This update introduces a slew of time-saving new features – an absolutely stunning and very unique metallic paint material, an interactive Environment Editor that allows real-time editing of the lighting environments and new material templates that allow you to quickly ‘auto-paint’ your models on import. Add to that network rendering to queue render jobs and spread them across multiple computers and a few other tid-bits and you’ve got one vicious piece of software to crank out amazing images.

The Chaos Group Team announced the official release of V-Ray® for Autodesk® Softimage®. Built on V-Ray’s core platform of rendering speed, stability, and quality, V-Ray® for Autodesk® Softimage® is an advanced rendering solution for the VFX and animation industries. V-Ray for Softimage includes ICE support, efficient Global Illumination, versatile shaders, and much more. The official suggested end user price of a single new license of V-Ray 1.5 for Softimage is 890 Euro/ 1230 USD/ 770 GBP (exlude VAT).

NOX Renderer is a rendering software based on unbiased methods. Development is currently in beta stage. This update added control on cautics. So you can make fake caustics - glass materials will work like a fake glass except for first camera intersection (visible one). You can set which roughness value is border value for material to be caustic source. You can turn off bounce from caustic, it will render caustic but will deny any more light propagation from that caustic to scene. All of it is set on Render tab (first one). Also caustics should be redirected to GI buffer, so you can turn it off (Post tab) for the case of scene render difficulty. 

Luxion is announcing KeyShot 3.1 and with it an all new 3D rendering and animation options. Keyshot 3.1 marks the first major update of the release that introduced a patent-pending animation system, a revamped user interface and over 600+ new materials. With this update is introduced time-saving new features and improvments including a new, unique metallic paint material, interactive HDR editing that allow real-time editing of the lighting environments, material templates that allow 3D professionals to 'auto-paint' their models, network rendering to queue render jobs and spread them across multiple computeres and new compatibliity with the 3DConnexion 3D Mouse. KeyShot 3.1 will be available later this quarter.