First version with Light Mix and native Cosmos browser.
Branded "Next" to signal a leap in AI-powered denoising and "smart" features like Auto Exposure and Auto White Balance.
This period saw V-Ray dominate the market. Version numbers were largely consistent across platforms (3ds Max, Maya, Softimage). vray all versions list
Tailored for heavy VFX, animation, and film production pipelines.
Elias looked at the error log on the screen. It was a mess of incompatible geometries and missing bitmaps. The file had been passed around three different architectural firms, each using a different version of 3ds Max and, crucially, a different version of V-Ray. First version with Light Mix and native Cosmos browser
| Major Ver | Year | Code Name / Alias | GPU Prod? | Denoiser | |-----------|------|-------------------|-----------|----------| | 1.0 | 2004 | Classic | No | None | | 2.0 | 2008 | RT | Hybrid | None | | 3.0 | 2013 | Progressive | Yes | OIDN | | Next (4) | 2018 | Scene Intel | Yes | OIDN+OptiX | | 5 | 2020 | VFB 2.0 | Yes | AI | | 6 | 2022 | Enmesh | Yes (Metal) | AI 1.5 | | 7 | 2024 | Neural | Yes (unified) | AI 2.0 |
The 2.x era focused on speed, optimization, and the integration of GPU technology to compete with emerging real-time renderers. It was a mess of incompatible geometries and missing bitmaps
Introduced Scene Intelligence . Features like the Adaptive Dome Light automatically analyzed environments, eliminating the need to set up portals for interior renders. It also brought the NVIDIA OptiX AI denoiser into the viewport.
Versions are categorized as:
It wasn't just a text file; it was a meticulously maintained database he called "The Chronology of Light." It was a list of every single V-Ray version ever released, organized by build number, feature set, and compatibility quirks. To a casual observer, it was dry data. To Elias, it was a map through a minefield.