Fresh Update: V-Ray 3.0 for 3ds Max Now Supports 3ds Max 2015

May 29, 2014 by Leave a comment

V-Ray_Andrey-Kobushenko

A new update for V-Ray 3.0 for 3ds Max 2015 is now available for download. In addition to support for 3ds Max 2015, Chaos Group has added a new VrayPointParticleMtl material. This is a free update for current V-Ray 3.0 for 3ds Max users.

This update also includes:

  • V-Ray: Added option to the .vrmesh exporter to automatically create a Multi/Sub-Object material when exporting multiple objects in a single file
  • V-Ray RT CPU: Added lights include/exclude list support
  • V-Ray RT: Implemented showing Safe Frame when rendering in a viewport
  • VRayProxy: Added option to render particles as points
  • VRayProxy: Added option to enable/disable Alembic full names support in visibility lists
  • V-Ray MetaballsVRayProxy: Added support for hair and particles color channels from Alembic
  • VRayProxy: Make the “Animation offset” parameter animatable

    • To purchase additional licenses or for more information, please visit: ArchVision.com for the latest on feature update availability. Click product version for current purchase options.

    Licensed users may access the update directly from Chaos Group here.

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    LHB Minneapolis Office Renderings Submitted for LEED® CI Platinum

    March 10, 2014 by 3 Comments

    Gathering Space, LHB, Inc, Minneapolis

    Gathering Space, LHB, Inc, Minneapolis

    LHB is dedicated to being environmentally responsible, reducing long term operating costs, and improving the quality of life for their clients. This is true even when they are their own clients. LHB is pursuing LEED® CI Platinum certification for their Minneapolis office.

    In this project, RPC Content helps communicate the size and the new collaborative environment the Minneapolis LHB offices offer. The design features of the space, such as overhead fabric ductwork and LED lighting, are part of an effort to gain Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) Platinum designation for commercial interiors from the U.S. Green Building Council.

    We always enjoy seeing customer projects and how they utilize RPC Content. In this project, renderings were completed in Revit. ArchVision RPC Content was ‘ghosted’ in Photoshop and then merged into the Revit scene for final output. Project design by Bruce Cornwall, models by Nick Vreeland, and renderings by Daniel Stine.

    For tutorials on RPC lighting and techniques, please visit our help site. To see how to place RPC Content into Revit scenes, view our video tutorials. Get started using RPC Content, download ArchVision Dashboard here.

    Meeting Spaces Final 03

    Meeting Space, LHB, Inc, Minneapolis

    LHB ranked as one of the top engineering and architectural firms in the nation by Engineering News-Record (ENR), Architectural Record, and as a 2013 Hot Firm by ZweigWhite.

    LHB ranked No. 381, up from No. 463 two years ago, in the ENR Top 500 Design Firms List. In addition, LHB placed No. 249 on Architectural Record’s Top 300 Architecture Firms List, and No. 45 on The Zweig Letter Hot Firm List.

    Phone Booth Final 01

    Phone Booth, LHB, Inc, Minneapolis

    Want to see your firm featured?

    Share your project with us. Contact us at dfife@archvision.com

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    V-Ray 3.0 Launches: Faster Ray Tracing and Rendering Performance

    February 4, 2014 by Leave a comment

    Image Credit: Artwork by FAMA, Courtesy Chaos Group

    Image Credit: Artwork by FAMA, Courtesy Chaos Group

    V-Ray 3.0 introduces a powerful set of new features and improvements. If you’ve been waiting to upgrade, now is the time to invest in an improved production-focused rendering engine:

    Artist-friendly Controls
    Designed with new and experienced users in mind, V-Ray 3.0 offers a simplified user interface with fast access to common settings.

    Render set up is now faster and easier with V-Ray 3.0’s Quick Settings. Artists can choose from a variety of production presets and fine tune quality with slider controls. And a new V-Ray Toolbar puts all popular V-Ray tools in one place.

    Faster Ray Tracing and Rendering Performance
    Optimizations to V-Ray’s ray tracing core make rendering in V-Ray 3.0 significantly faster. Depending on scene complexity beta users are reporting speed increases up to 5X.

    Faster Feedback
    Using a powerful path-tracing engine, V-Ray 3.0’s new Progressive Image Sampler delivers instant feedback to artists and makes look development faster and more intuitive.

    An improved V-Ray Frame Buffer adds Lens Effects and advanced color corrections for Contrast, HSL, and Color Balance.

    Production-Focused Tools
    New tools designed to give artists more control and flexibility include Max Ray Intensity, Probabilistic Light Sampling, Reflection/Refraction Trace Sets, and Render Mask to specify exact render regions with an object selection or image mask.

    Open Source Workflows
    Support for open source tools and formats include Alembic 1.5, Deep Images and OpenEXR 2.0, programmable OSL shaders, and advanced color management with OpenColorIO.

    V-Ray 3.0 also introduces new licensing and pricing policy:

    Here are the highlights:

    • Universal render nodes to be used across multiple 3D platforms (V-Ray 3.0 for 3ds Max and Maya will be the first tools to support the universal render nodes).

    • Workstation Licenses to reduce the cost for an individual user license.

    Purchase Options
    Workstation and Bundle Licenses available here.

    Have more questions?
    We can provide quotes to you for your studio, assist with set-up planning and help you determine what will best meet your needs. Contact us at support@archvision.com or call us Monday – Friday, 9am-5pm ET, +1 859.252.3118 ext 117.

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    Add a License Promotion to Celebrate the New Year

    December 31, 2013 by Leave a comment

    ArchVision

    Thanks for helping make 2013 a great year! It has certainly been a busy one. We’re excited about all of the new projects in the works for 2014. We couldn’t have done it without you. To say thank you and help boost your license pool ArchVision is offering a special promotion to add additional licenses and save.

    Use the following promotion codes at archvision.com checkout to add an ArchVision Software License.

    ADDAUSER to add a user license for $149

    ADDAFLOAT to add a floating license for $299

    Limited time offer valid through January 10th. License renews at regular price.

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    Learn How to Render RPCs in Autodesk 360 RaaS

    December 11, 2013 by Leave a comment

    Join us tomorrow December 12, 2013, 2:00 pm EST for a live webinar – Rendering RPCs in RaaS. We’ll show just how easy it is! View it here: http://archvision.com/live #A360 #AU2013 topics.

    ArchVIsion December Webinars

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    Live Webinar Tomorrow: Discover What’s New with ArchVision RPC and Revit

    November 19, 2013 by 1 Comment

    Live Webinar 11-20-2013

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    The Wait is Over! Autodesk 360 Cloud-based Rendering for RPC Content is Available.

    November 12, 2013 by 5 Comments

    cloud2Since the release of Autodesk 360 Cloud-based Rendering, the demand to render RPC Content in the cloud has been constant. Initially, only the in-application RPC entourage rendered in the cloud. After much collaboration between ArchVision and Autodesk, RPC rendering support is now available for all ArchVision Dashboard RPC Content objects. Please keep in mind that this is early in the release cycle; user feedback is critical. Let us know how your experience goes!

    How do I enable support?
    To enable support for rendering RPCs in Autodesk 360 download the Autodesk Revit 2014 Update Release 2 from the Autodesk Revit Services & Support page.

    How do I place RPC Content into my Revit Project?
    To take advantage of this feature simply Drag & Drop RPC objects from ArchVision Dashboard into your Revit project and then click on Render in Cloud under View. For instructions on using RPCs in Revit, please click here.

    Which RPC Content is supported?
    Every RPC that is featured in ArchVision Dashboard will render. Custom created RPC Content support is coming soon! ArchVision Dashboard provides the platform for a series of new features, including RPC Drag & Drop into Revit and will also enable support for RPC Custom Content in the future. We are seeking beta testers now. Email us at support@archvision.com for more information.

    Things to Know
    To ensure correct rendering results, please use a camera view. At present, orthographic views are presenting unpredictable results. This is a known issue and is being addressed. Some users are reporting ‘Unknown Errors’ with job submissions. This is also being investigated. If you experience other issues, please report them to Autodesk 360 and to our support@archvision.com channel.

    Watch for updates here at blog.archvision.com.

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    ArchVision Dashboard Configuration 101

    September 23, 2013 by 3 Comments

    Team ArchVision has been working to make RPCs easier to use than ever before. We’ve moved the licensing to the cloud and put path configuration right at your fingertips.

    I have created two easy-to-follow videos that show you how to configure paths in ArchVision Dashboard and configure RPC Plug-ins to connect to it.

    First, lets start with path configuration.

    Next, let me show you how to configure the RPC Plug-in to connect to the Dashboard

    Piece of cake. So what are you waiting for? Get your ArchVision Dashboard here.

    Help documentation is available here: help.archvision.com
    Support is available here: support.archvision.com

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    5 Rockin’ Revit Presentation Tips from Steven Shell, Architect

    August 29, 2013 by 1 Comment

    Revit Tips: Marketing + Proposal Process

    Revit Tips: Marketing + Proposal Process (image: Daniel Hughes, Bradley BIM)

    When you see a great blog post, you have to share it! Everyone enjoys learning Tips & Tricks to improve their workflow and they become more valuable when they improve your presentation. Daniel Hughes, of Bradley BIM, storyboards architect Steven Shell’s tips to show you how to make your Revit presentations “POP” for consultants, contractors and facility owners — without using Revit rendering or Adobe Photoshop. Hughes summarizes the 5 basic tips:

    1) Turn On Ambient Shadows in Hidden Line View
    2) Add Background Image to Hidden Line View
    3) Apply Graphic Override to Individual Element
    4) Apply Graphic Override to Category
    5) Switch Hidden Line View to Realistic View

    See Hughes’ complete storyboard that starts with a standard, Revit hidden-line Camera View and goes to a Revit Realistic View: Revit Presentation Tips.

    Like Daniel Hughes, we highly recommend you sign up for Steven Shell’s class at Autodesk University 2013. Registration opens September 12, 2013.

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    ArchVision Dashboard 2.0[beta] Update Released

    June 11, 2013 by Leave a comment

    ArchVision Dashboard 2.0[beta] released today. Beta user feedback continues to be incorporated.

    Key features include:

    Autodesk Revit Drag & Drop
    In addition to AutoCAD, 3ds Max and 3ds Max Design, Revit 2013 & 2014 now support RPC Drag & Drop. Local RPC Content may be dragged from Dashboard directly into your Revit 2013 or 2014 scene. We invite you check out this quick tutorial to see how it works and learn a couple tricks along the way:

     

    To enable Drag & Drop your RPC Content must be local and recognized as local by Dashboard and Revit. The thumbnail icon provides you an indicator so you can easily know the status.

    License management is now in the cloud! All RPC Plug-ins require a Dashboard on the same machine and the RPC Plug-in simply needs to point to your local Dashboard.

    Node-lock licenses
    Upon login your license will be detected and reflected in your Dashboard.

    Floating licenses
    Upon login, Dashboard will detect and check out an available floating license.

    Local RPC Content
    Dashboard scans and detects RPC Content. Local and custom content will populate. If you have custom RPC Content, a Custom RPC Channel will appear and populate with those objects. The scan occurs at start-up and when paths are added. Currently, we recommend you add a path to the specific folder(s) for an optimal experience.

    Want to try the latest beta and give us some feedback? Drop us an email and we will send you a link.

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