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.
Veras 5.3 introduces NODES, a visual workflow builder now in Beta that lets users generate parametric geometry and bake it directly into Revit, Rhino, or SketchUp. The system shifts Veras from rendering-first to a full generative design platform with interactive design tools.
SketchUp 2025–2026 has added native PBR materials, AI image generation, and real-time rendering plugins like Lumion View, letting archviz artists produce photorealistic images without leaving the viewport. This collapses the traditional design-to-render pipeline.
Maxon's Redshift 2027.0 cuts render times by up to 15% through memory optimization and adds official Archicad integration alongside improved materials and live feedback tools.
Blender 5.3 arrives November 10 with DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction, an AI-powered denoiser for Cycles that works on RTX 20–50 series cards. The upgrade promises faster interactive lighting workflows at near-final quality.
Chaos released V-Ray for Blender 7.4 with Windows ARM64 compatibility, Phoenix Ocean textures for exterior scenes, Quick Sun Caustics for realistic lighting, and tools to organize large asset libraries and migrate from Blender's native renderer.
Maxon's October 2026 release adds procedural vegetation scattering, reworked GPU memory management in Redshift, and liquid simulation—streamlining environment work and viewport iteration for archviz studios.
A free community plugin now lets 3ds Max users with older GPUs access neural rendering via DLSS 5, potentially speeding up renders without hardware upgrades.
Veras 5.3 introduces NODES, a visual workflow builder now in Beta that lets users generate parametric geometry and bake it directly into Revit, Rhino, or SketchUp. The system shifts Veras from rendering-first to a full generative design platform with interactive design tools.
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.
Customer zone
Your orders
Edit account
Add project
Liked projects
View your artist profile
COMMENTS