Chaos Group | V-Ray Press Releases

ID: 31
Date: 2012-03-31

Chaos Group Announces the Release of V-Ray 1.5 for Rhino

V-Ray 1.5 for Rhino includes many new features and improvements, allowing users to render with greater speed, interactivity, and control.

Sofia, Bulgaria – 28 March 2012 – Chaos Group announces V-Ray®1.5 for Rhino®, a highly anticipated release of the company’s leading rendering solution. V-Ray® 1.5 for Rhino features real-time rendering using V-Ray RT, optimized image-based lighting with the new Dome Light, and efficient memory management using Proxy objects.
V-Ray 1.5 for Rhino offers tighter integration and supports the 32-bit version of Rhino 4.0 and the 32 and 64-bit versions of Rhino 5.0.

“Rhino users in all fields depend on V-Ray as a quick, easy and cost-efficient way to render their most cutting-edge designs,” said Corey Rubadue, Director, Chaos Group USA. “With the release of V-Ray 1.5 for Rhino, we hope to meet the increased demand for speed and interactivity among CG professionals.”

Visit the Chaos Group website to watch the latest tutorials and to download a free trial, or find your local reseller to purchase a copy of V-Ray 1.5 for Rhino.

Download Chaos Group Press Release:

Press Release_V-RayforRhino_1.5_Announced

ID: 30
Date: 2012-03-19

Chaos Group Expands its Operations in Latin America

Special events organized in Colombia, Chile, Peru and Brazil as part of the Chaos Group 2012 LatAm Tour

Sofia, Bulgaria – March 2012 – Chaos Group’s sales representative Teddy Ilieva is traveling to Latin America this spring for a series of launch activities and workshops, aiming to promote the V-Ray brand among user and business communities. The V-Ray renderer is Chaos Group’s flagship product which has been recognized for its speed and reliability over the past 10 years and has become the solution of choice for many renowned studios around the world.

Chaos Group Latin American Tour

In Colombia, Chaos Group together with its reseller Naska Digital organizes a series of events (12-15 March) targeting both local businesses and educational institutions. The Colombian tour encompasses official launch events, university events, and workshops for professionals and teachers in Medellin and Bogotá.

Organized in collaboration with Eximed S.A., a first-of-a-kind V-Ray for Rhino presentation and workshop will take place in Chile on 20 March. Visitors will learn about the key features and improvements in V-Ray 1.5 for Rhino directly from Chaos Group’s Fernando Rentas.
In Peru, our team has met potential partners and resellers and discussed further activities and actions at local level. Chaos Group intends to launch new local partnerships to support the great demand this growing country has for skillful 3D professionals.

Additionally, Chaos Group will be organizing a series of events and participations in fairs in Brazil in March and April.

“Expanding our Latin American presence is one of Chaos Group’s key priorities for 2012, and we are extremely happy with the warm welcome we’ve received here,” said Teddy Ilieva, Chaos Group Territory Channel Manager. “It is very inspiring and motivating to see a big V-Ray community already in place, and we are looking forward to establishing great relationships and enabling people to further benefit from our products and to understand their advantages.”

The Chaos Group LatAm Tour will take place in March and April 2012.

ID: 29
Date: 2012-02-28

Microsol Resources to Offer V-Ray by Chaos Group as Part of its Technology Solutions

New York, NY and Philadelphia, PA, February 23, 2012 – Microsol Resources Corporation, a recognized leader in BIM technology solutions, as well as a leading Autodesk Gold Partner serving the architectural, engineering and construction industries, is pleased to announce that it is now a reseller of V-Ray by Chaos Group.

V-Ray allows users to quickly and easily create realistic images while giving them full control over the 3D production process. It offers uncompromised image quality, realistic touches, and fine details resulting from precision lighting and proper shading. “We are always looking for ways to help our customers improve their workflow through integrated technology solutions,” says Emilio Krausz, President, Microsol Resources. “V-Ray offers speed, precision, powerful features, and the ease of use so critical for 3D artists and visualization specialists. We are delighted that we are now able to offer it to our clients.”

The V-Ray rendering engine has become the preferred solution for creating visualizations of photorealistic design concepts. Renowned studios around the world, such as Blur Studio, Neoscape, IKEA, Pure, Citroen, Siemens AG, and Spine 3D, embrace the power of V-Ray in their production pipeline. V-Ray’s strengths for building professionals include improved efficiency and speed optimization, physically accurate global illumination and area lights, interactive rendering, specialized effects, and intuitive features.

“We are delighted to partner with Microsol Resources to represent V-Ray in the United States. Their attention to customer service and providing best solutions to complement BIM and rendering technologies, along with a detailed understanding of the marketplace, will help introduce our products to the creative people who can most benefit from them,” says Deyan Evlogiev, the Territory Channel Manager of Chaos Group.

V-Ray is available for 3DS Max, Maya, Rhino, Softimage, and SketchUp. Demos and a free 30-day non-commercial trial of V-Ray are available by calling Microsol Resources or visiting the website at www.microsolresources.com. For more complete product features and details, visit the Chaos Group website. For the latest V-Ray tutorials, visit the Chaos Group YouTube channel.

About Microsol Resources

Founded in 1986 as a reseller of engineering and architecture software, Microsol Resources Corporation is a recognized leader in building information modeling (BIM) technology solutions, as well as an Autodesk Gold Value Added Reseller with offices in New York, NY and Philadelphia, PA. With a professional staff of BIM/CAD Applications Experts focused on supporting the AEC community, and well over 4,000 clients throughout the U.S., Microsol Resources is one of Autodesk’s largest resellers in the United States. Among the services provided by Microsol Resources are telephone and onsite support, training, implementation services, standards development and management services.

For more information, please visit www.microsolresources.com

About Chaos Group

Chaos Group is a leading provider of state-of-the-art rendering solutions for the media, entertainment, and design industries. Chaos Group started its business in 1997 by establishing a CG production studio for 3D design and animation services. For over a decade, Chaos Group’s flagship rendering software, V-Ray®, has set the standard for speed, quality, reliability and ease of use, and it has become the rendering engine of choice for renowned international studios. Chaos Group works closely with customers from around the world to create the best tools for their workflow. Inspired by their imaginative creations, the company passionately pursues advances in rendering technology and continues to improve the software needed to communicate these visions.

Chaos Group proudly supports the 3D community through a suite of innovative software solutions: V-Ray® for Autodesk® 3ds Max®, V-Ray® for Autodesk® Maya®, V-Ray for Rhino®, V-Ray for SketchUp®, Phoenix FD and Pdplayer.

For more information, please visit www.chaosgroup.com

ID: 27
Date: 2012-02-21

V-Ray for Softimage Now Available!

V-Ray for Softimage looks to unite the rendering workflow for VFX and animation studios

Sofia, Bulgaria, 20 February 2012 – Chaos Group announces V-Ray® for Autodesk® Softimage®, the newest addition to the company’s suite of innovative rendering solutions.

With support for Softimage’s award-winning ICE system, dynamic geometry, and V-Ray Proxy objects, V-Ray for Softimage supports the size and complexity of even the most demanding scenes.
Its physically based toolset, including versatile shaders, lights, and cameras, makes it possible to standardize rendering workflow with the quality, speed, and stability of the V-Ray core.'

“The future of high-end VFX work lies in integration: a single pipeline with multiple modeling applications. V-Ray for Softimage brings that vision a step closer. The power of ICE, the elegant animation and rigging tools now work with the most advanced renderer on the market. ‘One V-Ray on all platforms’ is a strategy that makes sense for small and large 3D shops alike,” said Kamen Lilov, Chaos Group Product Manager, V-Ray for Softimage.

Key Features in V-Ray for Softimage:

Geometry
• Render particles, strands, hair, and geometry produced by Softimage’s award-winning ICE system.
• Manage scene memory and efficiently render massive amounts of geometry with V-Ray Proxy.
• Render dynamic geometry such as displacement, proxy objects, fur, and hair.
• Use all geometry animation and deformations applied through animated parameters and key frames, the Animation Mixer, and ICE-based simulations.

Shading
• Create materials based on physical properties using V-Ray's versatile shaders.
• Use built-in Render Tree procedural shaders, computational, and logic nodes.
• Simplify the texturing process and eliminate the need to assign UVs using Ptex.
• Simplify the creation of complex multi-layered automotive paints using the VRayCarPaintMtl.
• Render hair and fur with unprecedented control, quality, and speed using the VRayHairMtl.

Lights & Illumination
• Create simple, artifact-free image-based lighting using the Dome Light.
• Create realistic illumination using physically-based lights, including IES lights and texture-mapped area lights.
• Emulate real-world atmospheric lighting conditions using the V-Ray Sun and Sky system.

Cameras & Optics
• Render true 3D motion blur using the V-Ray Physical Camera
• Create fast and accurate depth of field with bokeh effects using the V-Ray Physical Camera
• Import displacement maps from Nuke to match lens distortion

V-Ray for Softimage demo and tutorial videos are available at the Chaos Group website.

Chaos Group encourages users to submit artwork created using V-Ray for Softimage for its online gallery at images@chaosgroup.com.

Download Chaos Group Press Release:

Press Release_V-RayforSoftimage_Official_Release

ID: 26
Date: 2012-02-06

Chaos Group Announces an Update to V-Ray 2.0 for Maya

Sofia, Bulgaria, 06 February 2012 – Chaos Group has released an update to V-Ray 2.0 for Maya, offering new hair and fur capabilities, V-Ray RT GPU enhancements, and tighter Maya integration.

New Hair and Fur capabilities

Introducing a new VRayHairMtl shader to render hair and fur with unprecedented control, quality, and speed
Extra attributes to apply materials to Maya’s native hair

V-Ray RT GPU Enhancements

V-Ray RT GPU now supports texture-mapped rectangle and mesh lights, simple light portals, and the VRayBlendMtl

Additional improvements

Optimized memory usage and multithreaded performance for dynamic geometry
Optimized Irradiance Map and Light Cache to reduce flickering when using time dependent option of the DMC sampler

Improved support for Maya standard shading nodes

Installation and Deployment Improvements
New Mac OS GUI installer for VRLService and V-Ray for Maya
Installation options for Windows and Linux users include: executable installation or archive file for easier deployment

"We are pleased to share a free update with our V-Ray 2.0 for Maya users. Our goal is to provide more advanced integration between V-Ray and Maya and help clients experience better speed and improved functionality,” said Vladimir Koylazov, Lead Developer of V-Ray and Chaos Group Co-Founder.

To download the update or a full demo version of V-Ray 2.0 for Maya, visit the Chaos Group website download section.

Download Chaos Group Press Release:

Press Release_V-Ray 2.0 for Maya_Update_Feb2012

ID: 24
Date: 2011-12-23

Chaos Group Releases New Features in V-Ray 2.0 for 3ds Max

Users of V-Ray 2.0 for 3ds Max can now download a free update including real-time rendering improvements and a brand new Hair and Fur shader.

Sofia, Bulgaria, 22 December 2011 – Chaos Group has released an update to V-Ray 2.0 for 3ds Max, delivering outstanding new features and improvements, including enhanced GPU functionality using V-RayRT and new Hair and Fur capabilities.

V-Ray 2.0 now allows users to incorporate VRayProxy objects, texture-mapped area and mesh lights, Simple Skylight portals, and the VRayBlendMtl into an ultra-fast V-RayRT GPU workflow. Another new and useful feature is the “Real Zoom” option which allows Max users to pan and zoom within the V-Ray RT’s ActiveShade window.

In addition, Chaos Group also introduces new Hair and Fur capabilities as part of the V-Ray 2.0 upgrade. "Following the string of highly realistic specialized materials like the VRayFastSSS2 and the VRayCarPaintMtl shaders, we are now introducing the VRayHairMtl, a brand new shader which allows the creation of stunning renderings of hair and fur with unprecedented control, speed and quality,” said Vladimir Koylazov, Lead Developer of V-Ray and Chaos Group Co-Founder.

Check out the new V-Ray 2.0 Hair and Fur Shader Video Tutorial, here!

Chaos Group has also partnered with Ephere Inc., creators of the Ornatrix hair plugin for 3ds Max, and implemented a special modifier, VRayOrnatrixMod, which allows direct rendering of Ornatrix hair objects with V-Ray. This allows our users to create and animate hair which blends seamlessly with the rest of the scene without resorting to special hair lighting rigs and complex compositing operations.
For more new features and to download full demo version of V-Ray 2.0, go to Chaos Group website.

About Chaos Group
Chaos Group is a leading provider of state of the art rendering solutions for the media, entertainment, and design industries. For over a decade our flagship rendering software, V-Ray®, has set the standard for speed, quality, reliability and ease of use, and it has become the rendering engine of choice for renowned international studios. We work closely with our customers from around the world to ensure we’re creating the best tools for their workflow. Inspired by their imaginative creations, we passionately pursue advances in rendering technology and continue to improve the software needed to communicate their vision.
We proudly support the 3D community through our suite of innovative software solutions: V-Ray® for Autodesk® 3ds Max®, V-Ray® for Autodesk® Maya®, V-Ray for Rhino®, V-Ray for SketchUp®, Phoenix FD and Pdplayer.

Further Information:
Angelina Penkova
Public Relations Manager, Chaos Group
pr@chaosgroup.com

Download Chaos Group Press Release:

Press_Release_Chaos_Group_Announces_Update_to_V-Ray2.0_for_3ds_Max

ID: 25
Date: 2011-12-23

Chaos Group Announces the Start of V-Ray 1.5 for Rhino Beta Program

The new version incorporates an exciting array of V-Ray features which now allow Rhino users to render with great speed, control and interactivity.

Sofia, Bulgaria, 22 December 2011 – Chaos Group has just announced the start of the Public Beta program for V-Ray 1.5 for Rhino. Now users can benefit from features such as V-Ray RT, Dome Light, Proxy, Lens Effects, Dispersion and many more.

The V-Ray 1.5 for Rhino Beta program will run until the official release of V-Ray 1.5 for Rhino (expected for end of February 2012) and will be open to users interested to test the new version and submit feedback. Participants in the Beta Program can submit questions and feedback at the Chaos Group forum or get in touch with our Development Team by sending an email to vrayrhino@chaosgroup.com.

In addition to the newly added features, V-Ray 1.5 for Rhino also offers better integration with Rhino. "V-Ray 1.5 now supports RDK Sun and can be used in conjunction with the VRaySun/Sky system. The new version also supports the 32- and 64-bit versions of Rhino 5.0 as well as the 32-bit version of Rhino 4.0,” said Corey Rubadue, Director, Chaos Group USA.

All users who have previously purchased a V-Ray for Rhino license will be eligible for upgrade upon the official release. Everyone who has purchased V-Ray for Rhino between 01 September and the official release date for version 1.5 will get a free upgrade.

For more information on the new features in V-Ray 1.5 for Rhino and the Beta program application process, go to Chaos Group website.

Download Chaos Group Press Release:

ChaosGroup_Press_Release_V-Ray1.5_for_Rhino_Beta

ID: 23
Date: 2011-12-08

Chaos Group to Announce Major New Developments at Siggraph Asia 2011

Chaos Group will be showcasing the exciting new features of its flagship renderer V-Ray 2.0, a new release of its fluid dynamics software Phoenix FD 2.0, and will provide a sneak preview of the upcoming V-Ray for Softimage.

Chaos Group at Siggraph Asia 2011

Sofia, Bulgaria, 01 December 2011 - For a fourth consecutive year, the Chaos Group team will participate in Siggraph Asia, the world’s largest international CG conference and exhibit, held in Hong Kong December 13-15. Throughout the exhibition, Chaos Group will be presenting a series of demonstrations at our booth #B02; and on December 14 from 4 pm-7 pm in Room S224, we will host the Annual V-Ray Siggraph Event, giving participants an opportunity to see the new features of V-Ray 2.0 and get a sneak preview of V-Ray for Softimage with an expected release in Q1 2012.

"We are excited with the great momentum that V-Ray 2.0 gained in 2011. It is an incredible achievement that so many renowned global studios and CG professionals adopted the new version of our product." said Vladimir Koylazov, Lead Developer of V-Ray and Chaos Group Co-Founder. "Following the string of highly realistic specialized materials like the VRayFastSSS2 and the VRayCarPaintMtl shaders, we are now introducing the VRayHairMtl, a brand new shader which allows the creation of stunning renderings of hair and fur with unprecedented control, speed and quality.”

In addition, Chaos Group has partnered with Ephere Inc., creators of the Ornatrix hair plugin for 3ds Max, and implemented a special modifier, VRayOrnatrixMod, which allows direct rendering of Ornatrix hair objects with V-Ray. This allows our users to create and animate hair which blends seamlessly with the rest of the scene without resorting to special hair lighting rigs and complex compositing operations.

“We have made many other improvements to V-Ray and V-Ray RT GPU. Siggraph Asia visitors will be among the first to see a live demo of these great new features,” added Koylazov.

Chaos Group will also be hosting presentations by our customers and technology partners at booth #B02:
• Golaem will demonstrate their unique crowd simulation software with V-Ray rendering support.
• Tokyo-based CG production company, Drawiz, will showcase their inspiring portfolio of animation and VFX projects using V-Ray.
• Chaos Group’s Chinese and Hong Kong resellers, Jadason Technology Ltd. and GDI (Shanghai Global Design Information Co.), will be on hand to share their V-Ray expertise.

See our special event page for more details, and anyone interested in attending the Annual V-Ray Siggraph Event can register here.

Download Chaos Group Press Release:

Press_Release_Chaos_Group_at_Siggraph_Asia_2011

ID: 22
Date: 2011-12-01

Chaos Group to Present New Developments in its Portfolio at the Russian CG Event

Phoenix FD 2.0 and V-Ray for Softimage are among the key new additions to the company’s portfolio

Sofia, Bulgaria, 30 November 2011 - Chaos Group will share lots of exciting news on almost every product from its portfolio at the Russian CG event this year. Event participants will get the chance to be among the first to learn about the new features of the recently released Phoenix FD 2.0 and the major improvements that have just been implemented in V-Ray 2.0. Softimage fans have long awaited a V-Ray version for this platform and will get a sneak preview of its features; official release is expected in February 2012.

Apart from presenting live demos at its booth, Chaos Group will also organize three special events:

Chaos Group Workshop: Interactive Rendering Workflow with V-Ray (03 December, 13.00 – 14.30)
Chaos Group Main Stage Presentation: V-Ray - Optimizations to the Production Workflow in the VFX industry (04 December, 12.00 – 13.00)
V-Ray Workshop with Scream School: GI for animations with moving objects (04 December, 14:30 - 16:00)

“We are pleased to be attending this landmark CG event for the Russian and CIS markets for a second consecutive year, and we are looking forward to meeting CG enthusiasts not only from Moscow, but also from the whole Russian Federation and the CIS region. This year we anticipate great attendance and will give away two V-Ray licenses as a compliment to the people who registered for our workshop and event,” said Javid Imanov, Territory Sales Representative, Chaos Group.

Chaos Group has set up a special event page, where all the details of its participation at the CG Russia Event are available. Everyone interested in attending the workshops and the event can register here.

About Chaos Group

Chaos Group is a leading provider of state of the art rendering soluions for the media, entertainment, and design industries. For over a decade our flagship rendering software, V-Ray®, has set the standard for speed, quality, reliability and ease of use, and it has become the rendering engine of choice for renowned international studios. We work closely with our customers from around the world to ensure we’re creating the best tools for their workflow. Inspired by their imaginative creations, we passionately pursue advances in rendering technology and continue to improve the software needed to communicate their vision.

We proudly support the 3D community through our suite of innovative software solutions: V-Ray® for Autodesk® 3ds Max®, V-Ray® for Autodesk® Maya®, V-Ray for Rhino®, V-Ray for SketchUp®, Phoenix FD and Pdplayer.

Download Chaos Group Press Release:

Press_Release_CG_Russia_Event

ID: 21
Date: 2011-11-23

Chaos Group Releases New Version of its Grid-Based Simulator Phoenix FD 2.0

Phoenix FD 2.0 introduces liquids and foam, a splash simulator, a new particle shader, and enhanced GPU performance.

Sofia, Bulgaria, 21 November 2011 – Chaos Group, a leader in the development of advanced software solutions for the computer graphics industry, released a new version of its grid-based simulator Phoenix FD. Phoenix FD 2.0 provides exceptional flexibility and speed while offering exciting new features.

“Phoenix 2.0’s adaptive grid technology, multi-threaded displacement algorithm, and GPU-accelerated preview, make it an outstanding solution for fluid simulations,” said Ivaylo Katev, Lead Developer of Phoenix FD.

Some key new features include:

Simulation of foam and splashes

With a new and improved core, Phoenix FD 2.0 is capable of generating particles for foam and splash simulations. This extraordinary new technology increases the realism of liquid simulations.

Foam and splashes particle shader

Phoenix FD 2.0 comes with a new particle shader, allowing users full control when creating foam and splashes.

GPU Preview improvements

Phoenix FD 2.0 includes an enhanced GPU preview, supporting diffuse color shading and lighting directly in the viewport. GPUbased renderings can be saved automatically as PNG files, allowing the user to preview simulations without the need to rerender on the CPU.

Detailed information and a full feature list can be found here.

“Chaos Group is excited to announce the release of Phoenix 2.0, and in Q1 of 2012 we are set to release a
new version of V-Ray for Rhino and V-Ray for Softimage. It is our mission at Chaos Group to provide a complete set of rendering solutions and continue to meet the CG industry’s increasing demand for speed and innovation,” said Chaos Group’s CEO Peter Mitev.

About Chaos Group

Download Chaos Group Press Release:

ChaosGroup_PressRelease_Phoenix2.0

ID: 20
Date: 2011-11-16

Test Drive: Meijin graphics workstation running Autodesk 3Ds Max, Maya and V-Ray

Moscow, October 31, 2011 – Russian hardware supplier Meijin Ltd. supported by Consistent Software Distribution today announced opening of the new demo booth based on Meijin Quadro 5000 graphics workstation running the most popular design and visualization software Autodesk 3Ds Max, Autodesk Maya, V-Raу for 3ds Max and V-Ray for Maya.

There is good news for professional computer graphic designers: a specialized demo booth is open at the sales area of Meijin. Visitors can test Meijin Quadro 5000 graphics workstation with Autodesk 3Ds Max 2012, Autodesk Maya 2012 and the well-known rendering system V-Ray preinstalled.

The demo booth can be visited October 31 - December 20, 2011. You can come to Meijin any suitable day, upload your own project or use demo objects and take the opportunity to test everything by yourself!

Meijin Quadro 5000 is designed for visualization, 3D surface and solid modeling in various industries including AEC, MFG and M&E. You can test its ease of use, evaluate the speed of rendering, determine the performance for your current work and get some advices on upgrading or choosing new hardware – just in the course of one day.

Besides Autodesk 3Ds Max and Autodesk Maya, the most popular products nowadays, you can learn about Chaos Group products at the demo booth. These are:
1. V-Ray 2.0 for 3ds Max — is a comprehensive solution for rendering, which combines the power of the distinguished V-Ray rendering engine with the flexibility and unprecedented speed of the interactive rendering system V-Ray RT GPU.
2. V-Ray 2.0 for Maya – developed to meet the needs of the most demanding VFX & Film studios around the world, the rendering engine delivers uncompromised stability, interactivity, ease of use and unprecedented speed. The resources of the Central and Graphic processors are used during the operation. Given more intellectual version will be appreciated at its true value independently from the tasks performed – from visual effects producing to architectural design. Now, V-Ray for Maya enables the rendering of even larger scenes with greater complexity and artists can rely on a faster rendering process.
Come and test for free!

Demo booth is available at the Meijin showroom located: Moscow, Rustaveli str., 1.

Download Chaos Group Press Release:

Press_Release_Meijin_testdrive

ID: 19
Date: 2011-11-02

Chaos Group Strengthens its Market Presence in the Middle East

Participation at the GITEX Technology Week, a VFX and an Аrchitectural event raise Chaos Group’s popularity on the ME market.

Sofia, Bulgaria – 01 November 2011 – Chaos Group’s sales representative Javid Imanov has just returned from a successful business trip in UAE. Highlights of his visit included participation at the GITEX Technology Week where he met with Chaos Group’s key resellers for UAE and Middle East, end users and potential software and hardware vendor partners. Together with partner Omnix, Chaos Group also organized two events in Dubai and Abu Dhabi focused on the company’s software solutions for the VFX and Architectural industries.

“Nowadays presence in the Middle East is one of Chaos Group’s top priorities, and we should invest time and money to understand the market needs, help our partners grow, and enable people to understand the advantages of our products,” said Javid Imanov, Territory Channel Manager, Chaos Group.

At GITEX, Chaos Group achieved a major milestone in becoming an influencer on the ME market by signing a distribution agreement with Omnix International, a leading regional technology service provider and integrator. Under the terms of the alliance, Omnix will distribute the Chaos Group’s diverse range of solutions that include V-Ray 2.0, Phoenix Fluid Dynamics and PD Player in the Middle East region.

“We are confident that our newly signed partnership with Omnix International will play a key role in leveraging our integrated suite of solutions across the Middle East region’s thriving construction industry. Omnix International has a strong channel breadth in the Middle East and carries a strong reputation for service, consultation and performance excellence, making them the perfect partner for us,” added Javid Imanov.

To further strengthen its positions in the Middle East, Chaos Group will be attending the CABSAT digital media and satellite expo in February 2012, and running a road show in Oman, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Download Chaos Group Press Release:

Press Release_Chaos_Group_Strengthens_Market_Presence_in_ME

ID: 16
Date: 2011-04-29

Chaos Group introduces V-Ray 2.0 for Maya

Sofia, Bulgaria – April 29, 2011 – Chaos Group is thrilled to announce that V-Ray 2.0 for Maya is now available! The complete, state-of-the-art rendering solution now comes with interactive rendering on GPU and CPU. Users in all industries - from VFX to Architecture - will benefit from a more robust and much faster rendering solution.

"We are very excited to release the latest version of V-Ray for Maya," said Chaos Group CEO, Peter Mitev. "Speed increases are always something our users want to hear, and we are glad to deliver just that. Combined with interactive rending on both CPU and GPU, this 2.0 release will be a significant upgrade for many users."

Maya users can immediately try the demo version of V-Ray 2.0 by downloading it from the Chaos Group website. The new version is also available for purchase from any authorized Chaos Group reseller. All current customers with the educational version of V-Ray 1.5 for Maya are entitled to a free upgrade to V-Ray 2.0 starting May 4th. Please contact our technical support at vraymaya@chaosgroup.com for details on the upgrade process.

Some of the new and upgraded features of V-Ray 2.0 have been presented in a series of videos:

•    General overview of V-Ray 2.0 for Maya (preview on YouTube)
•    V-Ray RT and V-Ray RT GPU (preview on YouTube)
•    Support for dispersion in refractions for VRayMt (preview on YouTube)
•    PTex textures (preview on YouTube)
•    VRayCarPaint material (preview on YouTube)

To see a full features list and watch more video previews, please click here.

Here are what leading artists and renowned studios around the world have to say about V-Ray for Maya:

"Here at Method we have been using V-Ray for Maya since the beginning of its development. It has had huge success in house for feature and commercial work large and small. Having multiple renderer support inhouse it's a head to head vs match to final only the best images."
Scott Metzger, VFX Artist at Method Studios

"I enjoy using V-Ray in Maya, it's nice to have the option of different 3d packages, with the same great render engine. I have been using V-Ray for many years now, and V-Ray has now integrated nicely into Maya, making the lighting and rendering process very smooth, solid and thorough. I can absolutely recommend V-Ray for Maya!"
Daniel Buck, Digital Artist

Download Chaos Group Press Release:

Press Release Chaos Group introduces V-Ray 2.0 for Maya

ID: 15
Date: 2011-04-27

Chaos Group to attend FMX 2011

V-Ray 2.0 for Maya presentations and workshops at the biggest
industry event in Germany

Sofia, Bulgaria – April 27, 2011 – Chaos Group is gearing up for FMX 2011, an annual animation, effects, games, and interactive media conference in Stuttgart, Germany on May 3-6. The team plans to present V-Ray 2.0 for Maya and other developments with German reseller, Weltenbauer.

FMX 2011 coincides with the upcoming release of V-Ray 2.0 for Maya – now with interactive rendering on CPU and GPU – which will officially launch at the end of April. To demonstrate the plug-in’s new and enhanced features, Chaos Group will run whole day presentations at Weltenbauer’s booth, in addition to hosting two free scheduled workshops.

The first workshop, featuring both V-Ray 2.0 for 3ds Max and Maya, will take place on Tuesday, May 3rd at Raum Karlsruhe from 15.00-16.00h. Highlights of what attendees can expect at this workshop include:
•    RT - CPU/GPU - unprecedented speed and flexibility achieved with the V-Ray interactive rendering system
•    Car Paint Material - create stunning car paint shaders complete with base, flake and coat layers
•    Distance Texture - use procedurally generated textures to create a wide range of effects based on the distance between various objects in the scene
•    Multi-sub Texture – assign different textures based on object ID
•    Light Select Render Element – extract the contribution of each light to the scene, change their intensity in post-production and compose them back together
•    Stereoscopic Helper - quickly set up stereoscopic images and animations
•    Lens Analysis Utility - easily match the distortion of your real world and your virtual cameras
•    Lens effects - add a full range of bloom and glare effects

On day two of the show, the team will present a “Rendering and Lighting” seminar which will integrate the new features of V-Ray 2.0 for 3ds Max and Maya and teach attendees how to achieve interactive set-up of their main rendering components. Topics of this discussion include:
•    Lighting & Rendering – advanced custom Sun & Sky usage and Image Based Lighting
•    Realistic Materials - complex materials set-up
•    Advanced Camera Matching - stereoscopy, lens effects, distortion and depth of field
•    Production Quality Rendering - new GI techniques
•    Advanced Compositing - new tips and techniques for compositing
This second workshop will take place on Wednesday, May 4th in Raum Karlsruhe from 11.00-12.00h.

This is the third time that Chaos Group has attended FMX 2011 to showcase their line of rendering technologies to the German animation, effects, games, and interactive media industry. “We’re thrilled to attend FMX 2011 alongside our longtime authorized dealer, Weltenbauer,” said Chaos Group CEO Peter Mitev. “We hope to put on quite the show for our German customers: from the premiere of V-Ray 2.0 for Maya to our many other developments. We want them to walk away amazed by the sheer power of V-Ray.”

Visitors interested in attending either of Chaos Group’s free workshops may register online here.

Download Chaos Group Press Release:

Press Release Chaos Group Attends FMX

ID: 14
Date: 2011-04-15

Phoenix FD in Action! New Videos by Michael McCarthy

A series of short videos show simulation of water, smoke and more using the Phoenix FD plug-in

Sofia, Bulgaria - April 15, 2011 – Chaos Group is pleased to announce that a new series of Phoenix FD videos, created by VFX Technical Director and Autodesk Certified Instructor Michael McCarthy, is now available.

Phoenix Fluid Dynamics combines a grid based simulator with outstanding rendering capabilities that accurately reproduce fluid behavior. It’s the solution to rendering waves breaking along a shore, a lit candle, or an explosive cloud of smoke – just to name a few. The plug-in’s many features, which can imitate processes like pressure decay, thermal radiation cooling and mass-temperature dependence, have been captured in a series of videos.

McCarthy, whose background includes work in the broadcast, feature film and gaming industry, introduces Phoenix FD with a set of tutorials that walk you through the basics of flames, fluid maps and liquids. He then demonstrates examples of possible simulations in sixteen short video clips. Such simulations include the liquid simulation of a fountain, liquid fuel to flames, and particle flow from an explosion.

To watch all McCarthy’s videos and receive updates on Phoenix FD, please register here

…

More Updates - First Chaos Group Monthly Newsletter has been released!
Chaos Group released the volume one of our Monthly Newsletter on April 13th. The newsletter features hot topics of the month, past and upcoming events, breaking news and product updates, product reviews and success stories, in addition to industry photos, videos, and tutorials provided by our customers.

Download Chaos Group Press Release:

Press Release Chaos Group New Phoenix FD videos

ID: 13
Date: 2011-03-31

Chaos Group announces V-Ray 2.0 for Maya BETA

Maya users can expect new and enhanced features with V-Ray 2.0, which now runs on CPU and GPU, set to release in late April

Sofia, Bulgaria - March 31, 2011 - Chaos Group of Sofia, Bulgaria, leader in the development of software solutions for the computer graphics industry, released V-Ray 2.0 for Maya Beta, with plans for a final release in late April.

Now with interactive rendering on CPU and GPU, Maya users can expect faster, more powerful rendering in V-Ray 2.0 for Maya. A few of the many enhanced and new features in this version include:

•    V-Ray RT and V-Ray RT GPU
•    Faster rendering of dynamic geometry (displacement, fur, proxies, hair etc)
•    Faster rendering of render-time subdivision surfaces, VRayFur and Maya hair
•    Python access to the V-Ray scene
•    VRayCarPaint material
•    VRayToon shader
•    And a lot more

Detailed information and a full feature list for V-Ray 2.0 for Maya can be found here.

"We're very excited to finally release the 2.0 version of V-Ray for Maya," said Vladimir Koylazov, CTO at Chaos Group. "This release is a huge step in the development of our product, and I am really looking forward to our beta testers providing us with the detailed feedback we need to make it perfect."

"The addition of interactive rendering on both the CPU and the GPU is especially exciting for us," continued Koylazov. "It has been a feature we have been working on for some time, and we are eagerly waiting to know how it will be received by our testing community."ccording to Scott Metzger, VFX Artist at Method Studios, who used V-Ray for Maya for the commercial of a well-known video game, Halo Reach, “Here at Method we have been using V-Ray for Maya since the beginning of its development. It was a huge success in-house for feature and commercial work, large and small. Having multiple renderer support in-house it’s a head to head vs. match to final only the best images.” Read more about how Method Studios used V-Ray for Maya to develop Halo here.

V-Ray 2.0 for Maya Beta is available to all existing V-Ray 1.5 for Maya customers, as well those who pre-order V-Ray 2.0 for Maya. Pre-orders begin immediately and are available through any authorized Chaos Group reseller. Further information about the beta testing program and V-Ray 2.0 for Maya pre-orders could be read here.

Check out the video from the live-action trailer Halo: Reach "Deliver Hope at the Chaos Group YouTube channel.

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Press Release Chaos Group announces V-Ray 2.0 for Maya BETA

ID: 12
Date: 2011-03-11

Chaos Group travels to NY, LA, and Canada to give exclusive V-Ray presentations

The team hits the road again to give a sneak preview of V-Ray 2.0 for Maya and other exciting V-Ray developments

Sofia, Bulgaria - March 11, 2011 - Chaos Group of Sofia, Bulgaria, leader in the development of software solutions for the computer graphics industry, will travel in full force to New York, Los Angeles, and Canada to showcase the latest news and features for V-Ray 2.0 for 3ds Max, in addition to giving a sneak preview of the forthcoming V-Ray 2.0 for Maya.

Alongside our newly expanded Baltimore, Maryland team, we’re pleased to invite you to be part of our five-city tour. Tour dates are as follows:

USA
March 21: New York
March 24: Los Angeles

CANADA
March 29: Vancouver
March 31: Montreal
April 5:      Toronto

For additional information and registrations, please feel free to click on any of the events.

Leading industry names like Neoscape and Academy Award®-winning studio Digital Domain will headline the tour, and show how V-Ray's rock solid reliability and rendering power has helped improve visualizations in their product pipelines.

Industry professionals who attend will get to experience:

   • V-Ray for Maya (projected release in April 2011)
   • V-Ray 2.0 for 3ds Max
   • V-Ray for Rhino
   • V-Ray for SketchUp

Join the V-Ray Tour to view free presentations from some of the industry’s most respected 3D designers. Connect with Chaos Group on Facebook and Twitter.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at pr@chaosgroup.com

Download Chaos Group Press Release:

Press Release Chaos Group travels to NY, LA and Canada

ID: 11
Date: 2011-02-10

Chaos Group Announces Acquisition of U.S. Based Software Developer, ASGVIS

Chaos Group furthers plans for enhanced services and support to North American market

Sofia, Bulgaria, 10 February 2011 – Chaos Group of Sofia, Bulgaria – the world leader in the development of software solutions for the computer graphics industry – has acquired Baltimore-based software developer and visualization firm, ASGVIS, LLC. The acquisition will consolidate V-Ray for Rhino and V-Ray for SketchUp development within the Chaos Group brand, and confirms establishment of a new Chaos Group company in the United States that will enhance services and support to customers in North America.

A working relationship with the two companies began in 2005 when ASGVIS adapted Chaos Group’s flagship rendering plug-in, V-Ray*, to work with the modeling software applications Rhinoceros* and SketchUp*. In addition to developing these two products, ASGVIS resold Chaos Group’s V-Ray for 3ds Max* and V-Ray for Maya*. Joining the two development teams under Chaos Group will ensure consistency among the V-Ray products.

“We are extremely excited by this merger,” said Peter Mitev, CEO of the Chaos Group. “We have worked with ASGVIS to extend the V-Ray platform into areas of business that our other V-Ray products did not cover, and having them join the Chaos Group only serves to make the V-Ray brand even stronger. The USA has always been a key market for V-Ray, and having a dedicated office to service our customers will allow us to provide an even higher level of service and support.”

ASGVIS will officially be renamed Chaos Group USA. Peter Mitev will provide overall guidance for the new company, but there are no planned changes to the structure or employees as of this announcement. Chaos Group will continue to operate ASGVIS “as is,” and will gradually phase-in changes to the process of ordering and support. Details on these general changes will be communicated by the Chaos Group in the coming months.

“Chaos Group is a true pioneer in the CG industry, and this acquisition is a monumental step to unify the V-Ray brand,” echoed Corey Rubadue, founder of ASGVIS, and now the Director of Chaos Group USA. “It not only acknowledges the importance of V-Ray in the CAD market, but also firmly places the plug-ins for Rhino and SketchUp in the official V-Ray development pipeline.”

---

*V-Ray is a registered trademark of Chaos Software
Autodesk, 3ds Max and Maya are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc.
Rhinoceros is a registered trademark of Robert McNeel & Associates
SketchUp is a registered trademark of Google

###

About Chaos Group
Chaos Group is a global leader in creating rendering solutions for the Architectural, VFX and Film, Media and Entertainment, and the Automotive and Product Design industries. Through a worldwide network of more than 150 distributors and resellers the company delivers the market leading V-Ray rendering engine and continues to build upon its success by continuously surprising the 3D community with new, innovative and trendsetting rendering technologies.

About ASGVIS
ASGVIS, once the “Visual Imaging Studio” of venerable architecture firm Ayers Saint Gross Architects + Planners, became world-renowned for its adaptation of V-Ray, the cutting-edge rendering technology developed by Chaos Group. The studio not only offered rendering and animation services, but also customized software packages used in production to streamline the rendering process. The programs included Autodesk’s 3ds Max and Revit, and eventually expanded to such 3D design programs as Robert McNeel and Associates’ Rhinoceros and Google’s SketchUp.

Further Information:
Darina Georgieva
PR Manager, Chaos Group Bulgaria
pr@chaosgroup.com

Kim Trompeter
Marketing Manager, Chaos Group USA
ktrompeter@asgvis.com

Download Chaos Group Press Release:

Press Release Chaos Group Acquires ASGVIS

ID: 10
Date: 2010-12-06

Chaos Group hits the market with the most anticipated version of V-Ray in the last decade!

V-Ray 2.0 for 3ds Max comes with V-Ray RT and V-Ray RT GPU included

Chaos Group introduces V-Ray 2.0 for 3ds Max, which is officially on the market starting today, 6th December 2010.

V-Ray 2.0 for 3ds Max is a complete rendering solution, which combines the power of the well-known V-Ray award-winning production rendering engine with the flexibility and exceptional speed of the interactive rendering system V-Ray RT and the even more impressive new V-Ray RT running on GPUs. The new V-Ray 2.0 comes with significant new feature additions and lots of improvements that enable faster feedback and final results.

The pressure for more 3D stereoscopic content is demanding and the upcoming naked stereoscopic technologies (3D monitors without glasses) require 5 to 9 renders per single frame. With standard rendering tools this can be 5-9 times slower! V-Ray is fit to answer these demanding rendering needs! With its new native stereoscopic support it can deliver the re-use of GI calculations as well as shading data re-use that can lead only to twice the render time, instead of 5 or 9 times.

V-Ray 2.0 for 3ds Max offers a long list of major new and enhanced features:

- V-Ray RT and V-Ray RT GPU interactive renderers are included as part of the V-Ray installation
- Dispersion – complete support for light dispersion
- VRayLensEffects - render effect for producing glow and glare with support for obstacle images and diffraction
- VRayCarPaintMtl - material with accurate flakes simulation
- VRayLightSelect - render element to extract the contribution of individual lights
- VRayStereoRig - controller for easy stereoscopic setup
- VRayLensAnalysis – quickly creates realistic distortion patterns for your V-Ray Physical Cameras
- VRayDistanceTex – creates a wide range of effects based on the distance between objects in the scene
- VRayMultiSubTex – assigns different textures based on object ID

All videos with detailed presentations on the new features of V-Ray 2.0 for 3ds Max have been posted on the Chaos Group YouTube channel. Users can upgrade to V-Ray 2.0 following the pricing policy here.

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Press Release V-Ray 2.0 hits the market

ID: 9
Date: 2010-12-01

Chaos Group Announces V-Ray 2.0 Release Tour 2010 and Redesigned Logo

After 8 years on the market the revised logo of V-Ray comes just days ahead
before the official release of V-Ray 2.0 itself

Sofia, December 1, 2010 - December 2010 will be a memorable period for Chaos Group and our partners as it includes a long list of special industry events, as well as the official release of the latest version of our core development V-Ray for 3ds Max. We have the pleasure to announce the upcoming official V-Ray 2.0 Release Tour 2010, which will highlight the advantages of the new version in eight countries on three continents.

V-Ray 2.0 for Autodesk 3ds Max, which is currently in Beta, blends the power of our distinguished rendering engine V-Ray with the flexibility and exceptional speed of the interactive rendering system – V-Ray RT, now running on GPUs. It is greatly improved compared to its forerunner with a long list of enhanced and new functionality, including interactive raytracing on GPUs.

After 8 successful years on the market we decided that this impressive state-of-the-art solution with remarkable functionality and intuitive interface needs also a fresh new look. The V-Ray logo evolution expresses the ambition of Chaos Group to create a streamlined and energetic symbol that expresses the dynamic product and company growth. We think this is the right time to give V-Ray a new look as the release of the second product version will be announced in just a week's time.

The worldwide tour of V-Ray 2.0 is organized together with our reseller’s network and includes visits to a number of public events with live presentations, demonstrations and trainings focusing on the latest features and additions to our product portfolio: V-Ray for 3ds Max and Maya, V-Ray RT for 3ds Max and Maya, Phoenix FD - the new simulator for fire, smoke, and haze as well as the improved sequence player and viewer Pdplayer.

Below is the full list of events included in the V-Ray 2.0 Release Tour:

•    Date: 30 Nov - 2 December
Location: Argentina, Buenos Aires
Event: Expotoons International Animation Festival

•    Date: 2 December
Location: Spain, Madrid
Event: 3D Community Day 2011

•    Date: 2-6 December
Location: Germany, Hamburg/Munich/Dusseldorf
Events: 3D Talk 2010, 3D Cyberdream OpenHouse, The Ultimate V-Ray 2.0 Renderbash

•    Date: 3-4 December
Location: Italy, Arrezzo
Event: Digital Drawing Days

•    Date: 5 - 7 December
Location: China, Shanghai
Event: Game Developers Conference™

•    Date: 8 December
Location: Canada, Vancouver
Event: Annex Pro Expo

•    Date: 11-12 December
Location: Russia, Moscow
Event: CG Event Russia

•    Date: 15-18 December
Location: Korea, Seoul
Event: SIGGRAPH Asia 2010

The complete information for the events above can at the V-Ray 2.0 Release Tour 2010 webpage.

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Press Release V-Ray 2.0 Release Tour and Redesigned Logo