3D artists - DIGITAL PRODUCTION https://digitalproduction.com Magazine for Digital Media Production Wed, 18 Feb 2026 12:26:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 236729828 Chaos Opens Real‑Time Rendering to All (No Unreal Required) https://digitalproduction.com/2025/08/06/chaos-opens-real-time-rendering-to-all-no-unreal-required/ Wed, 06 Aug 2025 08:46:00 +0000 https://digitalproduction.com/?p=195617 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 Arena now supports USD, MaterialX and Gaussian Splats, enabling real‑time rendering with no Unreal Engine license required.

The post Chaos Opens Real‑Time Rendering to All (No Unreal Required) first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

]]> 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 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

The post Chaos Opens Real‑Time Rendering to All (No Unreal Required) first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

]]> DIGITAL PRODUCTION 195617 Unwrella-IO: UV Mapping Made Unbelievably Easy https://digitalproduction.com/2025/03/05/unwrella-io-uv-mapping-made-unbelievably-easy/ Wed, 05 Mar 2025 08:39:54 +0000 https://digitalproduction.com/?p=160914 A detailed 3D model of an ornate, swirling design with intricate patterns displayed on a digital interface, showcasing texture and shading. Tools for editing and adjusting settings are visible on the right side.

3d-io introduces Unwrella-IO, a standalone application offering automated UV unwrapping and packing, streamlining workflows for 3D artists and game developers.

The post Unwrella-IO: UV Mapping Made Unbelievably Easy first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

]]> A detailed 3D model of an ornate, swirling design with intricate patterns displayed on a digital interface, showcasing texture and shading. Tools for editing and adjusting settings are visible on the right side.

3d-io has unveiled Unwrella-IO, a standalone application designed to revolutionize the tedious process of manual UV unwrapping. This intuitive tool caters to 3D artists, designers, and game developers, providing automated UV map generation with minimal setup.

Specialized Unwrapping Modes

Unwrella-IO boasts three distinct unwrapping modes to accommodate various 3D geometries:

  • Hard Surface Mode: Tailored for architectural structures, mechanical models, armor, and buildings, this mode ensures clean and efficient UV layouts.
  • Organic Mode: Ideal for characters, creatures, and smooth surfaces, it generates seamless UVs with minimal effort.
  • Mosaic Mode: Perfect for photogrammetry scans and high-poly, irregular models, this mode effortlessly processes complex triangulated geometry.

Optimized UV Packing

Leveraging UV-Packer technology, Unwrella-IO delivers high-performance UV compression, automatically maximizing available UV space while preserving texel density. The interactive UV Tile Generator and unit scale system provide users with full control over UV layouts, ensuring optimal results for any project.

User-Friendly Features

The application includes an efficient drag-and-drop UV channel manager, allowing users to copy, swap, and combine UVs instantly. The Looks Shelf enables quick shading adjustments with custom MatCaps, while the Stash feature streamlines asset handling, keeping imported models easily accessible without repeated reloading. Unwrella-IO is built for speed, precision, and ease of use, helping artists focus on creativity instead of spending hours on technical adjustments. For more information and to explore Unwrella-IO’s capabilities, visit Unwrella’s official page. The price is at 150, for a forever-license. No subscription.

Note: As with any new software, it’s advisable to thoroughly test Unwrella-IO before integrating it into your production pipeline to ensure compatibility and stability.

The post Unwrella-IO: UV Mapping Made Unbelievably Easy first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

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