Development Roadmap
Dear V-Ray Users, Dear C4D users
as many ask us we post here an oversight of our road map for next V-Ray development that is planned, so you can plan also your things, you can also always ask us direct via email or phone, the contact data is in section "contact" on this site. the current V-Ray Bridge uses the V-Ray 2.3 core, it is the version 1.2.6.2dd.
about future version we work on, please note that here is no release date yet fixed or available, we however work hard to get it ready as soon as possible. you can see in the video links below some nice features already running, (please note all given features are from todays point of view, the feature list can be different in final release):
Next Free Update VRAYforC4D 1.5 (V-Ray 2.4 core):
THE NEXT COMING UPDATE 1.5 IS FREE TO ALL USERS - as promised.
(please also note that the numbering of VRAYforC4D and other V-Ray versions cannot be compared direct 1:1 to other V-Ray versions. VRAYforC4D 1.2.6.2 already includes features and components of the V-Ray 2.35. core for example)
- full new Multipass system: we will implement all render elements known from V-Ray maya 2.3. they will have full control about filtering, see the render elements available in new vray:
http://www.spot3d.com/vray/help/200R...r_elements.htm this will allow very highend multipass workflow within c4d. it also has a new streamlines interface, which allows custom naming and order for channels. this is not dependent anymore on the c4d multipass ("post effect").
- Distributed Rendering: this feature allows rendering of one image accross several computers, buckets are rendering direct in picture viewer and even editor, using all cpu's in the network, it can be also used for animation if wanted. This already works in betas via the standalone vray version (needs no c4d installation on the nodes, no netrender), it is the same as V-Ray maya.
- full motion blur support: (including point level animation , deformations, particles, etc). this needs the vrscene system to surround the c4d issue with incompatible motion blur data from c4d. this is worked on for next 1.5 update
- V-Ray Car paint material: this is part in next update
- V-Ray hair BRDF 3 material: this is part in next update
- Flakes Material Channel: this is in the new 1.5 BRDF material as a new extra channel above the specular channels
- Procedual proxy Hair geometry: this is implemented into our V-Ray fast fur and MAXON hair, also part of next update, it takes almost no ram and renders very fast
- V-Ray standalone rendering (stills, animation, RT engine): this is part oft he next update, it allows you to render on any node without the need of a Cinema 4d installation (it uses a light weight vray standalone installation), you can render on V-Ray standalone then from 3dmax, maya or c4d on the same farm. When using standalone one uses the V-Ray native shaders. it is a cdm line renderer for V-ray, you can even use the RT engine as production renderer via cmdline interface.
- ALL V-Ray native shaders (in addition to the native C4D shaders): this is quite a big thing. We changed all to the new vrscene system, which brings all V-Ray native shaders to C4d, at the same time we managed to also keep the C4d native shading system. Vray supports then both systems at once (something V-Ray maya cant do ,it has only the vray shaders). Quite Some of the long list V-Ray shaders are very high end. Future new shaders Chaosgroup will add , can automatically load in C4d. this is part of next update.
- vrscene format saving (materials can be opened in max/maya, can render on standalone farms)
- Refraction & reflection interpolation: this we added as in vray max and is part of next update.
- direct camera mapping support (without pre converting to UVW): It also allows direct Camera mapping then (chaosgroups needs to finish that yet, they help on this). As side info: the new vray will use a new mapping core, so vray itself learned the native c4d mapping. So no more converison and hacks are needed then to translate the mappings from c4d to vray.
- Round edges feature: this we implemented in BRDF Material a checkbox for easy and flexible workflow. To bevels the corners of objects to make more real speculars in one click (in reality no edge is super sharp), it is already implemented and comes in next update.
- V-Ray Framebuffer(optionally to the c4d frame buffer): we can add this most likely on windows in next update, on osx in 2.0 update. overall the v14 C4D frame buffer has many advantages over the vfb, but in the vfb one can use the „buckets follow mouse“ feature. As it is a user wish we add it.
- „Fix dark edges“ checkbox in specular: this was added, and is in next update.
- V-Ray hdr bitmap loader: this is an extra new option to load (hdr) images, also tiled exr formats. Part of next update.
- V-Ray displacement: latest displacement enhencements added. Please note that zbrush vector dispalcement files do not work in V-Ray yet, this is ALSO so in V-Ray Max/Maya, we will need to wait for Chaosgroup to add this (sadly they need to rewrite parts of V-Ray displacement for this) . Normal displacement works fine from Zbrush. Vector displacement from Mudbox works too.
Info regarding free render nodes:
Also all users that buy VRAYforC4D continue to get full free, unlimited render nodes for free (to use with MAXON Net Render). this render nodes for NET Render will stay free also in future update 2.0(!)
Info regarding upgrade pricing, what is included if you buy V-Ray now:
1) The big VRAYforC4D 1.5 upgrade is FREE for all customers.
2) Additionally when you buy now version 1.2.6.2 (V-Ray 2.3 core) you get a special price reduction coupon, which guarantees you a special reduced price on the future update VRAYforC4D 2.0 of only 99.- Euro(!).
This ensures your investment into VRAYforC4D 1.2.6.2 today, and keeps the upgrading friendly and transparent.
here some info about the 1.5 development in our support forum, including a video previewing DR:
https://vimeo.com/user1191287/videos
the direct preview video link:
Please note that we can confirm 100% that a V-Ray compatibility update this year to possible 2013 MAXON updates will be published on SAME DAY as MAXON publishes their possible update.
if you have further questions please feel free to ask us per email, or phone.
For update VRAYforC4D 2.0 (using a V-Ray core near to v3.0):
- V-Ray RT gpu rendering: this works then inside c4d, supports cpu and gpu rendering via cuda and openCL. it also additionally supports Distributed GPU rendering, so all gpu's in the network(or cpus) can be used for the RT engine rendering. this needs the vrscene system we work on for 1.5 the V-Ray RT feature itself will
be in the update VRAYforC4D 2.0. the RT engine we implement has proxy support, motionblur, displacement, ies lights, dome light, render elements (multipass), AA filters (same as V-Ray 3.0 will have)
- Material loading via vrscene format: you will be able so save a material in maya p.e to vray scene and load in vray c4d.
- V-Ray toon shaders
- MetaSL material support.
- OSL support (Open Shading Language)
- tex baking
- V-Ray Lens effects
- V-Ray 3.0 features (not yet announced), like unbiased gi option, and other yet secret things, we will be able to implement some of the future 3.0 features already in this update. Due the vrscene usage, this is possible.
What cannot be in C4d V-Ray due limitations or missing features in the host application:
- Real Ptex support. VRAYforC4D supports the Blackstar Ptex plugin (which fakes Ptex via UVW), but real Ptex can only be supported in V-Ray if the host application ads this feature. so we hope Maxon adds this in nearer future.
best greetings
Stefan Laub
VRAYforC4D.com
CEO
p.s. please note this road map is the current view. we will follow these as close as possible, but keep the right to change anything if it is needed to ensure/improve project & development. Development of a render plugin depends on many different variables. which influences the timeframe and work amount needed. So a precise time predictions cannot be made, all are estimates on the current state of view.
A an important current project state info: currently our development is somehow delayed to initial planning, as quite eome more work had to be done to bring the new features into C4D. it is a full change to the native new vrscene compatible system, which V-Ray Maya also uses and which is now fully available. (plus the time the MAXON code change in v11.5+v12 did cost). it is or target to deliver the above updates as fast as any possible.
New: real dispersion
New: volumetric GI
for HQ visualisation:
