Chaos adds AI Material Generator to V-Ray 7.1.2 for SketchUp
Chaos has updated V-Ray for SketchUp, the edition of the renderer for the architectural sketching software.
V-Ray 7.1.2 for SketchUp makes it possible for SketchUp users to access the new AI Material Generator in Chaos Cosmos, the asset library included with all V-Ray subscriptions.
New cloud-based AI Material Generator creates PBR materials from source photos
The key change in the update is the experimental new AI Material Generator available in Chaos Cosmos, which generates a 3D material and PBR textures – albedo, normal and roughness – from a real-world reference photo.
You can see the workflow in the video above, and in the online documentation for V-Ray for 3ds Max, which has been able to access the AI Material Generator since version 7.2.
Although users can still prepare the source image offline themselves, the generator can automatically apply perspective correction, de-light the image, and make it seamlessly tileable.
Processing is done in the cloud, and takes “under a minute” when generating 2K textures: currently the maximum resolution available.
Currently available free in beta
The functionality is currently available free while the AI Material Generator is in beta.
Chaos told us that some “advanced features” of its AI tools may only be available with V-Ray Premium subscriptions or Collection plans once they become production-ready.
The AI model the generator uses was trained on “a mixture of privately curated and publicly available datasets” and “the licenses for each dataset are appropriate for our cases”.
Pricing and system requirements
V-Ray 7.1.2 for SketchUp is compatible with SketchUp 2021+, running on Windows 10+ and macOS 11.0+. It is available rental-only.
V-Ray Solo subscriptions now cost $89.15/month or $540/year, up $4.25/month or $25.20/year since the previous release. V-Ray Premium subscriptions cost $119.90/month or $718.80/year.
Read a full list of new features in V-Ray 7.1.2 for SketchUp in the online release notes
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