© Bertrand Benoit

Table of Contents

Release Notes for V-Ray 5 for Unreal, update 1




New Features


Unreal Engine

  • Support for Unreal Engine 4.27



 

Geometry

  • Initial support for Skeletal Meshes



 

Render element

  • Implemented Light Mix render element and LightMix Source in VFB



Modified Features


Performance

  • Optimized Interactive rendering performance and responsiveness




Fixes


Installer

  • Bug with auto detection the Unreal Engine's installation directory



Release Notes for V-Ray 5 for Unreal



Official Release

Date – August, 2021




New Features


V-Ray

  • Updated V-Ray core to version 5.10.03
  • Blue Noise Sampling
  • Initial Out of core support (only V-Ray proxy geometry)
  • Improved Trace depth for reflection and refraction rays




New VFB

  • New implementation of VFB with integrated Layers compositing




Denoiser

  • Implemented Intel® Open Image Denoise



Geometry

  • Support for geometry pivot offset




Materials

  • Support for Coat layer in VRayMtl




Export .vrscene

  • Added export only selected nodes to .vrscene



Modified Features


V-Ray Bake

  • Implemented Custom preset that takes settings from V-Ray Settings tab



Installer

  • Updated Installer



License Server

  • Updated Online License Server in installer to 5.5.4




Chaos Cloud

  • Updated Chaos Cloud Client in installer to 1.13.0






Release Notes for V-Ray Next for Unreal, update 3.2




Official Release

Date – March, 2021




New Features


Unreal Engine

  • Support for Unreal Engine 4.26



Modified Features


License Server

  • Updated Online License Server in installer to 5.5.3




Chaos Cloud

  • Updated Chaos Cloud Client in installer to 1.1.0






Release Notes for V-Ray Next for Unreal, update 3.1




Official Release

Date – October, 2020




Modified Features


Installer

  • Improved installer initialization speed




.vrscene Import

  • Grouping of objects in World Outliner based on type and layers in host DCC

.vrscene Export

  • Improved exported .bat file when exporting light bake atlas .vrscenes




Bug Fixes


V-Ray Bake

  • Light map EXRs modified in Photoshop import as black

  • Process Atlases not extracting EXRs from a very long path
  • Failed to export EXRs to a non-latin name path

.vrscene Import

  • Crash on reimport of Light mesh in UE 4.25

.vrscene Export

  • Port number doesn't export correctly in generated .bat file





Release Notes for V-Ray Next for Unreal, update 3




Official Release

Date – June, 2020


New Features


Chaos Cloud

  • Support for Chaos Cloud - Rendering and Light baking (info) 




 UX

  •  Notification if the user is rendering in the viewport with disabled realtime option



Materials

  • Added SideColor option representing Fresnel in VRayMtl (info)




MAX Script

  • V-Ray Material Optimizer MAX script for texture baking and material simplification  (info)



Modified Features


License Server

  • Updated Online License Server in installer to 5.5.0




Bug Fixes


Materials

  • Serialization mismatch crash in certain situations with AlphaComposite blend mode in VRayMtl

  • Refraction input clamping colors above 1.0

Lights

  • LightMesh not exporting correctly when set to "Invisiblе"

Installer

  • Standalone Render Server installation fails to locate vray.exe





Release Notes for V-Ray Next for Unreal, update 2.7



Official Release

Date – May, 2020



New Features


Unreal

  • Support for Unreal Engine 4.25 




 V-Ray Bake

  • Process Atlases - Extract light maps from single or multiple atlases saved in .exr files (info)


  • Export Light bake .vrscenes from the V-Ray Scene Export Options (info)


 Lights

  • Support for V-Ray mesh lights  (info)


  • Support for Unreal Sky light  (info)


Render Elements

  • Support for Cryptomatte render element (info)



 Geometry

  • Initial support for Unreal Landscape Actor (info):
    • Landscape specific material expressions:LanscapeLayerBlend, LandscapeLayerCoords, LandscapeLayerSwitch, LandscapeLayerWeight, LanscapeVisibilityMask are not yet supported.




  • Support for Static and Dynamic Shadow casting for Actors


 Packaging

  • V-Ray materials can now be packaged for mobile platforms




Modified Features


.vrscene Import

  • Imported static meshes have assigned materials



Bug Fixes


V-Ray Bake

  • Crash when aborting light bake



Geometry

  • Error when hidden Brush geometry




Release Notes for V-Ray Next for Unreal, update 2.6



Official Release

Date – January, 2020


New Features


 Unreal

  • Support for Unreal Engine 4.24 



 Geometry

  • Support for Unreal Brushes geometry 



 UI

  • Track Active Render View option to get the current render view aspect ratio being it either camera filmback settings or viewport in V-Ray Settings (info)



Modified Features


V-Ray

  • Improved speed on render and .vrscene export initialization



.vrscene Export

  • Generates .bat file to be used in standalone rendering (info)



VFB

  • Improved speed when opening VFB





Bug Fixes


V-Ray

  • VFB history and adjustments settings resets when closing

  • Unreal material with Unlit shading model not generating GI
  • Export failed for Cube Texture with Default compression settings
  • Rendering expressions in different Normal spaces
  • Crash when rendering substance materials





Release Notes for V-Ray Next for Unreal, update 2.5



Official Release

Date – December, 2019


New Features


 Texture

  • Support for Color Corrections in Unreal texture asset editor
    • Brightness
    • Brightness Curve
    • Vibrance
    • Saturation
    • RGBCurve
    • Hue



 UI

  • Added shortcut from V-Ray drop-down menu to in Project settings (info)


  • OptiX render mode (Experimental) in V-Ray Settings tab (info)


  • Dedicated button and dialogue window to save .vrscene file



V-Bake

  •  Support for generating low quality(mobile) lightmaps when lightbaking




Modified Features


V-Ray

  • Improved speed when using Unreal materials in render and lightbake




UI

  • Moved VRay CUDA GPU Device Selection to V-Ray category in Project Settings (info)



.vrscene Import

  • Better .vrscene import progress reporting and monitoring



Bug Fixes


.vrscene Import

  • Crash when importing meshes without normal data




V-Ray

  • Bugs with Normal map input producing incorrect shading

  • "Affects World" property in Unreal lights not updating in IPR
  • Bug with Dome light texture rotation in interactive does not update properly
  • Crash when switching levels while rendering using VRayPhysicalCamera
  • Bug "Use Custom Start Frame" option in Sequencer not exporting properly
  • Exposure not exporting correctly in Sequencer animation when using "3d Max Compatible" in VRayPhysicalCamera
  • Exception in CORE when network error occurs and bitmaps fail to load
  • Directional light renders black with certain color values
  • V-Ray material thumbnail preview mesh might randomly disappear





Release Notes for V-Ray Next for Unreal, update 2.4


Official Release

Date – November, 2019


New Features


 UI

  •  Added V-Ray Icons in Modes panel to V-Ray Assets (info)



Camera

  •  Added Near Clip Plane functionality to VRayPhysicalCamera (info)
100
300

VRayPhysicalCamera Near Clip Plane Value


Modified Features


V-Ray

  • Support for Unreal expressions – SetMaterialAttributes, GetMaterialAttributes (info) 
  •  Improved speed when using Unreal materials in render and lightbake




V-Ray Bake

  • Improved visual quality of shadows when lightbaking


Before
Current


Bug Fixes


V-Ray Bake

  • Fixed crash when rebaking actors and loading lightmaps





Release Notes for V-Ray Next for Unreal, update 2.3



Official Release

Date – October , 2019

New Features


V-Ray

  • Support for Unreal Engine 4.23 (Recommended use after 4.23.1)  
  • Support for import automation of vrscene via python script (info)
  • Automatic saving of rendered still images in Unreal viewport when in non interactive mode  (info)
  • In-product update notifier (info)

Lights

  • Support for Temperature parameter in native Unreal lights

UI

  •  Functionality to cancel vrscene import (info)


Modified Features


UI

  • Modified UI of V-Ray Scene Import Options dialog (info)
  •  Animated render states for V-Ray Bake icon (info)

V-Ray

  • Support for Unreal expressions – RotateAboutAxis (info)

Installer

  • Updated Online License Server in installer to 5.2.3

V-Ray Bake

  • Improved speed processing and storing of rendered lightmap atlases (info)


 

Bug Fixes


V-Ray

  • Missing VRay CUDA GPU Device Select from UI

  • Actors with same ID Names not exporting correctly

  • Incorrect render elements settings when rendering sequencer animation

  • Crash when closing Unreal while rendering

  • Crash when Render Element Light Select has listed lights that are hidden in the level

  • V-Ray Settings are empty when Project Startup Map is set to None

Materials

  • Missing Shader Balls preview in Content Browser for V-Ray Materials



Release Notes for V-Ray Next for Unreal, update 2.2


Official Release

Date – August 29, 2019


New Features


V-Ray

  • Moved to CORE version 4.20
  • Render resolution and Lightmap Atlas resolution presets
  • Lightmap baking progress bar

Geometry

  • Support for Cast Shadows option for Static Mesh Actors

Textures

  •  Support for "Flip Green Channel" option in Normal textures


Modified Features


Import

  • Improved the import of GeomMeshFile with identical vrmeshes

Installer

  • Removed the check for running Epic Games launcher when installing the plugin

Materials

  • Improved support for Unreal expressions - VertexColor, ObjectRadius, ObjectPositionWS


 

Bug Fixes


V-Ray

  • Static Meshes with zero area UVs cause an Exception in CORE error when light baking
  • Camera rotation bug when orbiting around mesh with ALT+Mouse
  • Resolution capped to 11585
  • Assertion crash with viewport rendering when using DX12
  • Preparing scene progress goes above 100%
  • Switching between level maps does not stop rendering or baking process
  • Two Sided option not exporting correctly with VRayMtl, VRayCarpaintUberMtl, VRayPBRMtl



Release Notes for V-Ray Next for Unreal, update 2.1



Official Release

Date – July 18, 2019


Bug Fixes


V-Ray

  • V-Ray Light Bake memory leak
  • Issue with support of multiple GPUs
  • Issue with transparent native materials in Light bake



Release Notes for V-Ray Next for Unreal, update 2



Official Release

Date – June 26, 2019



New Features


V-Ray

  • Export/import functionality of lightmaps

Lights

  • Rendering of DatasmithAreaLight

Camera

  •  Quadratic and Cubic distortion types to VRayPhysicalCamera


Modified Features


V-Ray

  • Project path is new default directory for "Export VRScene Path" option

Lights

  • Point Light Source radius working in IPR

Materials

  • Improved support for Unreal expressions - TwoSidedSign, Time


 

Bug Fixes


V-Ray

  • Static meshes with identical names in different folders do not render correctly
  • Lights in Blueprints are exported at BP pivot point
  • "Use Local Host" option not working in Light bake
  • "Cannot send asset" error when in DR
  • Incorrect Lightmaps is applied when some level actors are hidden
  • CUDA Error 700 when "Export failed for the ... texture"
  • CUDA error 700 when baking TwoSidedFoliage material
  • "Error in last lightbake: File write error"



Release Notes for V-Ray Next for Unreal, update 1



Official Release

Date – May 28, 2019



New Features


V-Ray

  • Support for Unreal Engine 4.22
  • Toggle option for sky in VRaySunAndSky
  • Option to remove local host from DR
  • "Transfer Missing Assets" option in DR
  • Progress report logging when computing long task
  • Directional parameter in VRayLightRect
  • Light options to V-Ray Lights - Affect Diffuse, Affect Specular, Affect Reflections
  • Support for Specular Scale for Unreal lights


Modified Features


V-Ray

  • Viewport rendering with Translucent shading model
  • Speed and memory utilization when V-Ray Light Bake
  • Support for Unreal shading models - Subsurface, Two Sided Foliage
  • Support for Unreal expressions - Pixel Depth
  • UI layout in V-Ray Settings and V-Ray Light Bake Settings


 

Bug Fixes


V-Ray

  • Bug with lightmaps having offset
  • Performance slow down during UV tree preparation in V-Ray Light Bake
  • Crash in cooked games packaged in Shipping configuration
  • Issues with metallic or highly reflective materials to appear black after V-Ray Light Bake
  • Intensity mismatch between viewport and render when using Directional Light



Release Notes for V-Ray Next for Unreal, update 



Official Release

Date – March 13, 2019



New Features


V-Ray

  • Viewport rendering functionality
  • Support for Unreal tonemapper and post effects (in viewport rendering only)
  • Dedicated V-Ray Bake settings
  • Telemetry


Modified Features


V-Ray

  • Dome Tex Resolution parameter in VRayLightDome blueprint
  • Functionality for creating, deleting and hiding actors in the level while in IPR rendering
  • Support for "Tangent Space Normal" checkbox option in Material
  • Support for Unreal expressions: Arccosine, Arcsine, Arctangent, Arctangent2, Logarithm2, Tangent, World Position

Installer

  • Updated Online License Server in installer to 5.2.2


Bug Fixes


V-Ray

  • "Launch V-Ray Render Server (Unreal)".exe file path
  • Issue with Sky texture not updating in IPR
  • Issues when using Normal maps in Materials



Release Notes for V-Ray Next for Unreal, Hotfix 3



Official Release

Date – February 01, 2019



New Features


V-Ray

  • Support for rendering Unreal materials with V-Ray Hybrid rendering on both CPU and GPU
  • Added the VRayMtl, VRayPBRMtl and VRayCarpaintMtl to the V-Ray Category in the Add New drop down menu in the Content Browser


Modified Features


V-Ray

  • Support for Unreal Shading Models: Clear Coat
  • Interactive update for native Unreal materials.
  • Support for Unreal expressions: Bump Offset, CameraPositionWS, ConstantBiasScale, ReflectionVectorWS, Screen Position, SphereMask, TransformVector, VertexNormalWS, ViewProperty
  • Error reporting for unsupported Unreal materials, expressions, blend modes and shading models 

Installer

  • Updated Online License Server in installer to 5.2.1


Bug Fixes


V-Ray

  • Errors due to NVidia driver dependencies
  • Crashes if unsupported expressions, blend modes and shading models are used



Release Notes for V-Ray Next for Unreal, Hotfix 2



Official Release

Date – December 05, 2018



Modified Features


V-Ray

  • Support for Unreal Engine 4.21
  • Interactive update for native Unreal materials.
  • Support for Unreal expressions - Ceil, Floor, FMod, Frac, If, Min, Round, Sign, Truncate expressions

Light Bake

  • Improved speed of light bake



Bug Fixes


V-Ray

  • V-Ray exporter in sequencer
    • Export for custom start frame
    • Export for sequencer camera cuts using multiple cameras
    • Difference in color space in VFB and saved image
    • VRay CUDA GPU Device Select not working with sequencer animation



Release Notes for V-Ray Next for Unreal, Hotfix 1



Official Release

Date  November 15, 2018



Modified Features


V-Ray

  • Responsiveness of UI during interactive render

Light Bake

  • Improved speed of light bake

Installer

  • Updated Online License Server in installer to 5.1.2

Teleport Blueprint

  • Updated Teleport BP to get exposure from listed cameras


Bug Fixes


V-Ray

  • V-Ray not loading in Unreal if no supported devices are set in device select
    • Fallback to using CPU device if no supported devices are set in device select
  • Render Server shortcut not pointing to correct file path


Light Bake

  • Light bake not using devices set in V-Ray CUDA GPU Device Select
  • CUDA error during light baking





Release Notes for V-Ray Next for Unreal



Official Release

Date  November 08, 2018



New Features


V-Ray

  • Log V-Ray messages in Unreal's Message Log
  • Basic support for importing Displaced Static Meshes
  • Output a list of the Static Meshes in the atlas currently baked


Modified Features


V-Ray

  • Support for Unreal Materials - Masked, Translucent, Alpha Composite Blend Modes and Unlit Shading Model


Bug Fixes


Light Bake

  • Crash when light baking Static Meshes with overlapping UVs





Release Notes for V-Ray Next for Unreal, beta 2



Beta release

Date – October 30, 2018


New Features


Light Bake

  • Initial implementation of V-Ray Bake

Materials

  •  Initial support for Unreal native materials

Geometry

  • Support for Foliage system

Render

  • Initial support for Sequencer animation

Modified Features


Installer

  • Request confirmation about version being uninstalled during installation process 

UI

  • Reworked UI
  • Integrated GPU device select tool in V-Ray Settings
  • Global Shadow Bias parameter
  • Fallback material for use when rendering unsupported materials
  • Quick settings quality presets slider
  • Export VRScene path option
  • Auto Exposure and Auto White Balance options
  • Undersampling option

Camera

  • Support for Depth of Field in VRayPhysicalCamera

Materials

  • Improve parity for VRayMtl material  

  • Support for SeflIllumination material
  • V-Ray Materials are now included in the packaging/cooking process

Lights

  • Updated VRaySunAndSky sky model
  • Support for Unreal Intensity Units in Lights
  • Support for 4.20 RectLight
  • Support for Light Source Angle in Directional Light
  • Support for default intensity unit at import for Spotlight, Omni, Sphere Light, Rectangle Light

Geometry

  • Improved support for VRay Proxy (vrmesh)

Render

  • Update responsiveness and speed of IPR
  • Support for interactive mesh material update
  • Support for interactive material parameters update
  • Stop renderer when noise threshold is reached in non-interactive session

Render Elements

  • Added :
    • NVidia AI Denoiser
    • Background, GI, Lighting, Reflection, Refraction, Specular, Self Illumination, Sub Surface Scattering
    • Diffuse Filter, Reflection Filter, Refraction Filter, Shadows, Atmosphere
    • RenderID
    • Normals, Bump Normals, Sampler Info, Velocity, ZDepth
    • Light Select
    • Sample Rate, Unclamped Color, Noise Level

VFB

  • Dedicated button for opening the VFB
  • Always on top VFB


VR

  • V-Ray Teleport Blueprints separated in an additional plugin





Release Notes for V-Ray Next for Unreal, beta



Beta release

Date – April 05, 2018


New Features


vrscene Support

  • Automatic convert of materials and lights into real-time equivalents for UE workflows
  • Keeping original materials from the imported vrscene connected to their real-time versions and are using them for raytraced rendering


Camera

  • Support for the VRayPhysicalCamera
  • Support for the 3ds Max’s Physical Camera
  • Initial implementation of exposure and color mapping


Materials

  • Support for VRayMtl material (including partial VRay2SidedMtl)

  • Initial implementation of a PBR material
  • Initial implementation of an easy to use car paint material
  • V-Ray materials are supported natively in UE and are working with Lightmass baking, Lights, Reflection probes, Post process materials, Blueprints

     


Lights

  • Support for VRayLightDome, VRayLightRectangle, VRayLightSphere, VRayLightIES, UE Spot light, UE Point light, UE Direct light
  • Initial implementation of the V-Ray Sun&Sky system

Render

  • Initial implementation of interactive rendering
  • V-Ray Hybrid rendering on both GPU and CPU
  • Using the V-Ray Next GPU engine


Distributed Rendering

  • Support for DR


Render Elements

  • Support for the V-Ray Denoiser

         

Textures

  • Support for VRayTriplanarTex


VFB

  • Support for the VFB
  • Render History window implemented


VR Mode

  • Support for the VR mode in the Unreal Editor