This page presents an overview of the Live-Link to Chaos Vantage feature.
Overview
Chaos Vantage is a powerful tool that allows you to explore and manipulate V-Ray scenes within a 100% ray-traced environment in real time. Additionally, you can export and send an animation for rendering directly from Maya.
Live-Link works with V-Ray 5, update 2.2 or later versions.
Visit the Chaos Vantage page for more information.
Installation
Before installing Vantage, make sure you have the latest official V-Ray for Maya build. Click on the download button to get the latest version. Make sure you have appropriate licenses and hardware. If you experience problems, please contact Chaos Support using the online form.
Download the latest Chaos Vantage build from the download button. Make sure you have appropriate licenses. If you experience problems, please reach us using the Support Form.
Start Live-Link to Vantage
The Live Link feature acts as a live preview of your scene, allowing you to instantly see any change you make in Maya through the Chaos Vantage viewport.
Live-Link cannot start while a render is running and vice versa - a render cannot start while Live-Link is running. In these cases, an error message appears in the Script Editor.
To start a Live-Link to Chaos Vantage, either click on the Vantage icon in the V-Ray Shelf, or:
Right-click the Vantage icon and select Initiate a Live-Link to Chaos Vantage.
Click the image to enlarge it.
V-Ray menu > Live-Link to Chaos Vantage > Initiate a Live-Link to Chaos Vantage
Click the image to enlarge it.
For more details on running Live-Link to Chaos Vantage, visit the Vantage page.
Start Animation Rendering with Vantage
The Animation Rendering feature acts as a quicker animation preview, allowing you to send the scene animation for a previz sequence in Chaos Vantage.
To start rendering animation with Chaos Vantage:
Right-click the Vantage icon and select Render Animation with Chaos Vantage.
Click the image to enlarge it.
V-Ray menu > Live-Link to Chaos Vantage > Render Animation with Chaos Vantage
Click the image to enlarge it.
For more details on sending animation to Chaos Vantage for rendering, visit the Vantage page.
Options
Initiate a Live-Link to Chaos Vantage – Initiates a Live Link session between Maya and Chaos Vantage.
Stop the Live-Link to Chaos Vantage – Stops the Live Link session.
Render Animation with Chaos Vantage – Exports and sends the current animation range to Chaos Vantage. Note that the animation considers the Time Slider's Animation Start/End options and the scene's FPS. Chaos Vantage prompts you to accept or change the animation settings, and to select a directory, where the animation is written.
Once the animation starts rendering, Maya's interface is disabled to prevent unwanted changes to the animation. To abort the animation, use the LiveLink Animation window that pops up.
Chaos Vantage Live-Link Settings – Allows you to change the Live Link port and select what happens with the live-link upon animation render end.
Settings
Port number – Sets the port for the live link server. Always make sure you are using the same port in both Maya and Chaos Vantage.
Keep live link active on render end – When enabled, after the animation is finished (rendering and saving the frames), the live-link between Maya and Vantage remains active. If disabled, once the animation is done, the live-link is stopped.
Temporary Limitation
Settings are only saved in the current session. Whenever you open a new Maya window, you need to set them again.
Supported Features
Not all V-Ray for Maya and Maya plugins are supported. For a full list, please visit the Supported Features page.