Version 2.0 is a major update to HDR Light Studio studio but let's start with the first on, for me most useful one - LIVE LIGHT. The process of creating hdri maps in the last version was very fast but to see the end effect you needed to render the hdr maps and import them to your 3d software. So in practice it took some time to place the lights where you really needed them, but now we have LiveLight - in few words you can now import obj and Mi files into the HDR Light Studio, so setting up the proper lighting is done in no time. Like you see on the video below, it works even with very complex obj files and the real time renderer is using all the available cores.
HDRI backgrounds - now you can not only create you own hdr maps from scratch but also enhance existing hdr maps.
HDR studio lights database - you have more than enough lights to create stunning lighting effects. With the version 2.0 you get over 100 lights in 18 light types. You can find them all under the link below: https://www.hdrlightstudio.com/hdri_light_packs.htm
The producer of Hdr studio is also providing plug ins for 3d software which allows you HDRI lighting and reflections update in real-time directly onto your 3D model and materials in your 3D software. For now there is only one plug in available for Deep Exploration 6 software but all future CORE plug-ins will be provided to existing Pro version 2.0 customers when they are released.
Corona 16 adds GPU-accelerated Gaussian Splat relighting and a new Parallax Interiors system that renders furnished rooms behind windows using flat geometry, cutting memory overhead for multifamily and tower facades. New AI Assistant beta helps with mood matching and scattering.
A new Windows tool reads native .max files and rebuilds V-Ray and Corona materials for target renderers, letting multi-software studios skip re-setup work.
Epic Games has made the full 23,000-asset Megascans library free on Fab indefinitely as of November 5, 2026, with refunds for 2025 purchases and new AI training rights. The Fab Standard License covers any game engine or tool without renderer lock-in.
Claude Opus 5.5, released September 22, cuts API costs by 40% and speeds output by 30%, making AI-driven scene assembly in Blender more practical for solo artists. The model excels at staging, lighting and rig fixes but not production mesh generation.
Chaos shipped V-Ray 7 Update 5 on November 5-6 with 30+ features including an embedded AI Assistant, Cosmos AI asset generation, and MCP server connections to ChatGPT and Claude. 3ds Max users face delays while Rhino and SketchUp gain immediate native AI access.
Arnold 7.5.4 adds true render pausing, expands viewport acceleration to 3ds Max and Cinema 4D, and introduces a Shader Imager for pixel-level compositing without full rerenders. GPU instance performance jumps 3x for large scene updates.
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Mach9's web-based CAD software now processes drone and helicopter point clouds with automated feature extraction, cutting survey-to-model time by 40%. Export goes to DXF, DWG, LandXML and GIS formats.
Epic Games has made the full 23,000-asset Megascans library free on Fab indefinitely as of November 5, 2026, with refunds for 2025 purchases and new AI training rights. The Fab Standard License covers any game engine or tool without renderer lock-in.
I've been lusting after this program for a while now...(well back to when 1.5 was just being released) But $1,000 for the Pro version or something like that? VRay costs that much, Maxwell...other full render engines. Even some fully fledged 3D programs can be had for that price!
I have Octane, which will be ~$250 for the final release...I think that's where it should be priced around. It's great, but not $1,000 great.
In this walkthrough, we guide you through the process of building a polished 3D interior scene inspired by the cover of Archmodels vol. 306 – Table Sets.
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