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A dimly lit studio with colorful lighting. Two computer monitors display graphics. In the background, a set with illuminated props is visible. Crew members are operating equipment in the space.

Chaos Opens Real‑Time Rendering to All (No Unreal Required)

07.08.2025
Chaos Arena now supports USD, MaterialX and Gaussian Splats, enabling real‑time rendering with no Unreal Engine license required.

Chaos is introducing native support for USD, MaterialX and Gaussian Splats in Chaos Arena, with Vantage following soon. This permits import of production assets from tools like Blender, Houdini, Maya, or KitBash3D via USD and MaterialX, without requiring format conversion or a V‑Ray licence. The result is true WYSIWYG, so what appears in previz is precisely what renders in real time.

A transparent glass flask filled with yellow liquid, labeled with a handwritten tag that reads 'MTLX'. In the background, there are blurred objects including a notebook.

MaterialX support allows loading of .mtlx format in Maya contexts—including inside MaterialX documents or USD stages—with V‑Ray MaterialX nodes. This ensures shader fidelity across DCCs and rendering environments.

A glass beaker filled with blue liquid, labeled with the letters 'USD' on a white strip. In the background, partially visible sheets of paper are on a dark wooden surface.

Real‑Time Gaussian Splat Rendering

Gaussian Splats support provides fast, photorealistic scene rendering from real‑world captures like LIDAR or photogrammetry. These are point‑based representations that integrate with ray tracing for accurate light and shading. Additional coverage at SIGGRAPH includes workshops on Gaussian Splats standardization, investigating formats, compression, and interoperability.

Hands placing a label that reads 'G Spente' on a glass flask. The background has soft, blurred lights and a few items on a wooden table.

Expanded Technical Feature Set

Chaos is also releasing several technical enhancements:

  • OpenVDB Volume Rendering, enabling real‑time volumetric effects directly in Arena and Vantage.
  • Material Parameter Controls, giving artists fine‑grained look development abilities during real‑time previz.
  • Virtual Camera Tracking support in Vantage, enabling live camera workflows without needing expensive LED stages.
  • KitBash3D USD Asset Support, enabling drag‑and‑drop assembly of photorealistic environments from 20,000+ premium 3D assets, demonstrated in a cyberpunk club promo built via USD using KitBash3D Cargo.
A film studio with two operators at computer monitors, adjusting settings. In the background, a group of people are setting up equipment near a wooden structure surrounded by trees and outdoor lighting.

What This Means for VFX Pipelines

Chaos’ embrace of USD, MaterialX and Gaussian Splats via open standards breaks down long‑standing workflow obstacles. TDs, generalist 3D artists and pipeline developers can now live‑link assets from DCCs into Arena and Vantage without rewriting or rebuilding. Gaussian Splats bring real‑world capture data into ray‑traced previz. MaterialX ensures look remains consistent. OpenVDB adds volumetric realism. Camera tracking within Vantage opens creative workflows from home studio to LED volume alternatives.

A film set with multiple crew members working. In the foreground, there are chairs and camera equipment. In the background, people are gathered near a counter, illuminated by studio lights.

SIGGRAPH 2025: Chaos Sessions Schedule

Chaos is presenting these updates at SIGGRAPH 2025 during a free, one‑day Chaos Sessions event, to be held in East Building Room 16 of the Vancouver Convention Centre on August 13, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:50 p.m. Recording is prohibited due to exclusive content.


10:00–10:50 a.m. – Chaos: Crossing the Final Real‑Time Frontier: Chaos Vantage Support from USD to MtlX, to GSplats, to VDB by Simeon Balabanov
11:00–11:50 a.m. – Zoic: Harnessing V‑Ray for Houdini: Studio Techniques & Case Studies by Rob Price and Don Haynes

2:00–2:50 p.m. – Freelance: From Pixels to Presence: The Evolving Art of the Digital Human by Ian Spriggs
3:00–3:50 p.m. – ILM: Sinners: Chaos in Mississippi by Nick Marshall and Anton Borisov
4:00–4:50 p.m. – Chaos: From USD to Splats: The Next Evolution of Virtual Production with Chaos Arena by Vlado Koylazov, Christopher Nichols, and Georgi Zhekov
5:00–5:50 p.m. – Global Objects: Creating The Digital Backlot: The Full Lifecycle of Digital Set Creation by Erick Geisler

Bela Beier Author