Chaos releases Vantage 2.5
Chaos has updated Vantage, its real-time ray tracing renderer, intended for exploring large V-Ray scenes in architectural visualization and visual effects projects.
Vantage 2.5 adds experimental support for VR headsets, shading-based rounded edges, and the ACEScg color space.
According to the release notes, the update was released last month, but Chaos has only just announced it publicly.
A GPU-accelerated ray tracer for exploring large production scenes in real time
First released in 2020, Vantage is a hardware-accelerated ray tracing renderer intended for exploring large V-Ray production scenes in near-real time.
The initial release was targeted at visualization, but in 2023 Chaos added support for rendering deforming meshes, like animated characters, and began pitching Vantage at VFX work.
Vantage 2.5: experimental support for VR headsets
Key changes in Vantage 2.5 include work-in-progress support for interactive rendering in virtual reality headsets.
The implementation is based on OpenXR, and is “compatible with all VR headsets”, including current models from Meta, HTC and Varjo, plus Windows Mixed Reality and SteamVR devices.
Animated object visibility, render-time rounded corners, and ACEScg support
Other changes include the option to animate partial object visibility, making it possible to fade objects in and out.
Vantage can also now generate rounded edges and corners at render time, via support for V-Ray’s VRayEdgesTex texture map.
DLSS, NVIDIA’s AI-based render upscaling and frame generation technology, version 3.5 of which is supported in Vantage, can now also be enabled in previs animations.
VFX artists get support for ACEScg color space.
Workflow and performance improvements
Workflow improvements include the ability to filter and sort scene objects, lights and cameras, and to drag and drop LUTs and key textures onto FilePath property labels.
Performance improvements include “5-10% faster” texture loading.
Outside the core application, vegetation assets from the Chaos Cosmos online library can now be rendered with wind animation.
Price and system requirements
Chaos Vantage is compatible with Windows 10+ and DXR-compatible AMD, Intel or Nvidia GPUs.
The software is rental-only, with subscriptions costing $108.90/month or $658.80/year.
Read a full list of new features in Chaos Vantage 2.5 in the online documentation
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