v-ray

V-Ray Next for SketchUp – Hotfix 1 Released

V-Ray Next for SketchUp

V-Ray Next for SketchUp has just been updated with a number of bug fixes and feature enhancements to improve your rendering experience, including:

  • Optimised Scene Management – The entire asset management system has been optimised and made more reliable. You’ll find it easier to work on heavy scenes with a large number of assets and complex shading networks.
  • Improved V-Ray Scene Importer – Reliably import models using multi-materials created in 3ds Max.
  • Improved stability – This update fixes specific workflows related to loading V-Ray 3 projects, using settings preset files, overriding materials, texture colour space management and more.
  • Further improvements – Including better compatibility with some of the most popular SketchUp plugins.

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Read on for the full changelog:

Installation & Licensing

  • The Chaos Group License Server is updated to version 5.2.2
  • The installer now properly sets and displays a primary remote server IP address and port number – 127.0.0.1:30304

Workflow Improvements 

  • The entire asset management system is optimised and made more reliable. This affects asset creation, renaming, deletion, referencing, etc. The optimisations are most obvious in heavy scenes with big number of assets and complex shading networks
  • Render element assets are no longer deleted when the category is active and the Purge function is used. Use the multi-selection functionality to quickly delete a batch of elements
  • The Z Depth render element ‘Depth from Camera’ parameter is removed
  • The VFB Render Progress window now receives and can display log messages that have been sent before its first initialisation

Other Changes & Bug Fixes

  • Saving and loading projects no longer resets the Colour Space of all textures to the default sRGB option. Using the File Path Editor no longer changes the colour space either
  • The asset preview render process can now be restarted if it stops responding. Make sure to stop and restart the interactive preview (using its toolbar stop/start button) in the unlikely event this happens
  • The fresnel opacity of newly created Reflection material layers is now correctly displayed in the asset preview swatch
  • Invalid material or texture references can now be successfully cleared from the slot’s context menu
  • Creating a proxy from big number of SketchUp components or component instances now shows accurate progress in the Export Proxy window
  • An issue with a Water textures used in a bump slot is resolved. Negative texture values are now properly handled
  • All V-Ray taskbar processes are grouped and displayed under the SketchUp Windows taskbar icon. This applies to the Asset Editor and the V-Ray Frame Buffer window
  • VRscan materials are now correctly sized and properly affected by the SketchUp material scale. A helper texture is displayed in the viewport to ensure this. Texture Placement parameters are now listed for every VRscan in it’s Asset Editor properties panel
  • The way VFB Colour Corrections are saved within SketchUp projects is updated and made more reliable
  • A number of issues related to V-Ray 3 scenes loading and upgrading are resolved
  • A number of issues related to .vropt (render settings) files loading are resolved
  • The Purge Unused Assets function no longer causes issues on MacOS
  • Materials incorrectly saved with older V-Ray versions no longer cause issues when loaded in Next
  • A number of issues related to complex texture hierarchy manipulation and deletion are resolved
  • The Batch Cloud rendering functionality is temporarily disabled. Once a Chaos Cloud platform-side update is implemented, the feature will be re-enabled. Our main goal is to provide a system that warns users for possible issues with their batch cloud jobs(like missing external file assets, for example), letting them resolve the problem before the rendering starts
  • Images imported through the SketchUp native Import no longer produce problematic V-Ray materials. Scenes containing such images saved with previous V-Ray version no longer cause issues when rendered in Next
  • A number of issues with badly serialised V-Ray component data are resolved. A more detailed error message is displayed and a better log file is created, letting us easily identify any further problems
  • Deleting Fur, Clipper or Mesh Light widgets from a group is now reliably handled during Interactive Rendering
  • A number of issues preventing the V-Ray Asset Editor from being populated with assets on specific scene load are resolved
  • The V-Ray Scene Importer now reliably imports models using multi materials exported from 3ds Max. The material ID assignment in 3ds Max results in a single object group in SketchUp with different materials applied to the corresponding faces
  • The Scene Interaction Tool now works reliably with obstructed light widgets
  • Deleting multiple materials at once no longer produces Ruby errors and warnings
  • Using the Scene Interaction Tool before the previous action is completed no longer prints Ruby errors
  • Skatter Proxy geometry materials render correctly when using the ‘Render only’ mode. Regeneration no longer causes Ruby errors
  • A geometry instancing optimisation is implemented for Skatter objects with the ‘Render only’ mode enabled. This ensures that rendering a big number of instances is done in the most memory-efficient way
  • The way the SketchUp default material is handled by V-Ray is improved preventing incorrect lighting in specific situations
  • Activating Material Override during Interactive rendering now reliably affects all scene materials that have their ‘Can Be Overridden’ option enabled
  • Changing the SketchUp material Opacity value automatically disables the synchronisation with the V-Ray material refraction. This allows for custom opacity manipulations in the viewport without affecting the rendered result
  • V-Ray material refraction no longer resets in specific situations when the SketchUp scene is saved and reloaded
  • The Z Depth render element tooltips are fixed
  • All Smoke texture parameters are now properly named
  • Repathing files with a Windows path on MacOS no longer causes issues
  • The migration (gamma management) of render elements from scenes saved with V-Ray 3 is improved

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Free Webinar: V-Ray Next for Rhino

V-Ray for Rhino

Discover how the powerful new additions in V-Ray Next for Rhino deliver great-looking results right out of the box.

CG Specialist Cory Holm will host a free webinar to show you how these new features can supercharge the design process and boost your productivity. Be sure to secure a seat!

Register Now

What you can expect:

  • Asset library management
  • New Grasshopper functionality
  • New denoising possibilities
  • Scene Intelligence
  • 2x Faster V-Ray GPU
  • Chaos Cloud rendering

V-Ray Next for Katana: Hotfix 1 Released

V-Ray Next

V-Ray Next for Katana has just been updated with a number of important fixes to improved your rendering experience.

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Directional preview for LightRectangle
It is now possible to view the directional cone in the viewport, making it easier to control the spread of the light.

Added export .vrscene files in batch mode
You can now submit render jobs to V-Ray Standalone-based render farms.

VRayVolumeGrid
A rendering slowdown has been fixed that affected the V-Ray Volume Grid. Your render speeds are now back to normal!

For the full changelog, click here.

V-Ray Next has Arrived for Rhino

V-Ray Next for Rhino

V-Ray Next for Rhino is out now.

If you purchased a new V-Ray 3 for Rhino license after December 1st 2018, you are eligible for a free upgrade to this latest version. If you’re eligible, contact us now! The deadline for this free upgrade is April 1st 2019.

Customers with an active monthly or annual subscription of Rhino, including educational versions, will get the latest release for free as part of the subscription.

Please note that with this release, support for V-Ray 1.5 and 2 has ended. Upgrades from V-Ray 2 have also be discontinued.

What’s New?

  • An array of new tools makes it much easier to manage and render your scenes right within Rhino
  • Superior Grasshopper support – Render your parametric designs directly without needing to bake or export.
  • Keep track of everything and streamline your workflow with the new asset management system
  • Simplified render controls mean less time navigating and more time designing.
  • Enhanced lighting workflows including adaptive learning techniques to render perfectly exposed and colour-balanced images.
  • New materials and textures, as well as support for PBR metallic reflections.
  • Performance optimisations and new shaders increasing render speed up to 50%.
  • The new Nvidia AI Denoiser lets you instantly remove noise from each render element.

V-Ray Next for Rhino is available now at CADSoftwareDirect.com

Chaos Cloud – Simpler, Smarter Cloud Rendering

Chaos Cloud

Simple and fast cloud rendering, directly from within V-Ray’s UI is here.

Built for artists and designers, Chaos Cloud is a one-click rendering service. There aren’t any virtual machines to set up, and there’s no hardware to configure. Click render and Chaos Cloud takes care of everything else.

Get started with Chaos Cloud now.

 

Cloud Rendering for Everyone

Now, cloud rendering is built right into V-Ray, and it’s as easy as pushing a button. Everything is handled automatically so you can get your job done fast, with the best results possible.

Turn Your Computer into a Supercomputer

Render an entire animation in the time it takes to render a single frame with Chaos Cloud. Your own personal supercomputer that scales perfectly for any size job that comes your way. Take a look at some Chaos Cloud Sample Results here to see for yourself.

 

Render While You Work

Keep designing and creating while Chaos Cloud does the rendering – keeping your machine’s power free to use. You can even render multiple jobs at the same time. No more waiting for a render to finish before getting back to work.

 

Chaos Cloud is Available Now at CAD Software Direct .com

Should I Buy or Rent V-Ray?

Rent V-Ray

“Subscription” and “Rental” can sometimes be considered bad words when it comes to software, but they can actually be incredibly handy. Did you know that V-Ray, one of the most powerful and popular renderers for a wide range of industries, is available perpetually, annually and monthly? For example, if you’re looking to buy V-Ray for 3ds Max, but only need it for a few months, or don’t have the budget for the full license – you can rent V-Ray for 3ds Max instead!

Perpetual licenses that you pay for once and allow access to the software forever are nice and simple. If you’re running a business and a certain software package is essential to your daily operation, a perpetual license might make the most sense for you. V-Ray for SketchUp, V-Ray for Revit, V-Ray for Rhino and other “flavours” can all be purchased as perpetual licenses.

However, if you’re finding your software needs frequently change on a project by project basis, or your budget can’t accommodate for steeper upfront costs, it might be time to look into renting. If you decide to rent V-Ray, you can expect:

Lower Upfront Costs

Perpetual software often requires upfront investments which can be difficult for new and small businesses. Renting V-Ray instead would allow access to the software and a considerably lower cost.

Flexible Payment Options

Renting V-Ray would mean you only pay for it when you need it. It is easy to scale software access throughout your projects by adding and subtracting licenses temporarily.

Billing Back to Clients

Renting any software puts you in a better position to pass the cost of software access back to clients by including it as a part of your project estimate. In a way, this would make V-Ray an operating expense, rather than capital.

Bundled Upgrades

By renting software, you’ll be given access to the latest version, rather than the outdated perpetual license you bought years ago. Depending on the cost and frequency of upgrades, renting software could represent a better deal and longer term savings.

Most versions of V-Ray come either as a perpetual license, annual subscription, or monthly subscription. V-Ray Rendernodes are also available as an annual or monthly option.

The latest versions of V-Ray and V-Ray Next are available now at CAD Software Direct .com

Up to 35% OFF formZ until December 31st!

formZ

2018 has been an exciting year with the successful launch of V-Ray for formZ. 2019 is looking even more exciting as we anticipate big formZ releases next year.

For now though, take a look at the discounts we have running for formZ to the end of the year:

  • 25% off new licenses and additional seats for site licenses including formZ Pro and formZ Jr
  • 15-35% off upgrades from older versions
  • V-Ray for formZ has also been treated with a great discount

formZ is available now at CAD Software Direct. If you have any questions at all, please contact us on sales@cadsoftwaredirect.com

V-Ray for Cinema 4D 3.7 Released

V-Ray for Cinema 4D

As of November 1st 2018, V-Ray for Cinema 4D, created by LAUBlab, is an official member of the Chaos Group family.

Starting now through March 15, 2019, owners of V-Ray for Cinema 4D 3.6, or earlier, are entitled to a free license for the Chaos Group version (3.7). This license will include all updates, and it expires on January 15, 2020.

V-Ray 3.7 for Cinema 4D has the same V-Ray feature set as 3.6, is compatible with Cinema 4D R18–20 and uses Chaos Group Licensing.

All migration requests to V-Ray 3.7 for Cinema 4D will be processed through a form on Chaos Group’s website which can be found here:

Migration Request Form

A Note About Render Nodes

Any existing V-Ray for Cinema 4D “DR” licenses entitle customers to new V-Ray for Cinema 4D Render licenses valid through January 15, 2020.

V-Ray Cloud is in Beta

V-Ray Cloud

V-Ray Cloud brings cloud rendering to artists and designers without the complicated hardware configuration and virtual machine setup. Just render, and V-Ray cloud takes care of the rest for you.

You can join the V-Ray Cloud beta now

 

 

Cloud rendering for everyone
Now, cloud rendering is built right into V-Ray, and it’s as easy as pushing a button. It handles everything for you automatically — from licensing and uploading your scenes to launching virtual machines — so you get your job done fast.

Turn your computer into a supercomputer
What if you could render an animation in the time it takes to render a single frame? Now you can. With V-Ray Cloud, you now have your own personal render farm. And it scales with you for any job that comes your way.

Render while you work
Keep creating. Keep designing. Let V-Ray Cloud do the rendering so you can keep working. And you can render multiple jobs at the same time. Because you’ve got more important things to do than wait.