complete feature set.
In particular, the initial release may not have all of V-Ray’s ‘scene-building’ tools, like geometry replication system V-Ray Enmesh.
Pitched as an alternative to RenderMan for Blender for VFX and animation work
While V-Ray has both CPU and GPU render engines, Chaos told us that it expected a key market for the new edition to be studios looking for a CPU-based production renderer.
The sector is currently served by Blender’s native Cycles renderer, and RenderMan for Blender, the new-ish Blender integration for Pixar’s heavyweight VFX and animation renderer.
Available via a unique single-product subscription
V-Ray subscriptions currently provide access to all of the current integrations of the software, which include Maya, Houdini, 3ds Max and Cinema 4D.
On its release, the new Blender integration will be added to that list.
However, it will also be available via its own unique single-product subscription.
Chaos told us that Blender would be a “first-class citizen” in the V-Ray product line, and that the single-product option would include the same additional features as standard subscription plans, such as access to online rendering platform Chaos Cloud.
Updated 11 December 2024: Chaos has released the first public beta of the new V-Ray for Blender.
It’s a free download, but to access it, you will need to register for an account on the Chaos website and fill out a short usage questionnaire.
You can find more information about its features in the online documentation, and support for installation issues on Chaos’s forum.
Price, system requirements and release dates
The new V-Ray for Blender is available free in beta, with a stable release due in early 2025.
The initial beta is compatible with Blender 4.2 on Windows 10+ only, but Chaos is asking for feedback about which other versions of Blender to support next.
V-Ray is rental-only, with node-locked V-Ray Solo subscriptions priced at $84.90/month or $514.80/year, and V-Ray Premium subscriptions priced at $119.90/month or $718.80/year.
Chaos hasn’t announced pricing for the new Blender-only subscription plan.
Register for the beta of V-Ray for Blender
Read more about V-Ray for Blender in the online documentation
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