This page contains information on V-Ray compatibility with standard 3ds Max features.
V-Ray 3.0 for 3ds Max is available now. V-Ray 2.0 upgrades start at $420/€300 and the full Workstation license price will be $1,050/€750. As upgrade bundle prices vary, customers should contact their local reseller, Chaos Group representative, or use the new upgrade calculator to see what option fits their needs best. Learn with the Pros. V-Ray for 3ds Max is a production-proven rendering software. Known for its versatility and ability to handle any type of project — from massive, dynamic scenes having thousands of lights to a sublime still life — it is the go-to solution for artists and designers across 3D industries.
Overview
As a rendering plugin for 3ds Max, V-Ray supports most of the standard 3ds Max features and many of the 3rd party plugins. However, some features of 3ds Max are not supported or work only partially. The most common of these are listed below.
Note that the list is not complete; there may be other 3ds Max features which do not work or work only partially with V-Ray. In many cases, V-Ray provides replacements for unsupported standard features; those are noted wherever applicable.
Note that features specific to renderers other than the default Scanline renderer are in general not supported, but are not listed below.
3ds Max Version Compatibility
| 3ds Max Version | V-Ray 5 - 2020 | V-Ray Next - 2018 | V-Ray 3.6 - 2017 | V-Ray 3.0 - 2014 | V-Ray 2 - 2010-2014 |
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| ver. 9 |
Maps
Raytrace map
This map is not fully supported by V-Ray; using it with V-Ray is not recommended, as it can lead to artifacts in the image.
Reflect/refract map
This map is not supported by V-Ray; using it with V-Ray is not recommended. V-Ray does not provide equivalent functionality.
Flat mirror map
This map is not supported by V-Ray; using it with V-Ray is not recommended. V-Ray does not provide equivalent functionality.
Materials
Raytrace material
This material is not fully supported by V-Ray; using it with V-Ray is not recommended as it can lead to artifacts in the image. Use the specific VRayMtl instead.
Advanced lighting override
This material is not supported by V-Ray. Some of its functionality is available in the VRayMtlWrapper material.
Matte/shadow
Vray 3.0 For 3ds Max System Requirements
V-Ray only partially supports this material. Specifically, theOpaque Alpha parameter is not supported. The standard Matte/shadow material will also not pick up GI shadows. Instead, extended matte/shadow capabilities for V-Ray are available in the VRayMtlWrapper material or in the V-Ray Object Settings.
Lights
Skylight
The standard 3ds Max skylight is not supported by V-Ray, and V-Ray will print a warning about this if you attempt to render it. Instead, use the Dome mode of VRayLight or the GI Environment override option in V-Ray's Environment Settings rollout.
Shadow Types
Raytraced shadows
This shadow type does not work with V-Ray; using it is not recommended as it can lead to artifacts in the image. Use the specific VRayShadows instead.
Shaders
Translucent Shader
This shader is not supported by V-Ray; using it is not recommended. Use the translucency options in the VRayMtl material instead.
Antialiasing Filters
Plate match/MAX R2
This filter is not supported by V-Ray. Using it will produce an entirely black image.
Standard Render Elements
V-Ray does not support the standard 3ds Max render elements, but instead supplies its own, both for normal rendering and for texture baking. See the Render Elements section for more information.
Exposure Control
Vray For Max
V-Ray supports exposure control only partially. Mc2 model epstein. Exposure plugins that require presampling of the image (Automatic Exposure, Linear Exposure) or separate render elements (Pseudo Color Exposure) will not work properly with V-Ray. Of the standard 3ds Max exposure control plugins, only Logarithmic Exposure control is fully supported. Also use V-Ray's own Color mapping mechanism. See the Color Mapping section for more details.
Texture Baking
Vray 3.0 For 3ds Max 2015
Use the V-Ray texture baking elements (e.g. VRayCompleteMap instead of CompleteMap, etc.). See the section on Texture Baking for more information.