For those who don’t know the tool: Chaos builds V-Ray, a production renderer used across architecture, VFX, and animation. It plugs into DCCs such as Blender, Maya, 3ds Max, and Houdini, offering physically-based rendering and global illumination with CPU and GPU engines. Chaos also runs the Chaos Cosmos asset library and Chaos Cloud, tying rendering and collaboration together inside a single ecosystem.

macOS joins the party

After years of waiting, V-Ray for Blender now runs natively on macOS 11.0 and newer with full speed and feature parity. The renderer matches its Windows 10/11 counterpart, finally letting Mac-based studios use the same shading, lighting, and AI toolchain without workarounds. Update 2 also supports Blender 5.0, maintaining full compatibility with current scene formats and node systems. Official release notes confirm the update as part of V-Ray 7, Update 2, dated 10 December 2025. (Chaos Docs)

AI tools: less grind, more render

Three new AI-assisted tools headline the release. The AI Enhancer adds small-scale realism to background elements, without re-rendering. It can target specific objects, such as fabric or foliage, and integrates directly into the V-Ray Frame Buffer with Chaos Cloud Collaboration support.

The AI Material Generator, linked with Chaos Cosmos, turns a single surface photo into a fully mapped PBR (physically-based rendering) material, complete with diffuse, normal, and roughness maps. Ideal for populating environments with believable secondary materials when deadlines bite.

The AI Upscaler handles resolution boosts from HD to 4K (or even 16K) without full re-rendering. Integrated through Chaos Cloud, it enhances textures and micro-details while preserving lighting accuracy. All three AI tools are confirmed by Chaos as part of the official release, but remain beta features; large sequence processing may require manual setup.

Distributed Rendering v2: the network works harder

Update 2 introduces Distributed Rendering v2 (DR2), replacing the previous network system with a new Dispatcher component. It coordinates tasks more efficiently across multiple nodes and can be configured directly inside Blender’s V-Ray render settings. Performance tests from Chaos show improved load distribution and better handling of dynamic geometry, particularly when mixing CPU and GPU render devices.

Returning heroes: V-Ray Fur, Cosmos, and UI clean-ups

Procedural hair, grass, and carpets return through V-Ray Fur, with improved instancing performance and cleaner parameter layouts. Combined with AI Enhancer and Upscaler, it can produce complex natural scenes faster than previous builds. The V-Ray Frame Buffer gains new Filter Presets, better Caustics control, and links from every property panel to online documentation. Chaos also refined the GPU Device Selection list and improved the layout of several texture nodes, fixing cluttered parameter groups that previously slowed down look-dev work. Interactive rendering performance has been significantly improved, and dynamic geometry, such as proxies or scattered meshes, now updates more reliably.

Modified and extended features

According to the official changelog, several internal systems were reworked. The User Color node now supports colour attributes; the Normal Map node introduces resolution-independent bump mapping; and a new Include/Exclude list allows finer control when the Render Mask Type is set to Objects. The renderer also supports USD scene loading and renders Cycles’ Translucent BSDF correctly after conversion. Users can drag-and-drop bitmaps directly into the node editor and parent the V-Ray Frame Buffer window to Blender’s main interface—small but welcome quality-of-life changes.

Quality-of-life fixes galore

The official documentation lists over forty bug fixes. Highlights include:

Viewport freezes when starting interactive rendering without a valid license are resolved.
Depth-of-field now updates correctly in both viewport and production renders.
Chaos Cloud exports .EXR sequences properly even when output paths are missing.
Cosmos asset import errors in non-English file paths are fixed.
Motion blur again works with multiple cameras and V-Ray Proxy objects.
Proxy scaling, negative transforms, and instancing via Collection Info nodes now behave as expected.
The Viewport Denoiser correctly applies to worlds with node trees.

In addition, interactive rendering no longer stops responding when node connections change mid-render—a long-standing production annoyance.

Update 1 recap

For those catching up, Update 1 (mid-2025) added V-Ray Scanned Materials for physically measured shaders, Cycles-to-V-Ray material conversion, and a redesigned Material UI. Those features remain available in Update 2, with improved node naming after Cosmos imports and smoother drag-and-drop creation of bitmaps.

Mac performance and GPU tweaks

The update includes GPU engine changes: removal of Subdivs parameters for certain settings, adjusted light-intensity limits based on units, and performance improvements for interactive GPU sessions. Dynamic geometry loading has been optimised, reducing stutter during viewport updates.

Ecosystem position

Inside Chaos’s wider portfolio, this release tightens integration between Blender and Chaos Cloud, bringing Blender artists closer to the workflows long available in V-Ray for Maya or 3ds Max. Combined with the Dispatcher system and AI tools, Chaos is clearly aligning all DCC integrations under a shared cloud and material ecosystem.

Pricing and availability

V-Ray for Blender Update 2 is available now for Windows 10/11 and macOS 11.0 or newer. Licences can be purchased as a Blender-only subscription or included in any V-Ray Collection. Educational licences remain discounted. Pricing details are listed on the Chaos V-Ray for Blender page.

Reality check

As always, test new builds before production deployment. AI features and distributed rendering changes should be validated in-house for consistency across render nodes, especially in animation pipelines or asset-heavy scenes.

The post Chaos Adds macOS & AI to V-Ray for Blender first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

The release of Corona 14 by Chaos introduces a broad set of enhancements for artists working with 3ds Max and Cinema 4D. According to the official “What’s New” overview from Chaos, the update emphasises three areas: smarter AI-assisted workflows, advanced procedural materials and greater environmental and scene-context realism.

Gaussian Splats

One of the standout additions is support for Gaussian Splats, a novel method for scene reconstruction designed to accelerate the placement of buildings and objects within realistic contexts. Chaos describes this feature as enabling memory-efficient “splats” derived from real-world environments, which provide smoother surfaces, richer volumetric detail—meaning more accurate light and particle interactions with depth and atmosphere—and a more natural sense of depth in renderings.

Nighty-Night!

In the domain of night-time and atmospheric visualisation, Corona 14 expands its Sky system with the Night Sky feature. Artists can specify location, date and time to simulate moonlight, stars and the Milky Way, or manually adjust celestial elements for artistic control. The feature is fully animatable, offering potential benefits for time-lapses or cinematic render sequences without relying on external HDRIs (high dynamic range images).

Materials

Procedural material creation receives a boost with the Fabric Material, enabling the creation of realistic textiles via native control over weave structure, threads, opacity, bump and displacement without the need for external bitmap textures or complex node graphs. A set of presets is provided for rapid deployment.

On the AI-tooling front, Corona 14 introduces an AI Material Generator that takes a photo of a real surface and transforms it into a fully render-ready PBR (physically based rendering) material. The goal is to expedite creation of secondary materials that need little artistic input. An AI Image Enhancer improves detail and texture in supporting scene elements such as vegetation, people or terrain while preserving the core design; this tool supports sending LightMix results (lighting scenario composites) directly into the enhancer. An AI Upscaler enables conversion of low-resolution drafts into high-quality presentation imagery, potentially saving render time while maintaining crisp output. Users may toggle AI features on or off, giving full control for studios with strict AI policies.

And more ….

Performance and workflow refinements accompany these major features. Volume sampling for render-intensive volumetric effects such as fog, light rays or smoke is optimised. A new option enables rendering at double resolution and automatic downscaling on save, which, according to Chaos, may allow higher noise levels or fewer passes and thus reduce render time. The UI has begun a rewrite using Qt (initial phase), starting with the Physical Material interface.

The Virtual Frame Buffer (VFB 2) has been updated with a cleaner, more compact interface, simplified navigation and clearer icons; the Corona Image Editor now mirrors the VFB 2 look and feel, enabling tone mapping, LightMix variants and other post adjustments outside the host DCC (digital content creation) tool. Additional workflow improvements include triplanar controls inside the Corona Bitmap (no separate node setup required), multiple-camera export to Chaos Vantage (initial implementation) and docking of the VFB window in 3ds Max.

Corona 14 is listed as compatible with Autodesk 3ds Max versions 2018–2026 (64-bit) on Windows and with Maxon Cinema 4D R17–2026 on Windows and macOS. Subscription licensing is offered on monthly or yearly payment terms.

Get your Corona here

However, the true impact of features such as Gaussian Splats and the AI modules will depend on how they perform in real-world production environments. Testing before deployment remains essential.

The post Corona 14: Gaussian Splats, Night Sky & fabric-material first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Chaos Vantage 3 is out — and it’s not just another point update. The real-time renderer has graduated from “lookdev tool” to a proper ecosystem node, now supporting USD, MaterialX, and even AI-assisted material generation.

The upgrade makes Vantage a far more flexible bridge between traditional V-Ray pipelines and modern USD-based production workflows.

USD, MaterialX, and the End of Lock-In

Vantage 3 now reads and writes USD and MaterialX assets, meaning scenes can travel between 3ds Max, Maya, Houdini, and other DCCs with their look intact. The integration finally breaks Chaos’ walled-garden limitation, allowing artists to mix assets from different renderers without a round-trip bake-fest. Chaos also promises Hydra render delegate support in a future release, which would let Vantage render directly inside DCCs without separate exports. Not there yet – but clearly on the roadmap, we think/hope/fear.

AI Material Generator and In-App Editing

A built-in AI Material Generator now converts plain photos into physically based materials, producing maps for albedo, roughness, normal, and displacement. Combined with the new Material Editor, you can tweak these materials directly in Vantage without bouncing back to your host app. For quick turnarounds, that means less context-switching and fewer excuses for “placeholder grey.”

Volumetrics, Gaussian Splats, and Scene Complexity

Volumetric rendering brings fog, smoke, and atmospheric light to the viewport. Add the new Gaussian splat support, and you can combine real-world capture data (like LiDAR or photogrammetry scans) with ray-traced geometry in one real-time scene.

Chaos claims major performance gains for massive datasets: Vantage 3 can now handle “countless unique meshes” without grinding the GPU to dust. That’s an ambitious statement, but early tests suggest somewhat smoother navigation in large-scale architectural scenes.

Camera Tracking, Offset Animation, and Scatter Control

New camera tracking support imports real-world camera motion directly into Vantage, streamlining hybrid VFX workflows. Offset animation allows duplicating entire animated sequences with spatial variations, handy for crowd setups or modular action beats. The scatter clustering tools have also matured: objects can now be distributed by color maps, procedural layers, or direct painting, allowing denser and more natural vegetation layouts.

Night Skies, Selection Masks, and Cosmos Expansion

A new Night Sky mode renders stars, the Milky Way, and moon phases based on location, date, and time or entirely by hand if you prefer cosmic fiction (James Cameron would have needed that!). Selection Masks allow exporting B&W object mattes directly from Vantage for compositing or color correction. And Chaos expanded the Cosmos library by more than 5,000 new assets, including 1,300 people, 2,000+ vegetation items (with Asian species), and 1,800 pieces of furniture and props.

Pricing and Availability

Chaos Vantage 3 is available now via subscription from Chaos, free for users with active V-Ray Premium or Enterprise licenses. Everyone else can try it under the free tier with feature limits. Nothing beats free, though GPU time will still make you pay.

Verdict

For visualization and lookdev artists, Vantage 3 feels less like a companion to V-Ray and more like its real-time twin. With USD and MaterialX, Chaos finally joins the open-standard conversation; with AI materials and volumetrics, it edges closer to a production-ready preview engine. As always, real-world performance will decide whether it becomes a daily driver or just a very shiny sandbox.

The post Chaos Vantage 3 Released: USD, MaterialX, AI Materials & Volumetric Rendering first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

For 3ds Max users who’ve spent years assigning “Material_01_final_FINAL_NOREALLYFINAL_v2” to everything, Chaos delivers two new AI features in V‑Ray 7 Update 2. The AI Material Generator (beta) builds PBR materials straight from your photos, producing the maps you need and putting them right into the Cosmos asset library.

Because nothing says “workflow optimization” like skipping the endless tweaking of reflection values. The AI Enhancer (beta) spots people, trees, and “important stuff” in your renders, then cranks up realism without touching the rest, so you can keep your archviz hero trees and entourage in Instagram shape, no matter how late you imported them.

Both features are still in beta—test on throwaway scenes before dropping them into a client delivery, unless your client’s review system also supports beta feedback.

Night Sky for Max: Astronomically Accurate, Artistically Flexible

Staring at 3ds Max’s viewport at 2 AM and wondering what the sky looks like? Now you don’t have to guess. The new Night Sky system lets you control stars, constellations, moon phases, and the Milky Way—down to the correct date and geographic location. If your creative director asks, yes, you can override for “more magic.” If your client’s house faces south, so will the moon. Sun Node updates also mean more options for daylight mood tweaks, even for those who think “astronomically accurate” is a buzzword.

3D Streaming: Present Scenes to Clients (Who Think Max Is a Video Editor)

The new Chaos Cloud 3D Streaming lets you toss your scene up to the cloud, send a URL, and watch your clients spin the camera, sometimes even in the right direction. No extra hardware, software, or long support emails required. Anyone can add comments or draw on the scene, and no one has to actually open 3ds Max, which should reduce the average blood pressure in your feedback cycles. Like all things online, this feature is in beta, so enjoy it while it’s still fun.

Triple-Speed GPU Rendering: Because Deadlines Aren’t Flexible

Thanks to Chaos’s backend overhaul, Chaos Cloud GPU rendering is now up to three times faster and “cost-efficient.” If you’re rendering Gaussian Splats (newly supported locally and in cloud), or playing with V‑Ray Luminaires or GPU caustics, you get more results for less time and memory. Yes, that means your boss can ask for more changes at 4:30 PM and you might still get home before midnight.

Features for the Few Who Read Changelogs

Update 2 is packed with smaller features to improve the life of anyone who still launches 3ds Max willingly. You get 256 LightMix lights (one for each of your sanity levels), RAW denoising workflow optimizations, improved DR with better progressive load-balancing, and true multithreaded rendering in complex scenes. The viewport proxy system is also faster, letting you see assets while the rest load in the background. Multi-import from Chaos Cosmos now works for entire furniture catalogs (for those archviz deadlines), while OpenPBR brings shader consistency if you dare export to other apps.

You also get proper front-and-backside texture mapping for the next time your client wants two logos on the same napkin. The new mapping-source and probability columns in MultiSubTex let you fine-tune randomization without writing scripts. Scatter clustering is now available via noise, colour, or (brace yourself) a paintbrush.

Pricing and Availability

V‑Ray 7 Update 2 for 3ds Max is available now for versions 2020 through 2026 on the Chaos website. Remember: All new tools, especially beta features, should be tested before using in production. Your client’s “quick feedback” will be far less entertaining if the scene crashes on delivery.

The post Chaos V‑Ray 7 Update 2 for 3ds Max: Now With 300% More Night Sky (And AI for Those Who Miss Deadlines) first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.