Chaos V-Ray 7, Update 2 (7.20.00) for Autodesk Revit

AI features
- AI Image Enhancer implemented. Use the “Enhance image on Cloud Collaboration (beta)” button in the VFB to upload the render for enhancement. Note that the Enhancer Data render element needs to be added to enable the new workflow
- AI Material Generator available in Cosmos - It takes a photo of a real-world surface and automatically converts it into a render-ready PBR material
- All AI features can be disabled with an environment variable CHAOS_DISABLE_GEN_AI = 1
Scatter
- Scatter is updated in numerous ways, including a reorganized interface for a more efficient user experience
- Scatter Look At feature is implemented. Enable it in the Transforms / Rotation section and pick a scene object to orient the instances towards
- Altitude Limitation is implemented. Use it to restrict the scatter effect based on an altitude range configuration
- Scatter Clustering is implemented. Use procedural noise or an input texture to control cluster formation
- Built-in Scatter distribution maps are now available in the Pattern drop-down menu. Use them to quickly add density variation
- Scatter Color Texture implemented. Use it to colorise instances based on the host surface’s color
- The default Scatter Area Modifier mode is now set to Exclude. The default falloff values are also updated for better initial results
- The Slope Limitation Scatter parameters are now grouped under a rollout with a toggle
- An issue with object alignment when Scatter spline scattering is used is resolved
- An issue preventing the Scatter Edge Trimming feature from working in specific situations is resolved (originally caused by significant scaling of the guests)
Gaussian Splats
- Gaussian Splats clipping implemented. Connect a distance texture referencing a scene object (with a black inside color and a white outside color) to the Clipping Texture slot of the Gaussian Splat to perform clipping
- Distance texture implemented
Night Sky
- Night Sky implemented. Enable Stars and Moon in V-Ray’s Sun and Sky system, and adjust the camera exposure to see the effect
Asset presets - Streamlined water and grass creation
- Asset Configuration Presets implemented. Apply a preset to the Generic material or Fur using the new Presets menu
- Water presets are added to the Generic material. Use them to quickly configure a water surface shader
- Water Surface texture is implemented (replacing the legacy Water map), offering advanced controls and built-in animation. It is used in the Water material presets.
- Grass presets are added to the V-Ray Fur modifier. Use them to quickly configure procedural grass with automatically created material applied to the grass strands. Note that the material is not automatically deleted when a different preset is applied (has to be manually deleted when no longer used)
- Strand Sampler texture implemented. Use it to vary a material color along the length of a Fur strand or randomly between strands
3D Streaming
- Use the Cloud upload window to send a model to the Chaos Cloud for interactive viewing / streaming
Texture randomisation
- Batch texture loading is implemented for the Multi-Sub texture. Use the Load Multiple Textures button to batch import image files
- Multi-Sub texture probability control implemented. Select the Random mode and change the probability of each item to alter the distribution
- Random Flip U/V controls added to the UVW Placement texture’s randomisation options
Eyedropper tool
- Eyedropper tool added to the V-Ray Color Picker. Use it to sample colors from anywhere on screen
- Eyedropper tool added to the Gradient texture. Use it to sample multiple colors from positions along a stroke drawn anywhere on screen
Cosmos
- Multi-asset import is now enabled
- Cosmos Scatter presets are now supported
- Thousands of new assets are added to the Cosmos asset library
VFB
- The Exposure layer is updated. Use the new Whites, Blacks, Highlight and Shadows controls enabling finer control over image grading
- The Highlight Burn parameter is removed from the Exposure VFB layer and reintroduced as part of the Linear Filmic tonemap
- An issue preventing VFB’s Save window from staying on top of the VFB is resolved
V-Ray GPU
- Gaussian Splats support added
- V-Ray Luminaires support added
- Caustics dispersion support added
- Caustics calculation is improved in stability, memory usage and performance
- An issue related to interactive rendering combined with material override of Cosmos assets is resolved
- Chaos Cloud GPU rendering is now significantly faster and more cost-efficient, thanks to a major infrastructure upgrade
Other Improvements & Bug Fixes
- AI Image Enhancer channel implemented. Add it before rendering to enable the AI Enhancement feature
- The Asset Preview no longer engages a render node license
- A new Illumination parameter is added to the Generic material's Volumetric Translucency. The two modes - Directional and Uniform - change how light is scattered
- VRScan material is renamed to Chaos Scan
- Negative values can now be used for Dirt texture’s distribution
- An issue with the Fur Taper parameter slider is resolved
- An issue preventing Decal displacement from working correctly is resolved
- An issue preventing Environment Fog > Affect Secondary Rays option from working correctly is resolved
- An error is no longer displayed in specific situations when loading scanned materials without a Scans license
- An issue with the Gradient texture's Position slider is fixed
- An issue causing an Asset Editor freeze when Falloff map is created in a material is resolved
- An issue with copying and pasting colors between color slots is resolved
- A typo in the About window’s notification message is fixed
- An issue preventing the Telemetry log file from being generated is resolved
- An issue causing new layers to disappear from a layered texture when wrapping in a gradient is resolved. The "Add Layer" button becomes inactive during the process.
- An issue causing error messages when changing the Chaos Cosmos proxy settings is resolved
- A typo in the Marble texture’s Color Vein parameter label is fixed
- An issue with the appearance of the Asset Editor when moving it between displays is resolved
Integration
- Render-time visibility can now be toggled for families in the Appearance Manager. Use this feature to hide objects used for clipping Gaussian Splats
- The VFB history Use Project Path option can now be used
- An issue related to the use of non-Latin characters is resolved
- The Min and Max values of the Lighting Analyses element are no longer incorrectly limited
- An issue causing errors after restarting the rendering process multiple times in specific projects is resolved
- An issue with the appearance of artificial Revit lights is resolved
- An issue causing error on attempt to open the Asset Editor or Cosmos Browser after exporting a vrscene with V-Ray disabled is resolved
- An issue preventing V-Ray Decal interactive rendering updates is resolved
- An issue preventing object referencing in the Distance texture is resolved
- An issue leading to a crash when applying Scatter during interactive rendering is resolved
- An issue causing a crash when closing Revit is resolved