Experience real-time ray tracing without leaving V-Ray. The latest V-Ray 7, update 3, integrates Chaos Vantage technology directly into your viewport, eliminating the need to switch windows or export files. By unifying real-time speed with production-proven reliability, you can now iterate faster and make more confident design decisions in a unified workflow.
Key takeaways:
- Real-time + photoreal available in V-Ray: Switch effortlessly between real-time and offline rendering directly in the V-Ray viewport without juggling extra windows.
- Pure 100% ray tracing: Unlike traditional real-time tools that use rasterization, this integration uses Chaos Vantage’s technology for true-to-life light behavior.
- Seamless design iteration: Every change to modeling, lighting, or materials updates instantly, even in complex scenes with millions of polygons.
Table of Contents:
- Why is this an important milestone?
- What can you do with real-time rendering in V-Ray?
- How to get started with real-time in V-Ray
- FAQs
For years, professionals have been forced to choose between the speed of real-time iteration and the photorealism of the industry gold standard, V-Ray.
Bridging that gap often meant juggling multiple applications, exporting files, and enduring workflow friction that killed creative momentum.
With the introduction of real-time rendering directly in the V-Ray viewport, that compromise is over. By integrating Chaos Vantage’s full ray tracing technology into your native environment, we’ve unified the workflow so you can iterate with speed and render with production-proven reliability, all in one window.
Read on to discover what this update means for your daily workflow and how you can start using it today.
Why is this an important milestone?
The primary value of V-Ray 7, update 3, and the introduction of real-time rendering is the removal of technical barriers that interrupt the design process.
As V-Ray founder Vlado Koylazov notes in the release video, while the previous live link between V-Ray and Vantage was successful, it was often inconvenient for users to jump between different applications.
By moving the real-time experience directly into the V-Ray viewport, we have created a seamless environment where:
- Immediate visual feedback is provided at final-frame quality without the need for extra windows.
- Faster iteration becomes possible, allowing you to make more confident decisions during the creative process.
- Smoother design reviews take place, as changes are reflected instantly
How is the real-time rendering in V-Ray different from traditional real-time tools?
What sets this milestone apart from traditional real-time tools is the underlying technology. Most real-time engines rely on rasterization or approximations to simulate light.
However, the real-time rendering in the V-Ray viewport is powered by Chaos Vantage’s full ray tracing technology. This means the light in your viewport behaves exactly as it does in the real world. You can achieve stunning realism in real-time using real-life cameras, lights, materials, and global illumination.
This ensures that the quality, reliability, and scalability V-Ray is known for are present from the very first moment you begin a scene.
© Chaos 3D Team
What can you do with real-time rendering in V-Ray?
With the power of Chaos Vantage now living directly in your viewport, the traditional wait times associated with high-quality rendering are eliminated. You can switch effortlessly between real-time and offline rendering modes, ensuring that you always have the right tool for the specific task at hand.
Here is a practical breakdown of how you can use this new workflow to speed up your production:
Instant design and material iteration
The integration lets you maintain your momentum by seeing changes as you make them.
- Dynamic modeling: Keep modeling as usual—as you draw walls or place columns, every change updates instantly in the viewport.
- Live material tweaks: Select objects and adjust materials to see high-quality shading results in real time.
- Interactive lighting: Use Cosmos light fixtures or place V-Ray lights directly in the viewport and adjust their intensity on the fly with immediate global illumination feedback.
Populate scenes without performance lag
Vantage is designed to handle massive complexity, meaning you can build dense, realistic environments without the software slowing down.
- High-quality asset integration: Drag and drop people, vegetation, and props from the Chaos Cosmos library; they appear instantly as high-quality models rather than simple proxies.
- Unmatched scalability: Populating a scene is easy with large scatter systems that fill entire areas with high-polygon models.
- Stress-free performance: Vantage handles millions of polygons with no noticeable lag, thanks to its full ray tracing technology that simulates real light behavior without approximations.
Refine composition and atmosphere
You no longer need to wait for test renders to see how atmospheric effects or camera settings impact your shot.
- Atmospherics and effects: Add and adjust sun position, fog, photometrics, or depth of field, and see the results instantly.
- Composition control: Refine your camera angles and add lens flares directly in the viewport to perfect your composition.
- Unified workflow: Everything happens within your SketchUp or Rhino viewport—no exporting scene files or switching windows required.
© Chaos 3D Team
How to get started with real-time in V-Ray
To start using real-time rendering in your V-Ray viewport today, you will need an active Chaos Vantage license or a V-Ray Collection license, as well as the latest version of V-Ray for SketchUp or Rhino.
Is a separate license required?
Yes, this feature is available to any user with a Chaos Vantage license. For those using the V-Ray Collection, this integration is already included, bringing real-time and photoreal rendering into one unified workflow so you can iterate and deliver with complete confidence.
Which applications are currently supported?
The real-time viewport is rolling out across the V-Ray ecosystem in stages:
- SketchUp, Rhino, Maya: Available now in the latest release.
- 3ds Max: Support is coming in the coming weeks
- Rest: We are working to bring this feature to more integrations soon.
FAQs
Is a separate license required for real-time rendering in V-Ray?
Yes, you need a Chaos Vantage or a V-Ray Collection license to use this feature. While the technology is integrated directly into the V-Ray viewport, it is powered by Vantage. If you are already a V-Ray Collection user, this access is included in your existing plan.
Which applications currently support the real-time V-Ray viewport?
The feature is currently available for SketchUp, Rhino, and Maya. Support for 3ds Max is expected to be released in the coming weeks, with other integrations planned for the near future.
How does this differ from traditional real-time rendering tools?
Unlike rasterization-based tools, V-Ray’s real-time viewport uses 100% ray tracing for the highest quality. Because it is powered by Chaos Vantage, light behaves realistically with global illumination, true-to-life materials, and physical camera settings, ensuring the visual feedback matches your final production quality.
Can I handle complex scenes with millions of polygons?
Yes, the integration is built to handle massive scene complexity without performance lag. You can populate scenes with high-polygon assets from Chaos Cosmos, such as vegetation and people, and they will appear as high-quality models that update instantly as you work.
Do I need to export files to see my changes in real-time?
No, there is no longer a need to export files or switch windows. The workflow is now unified, meaning that every change you make to your geometry, lighting, or materials is reflected in the viewport immediately.