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Xenon-Drop 4.2 Lightmap HDR Light Studio Pro

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Lightmap HDR Light Studio Pro
   

The fastest way to perfect lighting

With HDR Light Studio, the goal is to create an efficient and artist-driven way to light a 3D scene.

HDR Light Studio adds live HDRI map authoring and live HDRI textured Area Lights to your existing 3D software/renderer.

Looking for a fast and creative way to light your shots?

With HDR Light Studio you can create perfect custom lighting for your shot in minutes

  • Easily and quickly light your 3D models to a very high standard
  • Enjoy a more creative and flexible lighting process
  • Meet your deadlines and produce higher value images

HDR Light Studio makes lighting fun

Lighting is one of the most creative opportunities for a 3D artist. Lighting brings your 3D models to life. Don’t be slowed down by the limitations of your current lighting tools and content. Just add HDR Light Studio and become a lighting master.

A Lighting Standard

HDR Light Studio has now helped thousands of commercial 3D artists, world-wide, to speed up the lighting process and produce better quality renders. It has become an industry standard over the last 12 years and we work closely with our partners to create plug-in connections to: 3ds Max, Maya, Cinema 4D, MODO, Houdini and many more.

Connection Features and Compatibility Chart PDF

hdr light studio connections

 


hdr light studio examples
Images lit with HDR Light Studio

 


HDR Light Studio Pro Features

Anatomy of HDR Light Studio

hdr light studio anatomy

HDR Light Studio’s real-time lighting interface provides the tools and lighting content you need to take your images to the next level.

Light Sources: Procedural

HDR Light Studio is best known for creating studio lighting – especially suited to reflective materials.
Procedural lights can be precisely controlled and positioned to create a wide variety of lighting effects.

hdr light studio light sources

HDR Light Studio procedural content includes: Bulb, Linear and Radial Gradients, and Box Gradient (a blended horizontal and vertical ramp).

Light Sources: Images

For the most realistic lighting effects – load HDR images as light sources in HDR Light Studio.
Image based light sources bring high levels of realism with subtle details and imperfections seen in reflections.

hdr light studio pro images

 

Lighting Content

HDR Light Studio includes a huge library of high quality HDR content to use in your lighting designs.

Render View & LightPaint

The Render View is a key feature of HDR Light Studio’s lighting interface.
Lights are positioned by clicking and dragging on the Render View – we call this patented process LightPaint.

HDR Light Studio loads Alembic, FBX*, Collada file formats.
*Windows OS only

HDRI Area Lights

HDR Area lights are created and controlled in real-time in your 3D software as you work in HDR Light Studio. Light geometry, shaders and HDR RGBA image content is all updated on the fly via the connection.

area lights

HDR Area Lights are compatible with 3ds Max, Maya, Cinema 4D, MODO, VRED, Houdini and Octane Render Standalone Connections.

Handles Huge Scenes

The Render View and LightPaint remain fast even with huge scenes.

Matching Photography

When blending photography and CG imagery, matching the lighting between the photographic content and the CG elements is key to a successful and believable image. If an HDRI map of the location has not been captured then a lighting setup needs building from scratch. HDR Light Studio makes this process easy and enabling the rapid creation of a suitable lighting environment.

hdr light studio Pro photography

Enhancing Reality

When reality isn’t enough. Load HDRI maps shot on location and add additional light sources to bring your subject to life.
Just like on a real photoshoot, beauty lights are added to make your subject the star of the show.

hdr light studio pro enhancing reality

Procedural Sky

HDR Light Studio includes a procedural sky shader. Replace the sky on an existing HDRI map and use an alpha ramp to control the horizon position and softness. Drag and drop the included Cloud preset images onto the sky for added realism. The sun disc can be increased in size whilst maintaining its overall lighting contribution, allowing for creative decisions about the sun scale. The sun disc has a controllable soft edge.

Mix Up Your Maps

Load more than one HDRI map into HDR Light Studio and use the alpha ramp to blend between them. Use saturation adjustments and color filtering, via blend modes, to take control of color and create a better match. Enabling you to get more out of your existing HDRI collection.

hdr light studio mix up your maps

More than Lights

The HDR Canvas is a compositor for HDR and LDR content, supporting a range of image formats, mappings and blend modes.

hdr light studio pro more than lights

Lights are not limited to representing light sources. A light can be a loaded HDRI map background or an additional cloud added to the sky.

The procedural light sources are very useful when combined with blend modes. Allowing precise local adjustments of color and brightness on the HDRI map – shaping the lighting effect.

Portable Lighting

HDRI maps are the ultimate portable lighting format. They can be used with different renderers and produce predictable and accurate results. Especially with physically based rendering.

hdr light studio portable

When implementing the new Area Lights feature, we ensured these lights were portable too. For example, you can create a lighting design in Maya for Arnold Render (using a HDRI map with Area Lights) and then switch renderers to V-Ray, the Area Lights will be rebuilt using V-Ray lights. You can also light a shot in Cinema 4D with Arnold, and load the same lighting design into Maya with Maxwell Render to get the exact same lighting.

Industry Standards

VFX artists will be pleased to know HDR Light Studio has progressed to embrace some industry standards.

HDR Light Studio uses OpenColorIO color management and supports loading Alembic scene files. In order to efficiently handle very large image files, HDR Light Studio will automatically convert image files to mipmapped and tiled images, saving them as .tx files. When using .tx files, HDR Light Studio only loads the image resolution and area needed – this vastly improves image load times and performance.

Use Standalone or Connected

HDR Light Studio can be used standalone – load a 3D scene and produce the perfect HDRI map.

OR

hdr connections

Connect HDR Light Studio with your 3D software and Renderer. Lighting is built and updated live within your 3D software as you light with HDR Light Studio.

Connections are available for:

  • 3ds Max
  • Maya
  • Cinema 4D
  • Modo
  • VRED
  • DELTAGEN
  • Rhino
  • SOLIDWORKS Visualize
  • LightWave3D
  • Houdini
  • Maxwell Studio
  • Blender
  • Octane Render Standalone

Learn more about connections in the Details tab.

hdri light studio screen

 

Licenses Explained

A node-locked license is for one user and allows HDR Light Studio to run on a designated primary computer, and a designated second home/laptop computer if required (by using the license transfer facility on our web site).

A floating license is for multiple users and allows one concurrent session of HDR Light Studio to run on any computer on the local network. You need to purchase licenses for the number of concurrent users you will require. A computer on the network runs the RLM server software and client machines get their licenses from this computer via the local network.

An annual subscription provides a license that will expire at the end of the 1 year period. During the subscription period, you can run the latest software and you are entitled to support it. Renewal is not automatic and we do not store card details.

A permanent license does not expire. It includes 1 year of maintenance – providing software updates and support. At the end of this period, additional maintenance can be purchased in order to keep your software up to date and to continue to be supported.

HDR Light Studio Comparison Chart

IndieProAutomotive
Revenue under $100KRevenue over $100KAccess to VRED, DeltaGen, Patchwork3D, Omniverse Connections
HDR Light Studio
Included connections:
3dsMax, Maya, Cinema 4D, MODO, Lighwave3D, Houdini, Blender, Maxwell Studio, Rhino, Octane Standaline, SOLIDWORKS Visualize, Omniverse
Included connections:
VRED, DeltaGen, Patchwork 3D
Priority Support
Support Channelsemailemailemail, phone, web meetings
Nodelocked – Single User
Annual Subscription
Nodelocked – Single User
Permanent
Floating – Multi-User
Annual Subscription

Connections

Connect your 3D application to HDR Light Studio.

3ds Max

How does HDR Light Studio work with 3ds Max?

The model has materials assigned, the camera view is setup, you are now ready to light…

1. Start HDR Light Studio from the 3ds Max plug-in
2. Export the 3ds Max scene into HDR Light Studio’s live 3D view
3. Paint your shot with lights in HDR Light Studio (Lights are automatically created in 3ds Max as you light)
4. (Optional) Start ActiveShade in 3ds Max and see the results as you light
5. To finish, HDR Light Studio generates high-res HDRI images for your lights
6. The completed 3ds Max scene is now ready for rendering.

Key Features

  • Live link with HDR Light Studio
  • Paint Light Positions
  • Live HDRI Creation
  • Live HDRI Editing
  • Live 3D HDR Area Lights
  • Library of HDR Light Captures
  • Manage HDRIs / Save Light Rigs
  • Live Project Sync

Compatibility

  • 3ds Max 2020, 2021, 2022
  • Renderers: V-Ray (including V-Ray 6), Corona, Redshift, Arnold, Octane, Maxwell, FStorm, Art

Maya

How does HDR Light Studio work with Maya?

The model has materials assigned, the camera view is setup, you are now ready to light…

1. Start HDR Light Studio from the Maya plug-in
2. Export the Maya scene into HDR Light Studio’s live 3D view
3. Paint your shot with lights in HDR Light Studio (Lights are automatically created in Maya as you light)
4. (Optional) Start interactive rendering in Maya and see the results as you light
5. To finish, HDR Light Studio generates high-res HDRI images for your lights
6. The completed Maya scene is now ready for rendering.

Key Features

  • Live link with HDR Light Studio
  • Paint Light Positions
  • Live HDRI Creation
  • Live HDRI Editing
  • Live 3D HDR Area Lights
  • Library of HDR Light Captures
  • Manage HDRIs / Save Light Rigs
  • Live Project Sync

Compatibility

  • Maya 2019, 2020, 2022
  • Renderers: V-Ray, Arnold, Octane, Redshift, RenderMan, Maxwell

Please note: Please use the hotfix 2 build of V-Ray 5 – Dec 9 2020, or later.

Cinema 4D

How does HDR Light Studio work with Cinema 4D?

The model has materials assigned, the camera view is setup, you are now ready to light…

1. Start HDR Light Studio from the Cinema 4D plug-in
2. Export the Cinema 4D scene into HDR Light Studio’s live 3D view
3. Paint your shot with lights in HDR Light Studio (Lights are automatically created in Cinema 4D as you light)
4. (Optional) Start interactive rendering in Cinema 4D and see the results as you light
5. To finish, HDR Light Studio generates high-res HDRI images for your lights
6. The completed Cinema 4D scene is now ready for rendering.

Key Features

  • Live link with HDR Light Studio
  • Paint Light Positions
  • Live HDRI Creation
  • Live HDRI Editing
  • Live 3D HDR Area Lights
  • Library of HDR Light Captures
  • Manage HDRIs / Save Light Rigs
  • Live Project Sync

Compatibility

  • Operating system: Windows: 7, 8, 8.1, 10 & MacOS 10.13.0 (High Sierra) or later
  • Cinema 4D: 24, 25, 26 (Apple Silicon support for 26 only)
  • Renderers: Cinema 4D native renderer, V-Ray 5, Octane, Arnold, Redshift, Corona

Modo

How does HDR Light Studio work with MODO?

The model has materials assigned, the camera view is setup, you are now ready to light…

1. Start HDR Light Studio from the MODO plug-in
2. Export the MODO scene into HDR Light Studio’s live 3D view
3. Paint your shot with lights in HDR Light Studio (Lights are automatically created in MODO as you light)
4. (Optional) Start interactive rendering in MODO and see the results as you light
5. To finish, HDR Light Studio generates high-res HDRI images for your lights
6. The completed MODO scene is now ready for rendering locally, or on a farm

Key features

  • Live link with HDR Light Studio
  • Paint Light Positions
  • Live HDRI Creation
  • Live HDRI Editing
  • Live 3D HDR Area Lights
  • Library of HDR Light Captures
  • Manage HDRIs / Save Light Rigs
  • Live Project Sync

Compatibility

  • MODO 15, 14, 13, 12 (on Windows and MacOS)
  • Renderers: MODO, Octane and V-Ray

VRED (only available in Automotive version)

How does HDR Light Studio work with VRED?

The model has materials applied, the camera view is setup, you are now ready to light…

  1. Start HDR Light Studio from the VRED environment
  2. Load an existing HDRI map to edit, or start with a blank canvas
  3. Add a new lights in HDR Light Studio
  4. Click on the 3D model in VRED to position lights
  5. Promote lights to 3D Area Lights as required (VRED 2020.1 + HDR Light Studio Tungsten)
  6. To finish, HDR Light Studio generates a high-res HDRI map for the VRED environment
  7. The VRED scene is now ready for final rendering

Key Features

  • Live link with HDR Light Studio
  • Paint Light Positions
  • Live HDRI Creation
  • Live HDRI Editing
  • Live 3D HDR Area Lights
  • Library of HDR Light Captures
  • Manage HDRIs / Save Light Rigs
  • Live Project Sync

Compatibility

  • Compatible with: VRED 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 (Windows only)
  • Area Light creation compatible with: VRED 2020.1 and higher using HDR Light Studio Tungsten and higher.

DeltaGen (only available in Automotive version)

How does HDR Light Studio work with DeltaGen?

The model has materials applied, the camera view is setup, you are now ready to light…

  1. Start HDR Light Studio from the DeltaGen local surrounding
  2. Load an existing HDRI map to edit, or start with a blank canvas
  3. Add a new lights in HDR Light Studio
  4. Click on the 3D model in DeltaGen to position lights
  5. To finish, HDR Light Studio generates a high-res HDRI map for DeltaGen
  6. The DeltaGen scene is now ready for final rendering

Key Features

  • Our DeltaGen plug-in creates a live link with HDR Light Studio
  • Light your DeltaGen render with an interactive HDRI map
  • Click on the 3D model in DeltaGen to position lights on the HDRI map
  • Light Types: Procedural, image based and procedural sky
  • Includes a large library of HDRI light source captures
  • HDR Light Studio project is stored in the DeltaGen scene file
  • HDR Light Studio can be used Standalone: Loads Alembic and Collada scenes

Compatibility

  • DELTAGEN 2021x (DELTAGEN STAGE 2021x)
  • DELTAGEN 2020x (DELTAGEN STAGE 2020x)
  • DELTAGEN 2019x (DELTAGEN STAGE 2019x)
  • DELTAGEN 2018x (DELTAGEN STAGE 2018x), 2018, 2017

Rhino

How does HDR Light Studio work with Rhino?

The model has materials applied, the camera view is setup, you are now ready to light…

  1. Start HDR Light Studio from the Rhino environment
  2. Load an existing HDRI map to edit, or start with a blank canvas
  3. Add a new lights in HDR Light Studio
  4. Click on the 3D model in Rhino to position lights
  5. To finish, HDR Light Studio generates a high-res HDRI map for the Rhino environment
  6. The Rhino scene is now ready for final rendering

Key Features

  • Live link with HDR Light Studio
  • Paint Light Positions
  • Live HDRI Creation
  • Live HDRI Editing
  • Library of HDR Light Captures
  • Manage HDRIs / Save Light Rigs
  • Live Project Sync

Compatibility

  • Rhino 5 (Windows only)
  • Rhino 6 (Windows only)
  • Rhino 7 (Windows only)
  • Renderers: Rhino, Octane, V-Ray.

SOLIDWORKS Visualize

How does HDR Light Studio work with SOLIDWORKS Visualize?

The model has materials applied, the camera view is setup, you are now ready to light…

  1. Start HDR Light Studio from the SOLIDWORKS Visualize environment
  2. Load an existing HDRI map to edit, or start with a blank canvas
  3. Add a new lights in HDR Light Studio
  4. Click on the 3D model in SOLIDWORKS Visualize to position lights
  5. To finish, HDR Light Studio generates a high-res HDRI map for the SOLIDWORKS Visualize environment
  6. The SOLIDWORKS Visualize scene is now ready for final rendering

Key Features

  • SOLIDWORKS Visualize has integrated HDR Light Studio support
  • Light your shots using HDR Light Studio’s interactive HDRI map
  • Click on the 3D model in SOLIDWORKS Visualize to position lights on the HDRI map
  • Light Types: Procedural, image based and procedural sky
  • Includes a large library of HDRI light source captures
  • The HDR Light Studio lighting project is stored in the SOLIDWORKS Visualize scene
  • HDR Light Studio can be used Standalone: Loads Alembic and Collada scenes

Compatibility

  • SOLIDWORKS Visualize 2017 SP0 and higher versions (Standard and Pro)

Lightwave3D

How does HDR Light Studio work with LightWave3D?

The model has materials assigned, the camera view is setup, you are now ready to light…

1. Start HDR Light Studio from the LightWave3D plug-in
2. Export the LightWave3D scene into HDR Light Studio’s live 3D view
3. Paint your shot with lights in HDR Light Studio (The HDRI map updates in LightWave3D as you light)
4. (Optional) Start interactive rendering in LightWave3D and see the results as you light
5. To finish, HDR Light Studio generates a high-res HDR for your environment light
6. The completed LightWave3D scene is now ready for rendering locally, or on a farm

Key Features

  • Our LightWave plug-in creates a live link with HDR Light Studio
  • Click on the 3D model in LightWave to position lights on the HDRI map
  • Light your shots using HDR Light Studio’s interactive HDRI map
  • Light Types: Procedural, image based and procedural sky
  • Includes a large library of HDRI light source captures
  • The HDR Light Studio lighting project is stored in the LightWave scene
  • HDR Light Studio can be used Standalone: Loads Alembic and Collada scenes
  • HDR Light Studio uses OpenColorIO Color Management

Compatibility

  • LightWave 3D 2018, 2019, 2020
  • Renderers: LightWave 3D, Octane

Houdini

How does HDR Light Studio work with Houdini?

The model has materials assigned, the camera view is setup, you are now ready to light…

  1. Start HDR Light Studio using the HDR Light Studio node attached to an Environment light in Houdini
  2. Export the Houdini scene into HDR Light Studio’s live 3D view
  3. Paint your shot with lights in HDR Light Studio (The HDRI map updates in Houdini as you light)
  4. (Optional) Start interactive rendering in Houdini and see the results as you light
  5. To finish, HDR Light Studio generates a high-res HDR file for your environment light
  6. The completed Houdini scene is now ready for rendering locally, or on a farm

Key Features

  • Live link with HDR Light Studio
  • Paint Light Positions
  • Live HDRI Creation
  • Live HDRI Editing
  • Live 3D HDR Area Lights
  • Library of HDR Light Captures
  • Manage HDRIs / Save Light Rigs
  • Live Project Sync

Compatibility

  • HOUDINI CORE, HOUDINI FX, HOUDINI INDIE, HOUDINI EDUCATION 18, 18.5, 19, 19.5 (Windows, MacOS, Linux)
  • Renderers: Mantra, Arnold, Redshift, Octane, V-Ray and RenderMan

Blender

Our new Blender ‘Add-on’ connects HDR Light Studio to Blender, adding powerful 3D lighting tools and HDR content. Now you can light your shots easily, quickly and creatively – producing perfectly lit professional renders with the realism of photographs

How does HDR Light Studio work with Blender?

The model has materials assigned, the camera view is set up, you are now ready to light…

  1. Start HDR Light Studio from the added controls in Blender
  2. Press Play – the Blender scene is exported and rendered in HDR Light Studio
  3. Paint your shot with lights in HDR Light Studio (Lights are automatically created in Blender as you light)
  4. Use interactive rendering in Blender to see the lighting with your shaders
  5. Finish – HDR Light Studio generates high-res HDRI images for your lights
  6. The completed Blender scene is now ready for rendering

Key Features

  • Live link with HDR Light Studio
  • Paint Light Positions
  • Live HDRI Creation
  • Live HDRI Editing
  • Live 3D HDR Area Lights
  • Library of HDR Light Captures
  • Manage HDRIs / Save Light Rigs
  • Live Project Sync

Creates lighting compatible with both Cycles and Eevee

Compatibility + Requirements

  • New single installer supports Blender 2.83+ (LTS), 2.93+ (LTS), 3.0+, and 3.1+ – Windows, MacOS and Linux
  • Supported Renderers: Cycles, Eevee, Octane, RenderMan
  • Now supports Blender on Apple Silicon

Software delivery via internet download
Internet connection required for license activation only
HDR Light Studio software requires approx. 200MB disc space
Preset light content requires approx. 8GB disc space
CPU based, no special graphics card required

Maxwell Studio

How does HDR Light Studio work with Maxwell Studio?

The model has materials applied, the camera view is setup, you are now ready to light…

  1. Start HDR Light Studio from the Maxwell Studio environment
  2. Load an existing HDRI map to edit, or start with a blank canvas
  3. Start Maxwell Studio’s FIRE render view
  4. Add a new light to the HDRI map in HDR Light Studio
  5. The FIRE render view updates instantly as changes are made in HDR Light Studio
  6. To finish, HDR Light Studio generates a high-res HDRI map for the environment
  7. The Maxwell Studio scene is now ready for final rendering

Key Features

  • Live link with HDR Light Studio
  • Live HDRI Creation
  • Live HDRI Editing
  • Library of HDR Light Captures
  • Manage HDRIs / Save Light Rigs
  • Live Project Sync

Compatibility

  • Maxwell Studio 4, 5 (Windows only)

Octane Render Standalone

How does HDR Light Studio work with Octane Render Standalone?

The model has materials assigned, the camera view is setup, you are now ready to light…

1. Start HDR Light Studio from the Octane standalone plug-in
2. Press the Play button on the Render View to see the Octane rendered image inside HDR Light Studio
3. Paint your shot with lights in HDR Light Studio (Lighting is automatically updated in Octane as you light)
4. To finish, HDR Light Studio generates high-res HDRI images for your lights
5. The completed Octane scene is now ready for rendering

Key Features

  • Live link with HDR Light Studio
  • Paint Light Positions
  • Live HDRI Creation
  • Live HDRI Editing
  • Live 3D HDR Area Lights
  • Library of HDR Light Captures
  • Manage HDRIs / Save Light Rigs
  • Embedded Project

Compatibility

  • Octane Standalone for Windows version 2020, 2020.2 & 2021.1

 

Patchwork 3D

How does HDR Light Studio work with Patchwork 3D?

The model has materials applied, the camera view is set up, you are now ready to light…

  1. Start HDR Light Studio from Patchwork 3D
  2. Load an existing HDRI map to edit, or start with a blank canvas
  3. Add new lights and adjustments with HDR Light Studio
  4. Click on the 3D model in Patchwork 3D to position lights
  5. To finish, HDR Light Studio generates a high-res HDRI map for Patchwork 3D
  6. The Patchwork 3D scene is now lit with perfect lighting

Patchwork 3D plug-in compatability is included with HDR Light Studio – Automotive

See how to use HDR Light Studio with Patchwork 3D here.

Omniverse

Real-time HDR lighting tools for NVIDIA Omniverse™

A fast, creative and precise way to light Omniverse scenes

Key Features

  • Live link with HDR Light Studio
  • Paint Light Positions
  • Live HDRI Creation
  • Live HDRI Editing
  • Live 3D HDR Area Lights
  • Library of HDR Light Captures
  • Manage HDRIs / Save Light Rigs
  • Live Project Sync

Detailed documentation for installation, workflow and more can be found here

Compatibility

  • Omniverse version 2021.3.2 and higher – Windows only
  • Supported Renderers: RTX Real-time + RTX Path-Traced

Omniverse Connection is compatible with HDR Light Studio Automotive – Xenon Drop 4 and higher

Software delivery via internet download
Internet connection required for license activation only
HDR Light Studio software requires approx. 200MB disc space
Preset light content requires approx. 8GB disc space
CPU based, no special graphics card required

 

Licenses Explained

A node-locked license is for one user and allows HDR Light Studio to run on a designated primary computer, and a designated second home/laptop computer if required (by using the license transfer facility on our website).

A floating license is for multiple users and allows one concurrent session of HDR Light Studio to run on any computer on the local network. You need to purchase licenses for the number of concurrent users you will require. A computer on the network runs the RLM server software and client machines get their licenses from this computer via the local network.

An annual subscription provides a license that will expire at the end of the 1 year period. During the subscription period, you can run the latest software and you are entitled to support. Renewal is not automatic and we do not store card details.

A permanent license does not expire. It includes 1 year of maintenance – providing software updates and support. At the end of this period, additional maintenance can be purchased in order to keep your software up to date and to continue to be supported.

Requirements

  • Software delivery via internet download
  • Internet connection required for license activation
  • HDR Light Studio software requires approx. 200MB disc space
  • Preset light content requires approx. 7GB disc space
  • CPU-based, no special graphics card required
  • Compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Connections compatibility with 3D software/renderers – please check here: https://www.lightmap.co.uk/hdrlightstudio/connections/

System Requirements

  • Windows: 7, 8, 8.1, 10
  • Mac OS: 10.13.0 (High Sierra) or later
  • Linux: Certified against Scientific Linux 7.2
  • Compatible with: Centos 7, Fedora 19+ (not 27 though), Ubuntu 13.10+, Mint 16+, Debian 8+, OpenSUSE 13.2+

Connection Requirements

3ds Max (Latest Build: 2022.0722)

  • 2021, 2022, 2023
  • Renderers: V-Ray (including V-Ray 5 + 6), Corona, Redshift, Arnold, Octane, Maxwell, FStorm, Art)

Blender (Latest Connection Build: 2022.0913)

  • New single installer supports Blender 2.83+ (LTS), 2.93+ (LTS), 3.0+, 3.1+ and 3.3+ – Windows, macOS and Linux
    Supported Renderers: Cycles, Eevee, Octane, RenderMan
  • (Octane is not supported in Linux)
  • Now supports Blender on Apple Silicon

Cinema 4D (Latest Connection Build: 2022.0913)

  • 24, 25, 26, 2023 (Apple Silicon support for 26 and 2023 only)
  • Renderers: Cinema 4D native renderer, V-Ray 5, Octane, Arnold, Redshift, Corona

DeltaGen (Latest Connection Build: 2021.1110)

  • DELTAGEN 2022x (DELTAGEN STAGE 2022x)
  • DELTAGEN 2021x (DELTAGEN STAGE 2021x)
  • DELTAGEN 2020x (DELTAGEN STAGE 2020x)
  • DELTAGEN 2019x (DELTAGEN STAGE 2019x)
  • DELTAGEN 2018x (DELTAGEN STAGE 2018x), 2018, 2017

Houdini (Latest Connection Build: 2022.0624)

  • HOUDINI CORE, HOUDINI FX, HOUDINI INDIE, HOUDINI EDUCATION
  • 18, 18.5, 19, 19.5 (Windows, macOS, Linux)
  • Renderers: Mantra, Arnold, Redshift, Octane, V-Ray, and RenderMan

LightWave 3D (Latest Connection Build: 2022.0513)

  • 2018, 2019, 2020
  • Renderers: LightWave 3D, Octane

Maxwell Studio (Latest HDR Light Studio Build: 2022.0426)

  • Compatible with Maxwell Studio 4/5 – Windows Only

Maya (Latest Connection Build: 2022.0404)

  • Maya 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 (Windows, macOS, and Linux)
  • Renderers: V-Ray, Arnold, Octane, Redshift, RenderMan, Maxwell

Please note: Please use the hotfix 2 build of V-Ray 5 – Dec 9, 2020, or later.

MODO (Latest Connection Build: 2022.0420)

  • MODO 16, 15, 14, 13, 12 (on Windows and macOS)
  • Renderers: MODO, Octane, and V-Ray

Octane (Latest Connection Build: 2022.0426)

Octane Standalone for Windows version 2020, 2020.2 & 2021.1

Omniverse (Latest Connection Build: 2022.0920)

Please Note: Omniverse Create is quickly changing with frequent new builds. Plugin compatibility is often broken by new builds. We work as quickly as possible to fix these issues. Please use our latest installer to keep up to date.

  • Omniverse version 2021.3.2 and higher – Windows only
  • Supported Renderers: RTX Real-time + RTX Path-Traced
  • Omniverse Connection is compatible with HDR Light Studio Xenon Drop 4 and higher

Patchwork 3D

Note: Patchwork 3D plug-in compatibility is included with HDR Light Studio – Automotive only.

Rhino (Latest Connection Build: 2019.0624)

  • Rhino 5, 6, 7 (Windows only)
  • Renderers: Rhino, Octane, V-Ray

SOLIDWORKS Visualize (Latest HDR Light Studio Build: 2022.0426)

  • SOLIDWORKS Visualize 2017 SP0 and higher versions (Standard and Pro).

VRED ( Latest HDR Light Studio Build: 2022.0426)

  • VRED 2020.1, 2021, and 2022 (Windows only)
  • Area Light creation compatible with: VRED 2020.1 and higher using HDR Light Studio Tungsten and higher.

Build 2022.0916 – Cinema 4D

New plug-in added for Cinema 4D 2023

30th September 2022 – new plug-ins released
Blender – Support added for 3.3
Cinema 4D – Support added for Cinema 4D 2023
Omniverse – Compatibility updated for breaking changes in newer Omniverse Create builds

4th August 2022 – new plug-in released
Please note: New build for Blender Plug-in was released to fix the following issues.
Blender – Fix for Octane area lights not working in the latest stable build of Blender for Octane 2021.1.5_26_3. For users working with Blender for Octane, the new build of the Blender Plug-in now requires ‘at least’ Blender For Octane 2021.1.5_26_3 (Windows only) or Blender for Octane 2022.1.BX2_27_1 (Windows & Mac OS X).

29th July 2022 – new plug-ins released
3ds Max – Support added for V-Ray 6
Houdini – Support added for Houdini 19.5

13th June 2022 – new plug-ins released
Please note: New build for Omniverse Create Plug-in was released to fix the following issues.

Omniverse Create – In Omniverse Create 2022.1.3, the DX12 implementation corrupts the Beauty Pass of the interactive rendering inside HDR Light Studio. As a result, the interactive rendering inside HDR Light Studio interface will appear black. NVIDIA is aware of this issue and will fix it in the next release of Create.

At the moment, there are 2 options to use HDR Light Studio with Omniverse Create:

1) Use HDR Light Studio with Omniverse Create 2022.1.2
2) Use the new Omniverse Create Connection build 2022.0610 and run Vulkan rather than default DX12 rendering engine:

From your create root folder, example: C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\ov\pkg\create-2022.1.3
You can run .\kit\kit.exe .\apps\omni.create.kit –vulkan

This will use the Vulkan engine rather than DX12. It may take some time to start the first time as it will be compiling the shaders. Users can then use HDR Light Studio and Omniverse Create 2022.1.3.


Build 2022.05.25 – Cinema 4D

If for some reason the environment variable had not been set for the location of the main HDR Light Studio app, the fallback location was not being used, and HDR Light Studio wasn’t found by the connection. This is fixed now.

Build 2022.0722 – 3ds Max

Support added for V-Ray 6

Build 2022.0913 – Blender

Updated to support Blender 3.3+
Does not support Octane on Linux

Build 2022.0803 – Blender

Fix for Octane area lights not working in the latest stable build of Blender for Octane 2021.1.5_26_3. For users working with Blender for Octane, the new build of the Blender Plug-in now requires ‘at least’ Blender For Octane 2021.1.5_26_3 (Windows only) or Blender for Octane 2022.1.BX2_27_1 (Windows & Mac OS X).

Build 2022.0525 – Blender

Fix for blender API breaking change of cycles area light visibility after v3.x

Xenon (Drop 4.2)

Build Date: 2022.0426
Released: 19 May 2022

Connection Requirements:

  • 3ds Max – 2020, 2021, 2022 – Plug-in build 2021.0914
  • 3ds Max – 2023 – Plug-in build 2022.0420
  • Blender – 2.83+, 2.93+, 3.0+, 3.1+ – Plug-in build 2022.0426 (updated)
  • Cinema 4D – 26/25/24 – Plug-in build 2022.0414 (updated)
  • DeltaGen – 2017, 2018, 2019x, 2020x, 2021x, 2022x – Plug-in build 2021.1110
  • Houdini – 18, 18.5, 19 (18.5/19 with Python 2 and 3) – Plug-in build 2021.1208
  • Maya – 2019, 2020, 2022 – Plug-in build 2021.1115
  • Maya – 2023 – Plug-in build 2022.0404
  • MODO – 12, 13, 14, 15 (Windows and OSX) – Plug-in build 2021.0504
  • MODO – 16 – Plug-in build 2022.0420
  • LightWave 3D – 2018, 2019, 2020 – Plug-in build 2022.0513 (updated)
  • Rhino 5 (Windows only) – Plug-in build 2018.0206
  • Rhino 6 and 7 (Windows only) – Plug-in build 2019.0624
  • Octane Standalone: 2020, 2020.2, 2021.1 (Windows only) , Plug-in build 2021.0512
  • NVIDIA Omniverse™ – Extension the ‘Create’ app 2021.3.2 versions and higher (Windows only) – Plug-in build 2022.0414
  • VRED – 2020.1, 2021, 2022 (Windows only) – No additional plug-in installation required.
  • Maxwell Studio – 5 (Windows only) – No additional plug-in installation required
  • SOLIDWORKS Visualize – 2017 and above (Windows) – No additional plug-in installation required.

Cinema 4D 26 support released, including Apple Silicon support

HDR Light Studio is now compatible with Cinema 4D 26. In addition, the Cinema 4D 26 plug-in is compatible with Cinema 4D running on Apple Silicon. This new plug-in requires the latest build of HDR Light Studio (2022.0426).

Please note: The HDR Light Studio main application is still an Intel MacOS app and runs via Rosetta on Apple Silicon computers. However, this does not stop it from performing very well and communicating with our new plug-ins compiled for Apple Silicon apps.

Blender Add-on updated to support Apple Silicon

The HDR Light Studio add-on for Blender has been updated to support Blender running on Apple Silicon. This new plug-in requires the latest build of HDR Light Studio (2022.0426).

Please note: The HDR Light Studio main application is still an Intel MacOS app and runs via Rosetta on Apple Silicon computers. However, this does not stop it from performing very well and communicating with our new plug-ins compiled for Apple Silicon apps.

LightWave

New build fixes bad memory access in LW2020 that causes a crash

Xenon Drop 4.2

Connection Requirements:

  • 3ds Max – 2020, 2021, 2022 – Plug-in build 2021.0914
    3ds Max – 2023 – Plug-in build 2022.0420Blender – 2.83+, 2.93+, 3.0+, 3.1+ – Plug-in build 2022.0426 (updated)Cinema 4D – 26/25/24 – Plug-in build 2022.0414 (updated)DeltaGen – 2017, 2018, 2019x, 2020x, 2021x, 2022x – Plug-in build 2021.1110Houdini – 18, 18.5, 19 (18.5/19 with Python 2 and 3) – Plug-in build 2021.1208Maya – 2019, 2020, 2022 – Plug-in build 2021.1115
    Maya – 2023 – Plug-in build 2022.0404MODO – 12, 13, 14, 15 (Windows and OSX) – Plug-in build 2021.0504
    MODO – 16 – Plug-in build 2022.0420LightWave 3D – 2018, 2019, 2020 – Plug-in build 2022.0513 (updated)Rhino 5 (Windows only) – Plug-in build 2018.0206
    Rhino 6 and 7 (Windows only) – Plug-in build 2019.0624

    Octane Standalone: 2020, 2020.2, 2021.1 (Windows only) , Plug-in build 2021.0512

    NVIDIA Omniverse™ – Extension the ‘Create’ app 2021.3.2 versions and higher (Windows only) – Plug-in build 2022.0414

    VRED – 2020.1, 2021, 2022 (Windows only) – No additional plug-in installation required.

    Maxwell Studio – 5 (Windows only) – No additional plug-in installation required

    SOLIDWORKS Visualize – 2017 and above (Windows) – No additional plug-in installation required.

What’s New?

NVIDIA Omniverse™ Connection

  • HDR Light Studio Indie and Pro licenses will now support the NVIDIA Omniverse™ Connection in this HDR Light Studio build.
    Previously the NVIDIA Omniverse™ Connection was only available for Automotive licenses.
    Existing customers with active licenses of Indie and Pro will be able to start using the NVIDIA Omniverse™ Connection right away with their existing licenses.
    Simply update to the HDR Light Studio ‘Xenon Drop 4.2’.
  • The Omniverse Connection has been updated to support the latest build of Omniverse, where Omniverse changes had broken our previous build.
    Fixed bug that caused LightPaint to not work with RTX Real-Time. Now, for LightPaint to work with RTX Real-Time, DLSS needs to be disabled in RTX Real-Time Render Settings > Anti-Aliasing.

Blender Connection

  • Support added for Blender 3.1+
  • A change of python version in Blender 3.1 broke our connection. Our connection has now been updated to add compatibility.

3ds Max Connection

  • Now compatible with FStorm Renderer
  • Tested with FStorm Version 15.0H.
  • Live HDRI Map and HDR Area Lights is supported.
  • Sharing of the interactive render from FStorm in the HDR Light Studio interface is not supported.

DeltaGen Connection

  • Support added for DeltaGen 2022
  • Compatible with the new Ambience nodes

General Bug Fixes

  • Fixed bug that would cause HDR Light Studio to crash when certain presets lights would be dragged from the presets panel onto the canvas.
  • Fixed bug that would cause HDR Light Studio to crash when adjusting a ramp.
  • Fixed bug that would cause HDR Light Studio to crash when duplicating lights.

Xenon Drop 4.1

Connection Requirements:

  • 3ds Max – 2020, 2021, 2022 – Plug-in build 2021.0914
  • Blender – 2.83+, 2.93+, 3.0+ – Plug-in build 2021.0914
  • Cinema 4D – 21.115 or higher, 22, 23, 24, 25 – Plug-in build 2021.0519
  • DeltaGen – 2017, 2018, 2019x, 2020x, 2021x – Plug-in build 2021.0319
  • Houdini – 18, 18.5, 19 (18.5/19 with Python 2 and 3) – Plug-in build 2021.1208 (updated)
  • Maya – 2019, 2020, 2022 – Plug-in build 2021.1115 (updated)
  • MODO – 12, 13, 14, 15 (Windows and OSX) – Plug-in build 2021.0504
  • LightWave 3D – 2018, 2019, 2020 – Plug-in build 2021.0520
  • Rhino 5 (Windows only) – Plug-in build 2018.0206
  • Rhino 6 and 7 (Windows only) – Plug-in build 2019.0624
  • Octane Standalone: 2020, 2020.2, 2021.1 (Windows only) , Plug-in build 2021.0512
  • NVIDIA Omniverse™ – Extension the ‘Create’ app 2021.3.2 versions and higher (Windows only) – Plug-in build 2021.0914
  • VRED – 2020.1, 2021, 2022 (Windows only) – No additional plug-in installation required.
  • Maxwell Studio – 5 (Windows only) – No additional plug-in installation required
  • SOLIDWORKS Visualize – 2017 and above (Windows) – No additional plug-in installation required.

HDR Light Studio Xenon Drop 4.1 is a minor update to enable compatibility and fix some bugs

What’s New?

Houdini Connection

  • Support added for Houdini 19
  • Support added for RenderMan 24.2
  • Octane 2021.1.0.4  or newer is required for compatibility with Octane.
  • Dropped support for Houdini 17.5

Maya Connection

  • Support added for RenderMan 24.2
  • Dropped support for Maya 2018

Octane Standalone (14 Jan 2022)

  • Connection Released for Octane Standalone 2021.1

General Bug Fixes

  • Fixed bug that would cause HDR Light Studio to crash when the OCIO environment variable is set but it points to a config.ocio file that doesn’t exist. Further validation checks have been implemented and if the validation fails, the user will be prompted with an error message and made aware that HDR Light Studio is falling back to a different OCIO configuration.
  • Fixed bug where OCIO “Default” button did not remove HDRLS OCIO prefs, instead it would set the HDRLS prefs to the default prefs OCIO file location.

Version: Xenon (Drop 4)

Build Date: 2021.1103

Motion Blur (Advanced) filter

Here are the additional features that the Motion Blur (Advanced) filter provides, above the standard Motion Blur filter:

  • Curve and Tilt: The motion path can be curved in any direction. Use case: Replicating motion blur travelling around a corner in a car.
  • Noise Profile: Noise can be added to the path. Use cases: Replicating the effect of road noise in the blur or to generate a creative lighting trail effect.
  • Depth Image: Motion blur amount can be scaled per pixel by values from a loaded image. Use case: Paint an image to control where the map is blurred and by how much.

Documentation for this new feature can be found here.

NVIDIA Omniverse Connection Released

  • We are proud to release this new connection to NVIDIA Omniverse.  Simply add the provided extension plug-in to the Create App in order to connect HDR Light Studio to your Create session.

Documentation for this new connection can be found here.

Blender Connection

  • Added support for Octane Render and RenderMan
  • Fixed scene export failure with versions Blender 2.93.2 and higher
  • Single installer file for all versions.

Documentation for this connection can be found here.

3ds Max Connection

  • Updated to use new faster API for the 2022 plug-in only
  • Fixed a conflict with Ornatrix and scene export into HDR Light Studio
  • Fixed renderer not being detected after closing and reopening connection panel
  • Fixed crash bug when selecting a new scene and saving the scene
  • Dropped support for 3ds Max 2019

Documentation for this connection can be found here.

Cinema 4D

  • R25 Connection Added

SOLIDWORKS Visualize

  • Fixed LightPaint bug positioning lights in the wrong place

General Bug Fixes

  • Fixed bug where LightPainting from hosts was placing lights incorrectly inside Composite lights with non default transform settings
  • Fixed problem loading older HDR Light Studio project files
  • Fixed graduation handed issue opening older project files

HDR Light Studio – Xenon Drop 3, 18 May 2021

Motion Blur

The Motion Blur filter provides a fast and easy-to-use method for adding linear motion blur to HDRI lighting. Click on the HDR Canvas to pick the direction and set the length of the blur – it’s that easy.

HDR Light Studio - Xenon Drop 3 Motion Blur

With Motion Blur in HDR Light Studio you can:

  • Easily add linear motion blur to HDRI maps
  • Add motion blur to an edited HDRI map
  • Design a static lighting design and add motion blur to the whole design
  • Add moving objects to a static HDRI map
  • Add motion blur to certain areas of the map using masking/alpha

A new faster, re-engineered, Cinema 4D Connection

HDR Light Studio - Xenon Drop 3 C4D

The Cinema 4D connection now uses our new API for a far more responsive lighting experience. We also took the opportunity to rework the behavior of this connection, here are the key changes:

  • Support added for Cinema 4D 24
  • Moving lights is more interactive
  • Simplified the Connection panel terminology to be easier to understand for new users
  • You can switch Cinema 4D projects without HDR Light Studio closing and your lighting project will auto sync
  • You can create multiple HDR Light Studio lighting projects in a single C4D project and correctly swap between them. This is also compatible with the Cinema 4D ‘Takes’ system
  • Added support for V-Ray 5 (removed support for older V-Ray versions)
  • Added support for real-time Area Light Spread control for Arnold, V-Ray, Redshift, and Octane
  • Hiding the HDR Light Studio Connection panel on the UI does no longer stops the lighting updates. You can now tab the connection panel and have it behind another tab when using HDR Light Studio
  • Logging has moved into the native Cinema 4D logging system
  • On macOS, if the environment variable is not working to tell Cinema 4D the location of the HDR Light Studio application, the Connection will then look in the default install location. This fixes an issue where macOS users report Cinema 4D not able to start HDR Light Studio from Cinema 4D on macOS.

User Interface Improvements

  • Real-time Light moves on Canvas
  • When moving lights on canvas the HDR Light Studio Render View now updates in real-time.

Area Light Controls moved on the UI

The Area Light specific controls in the Light Properties panel have been moved and grouped next to the Area Light check box. The text labels match the yellow color used for area lights in the Light List. Many users overlook the area light feature. So now it’s easier to find and to use. In addition, the Falloff drop-down has been removed and all lights will be created with physically correct quadratic falloff.

Area Light Spread

  • A new property called Spread has been added to the Area Lights. This controls the spread/directional setting on an area light. This has only been implemented in this release for Cinema 4D with Arnold, V-Ray, Redshift, and Octane.
  • This setting is ignored by non supported connections and renderers.

 

Expansion of the LightPaint System

To allow positioning the Motion Blur direction on the Canvas or Render Views, a new drop-down has been added for selecting the behavior of the LightPaint tool. At the moment this drop-down by default is set to Move, i.e. the light is being moved in the view, which is the same behavior as before. But when a spherical motion-blurred light is selected, the drop-down adds Motion Blur to the dropdown. This new drop-down will be expanded in the future with additional tools.

Render View – Max Samples

The Max Samples setting is now a slider from 0 to 160 – making it easier to use and set the max value.

Additional Improvements

Box Gradient Light

New Light type on Tool Bar. Box Gradient Light. Box Gradient Light is ideal for creating a white light with highly controllable soft edges and more.

Help

The help links have been improved in HDR Light Studio, with the main Help linking to our online docs.

Retired Features!

These features have been retired to simplify the experience of using HDR Light Studio.

Light Property: Cookie

This was a legacy feature that caused issues when changing the content on a light and realizing it had a Round or Hex cookie, cropping the light content. The shape of the light should be controlled by its content or alpha. All lights behave like they have the Rect cookie now, even when opening old projects.

Uber Light

This is a legacy feature from when lights created using the tool bar had simplified controls.

Hex Light

This light was defined by the Hex Cookie which has been retired. To give your lights shape, please use an Alpha image.

Bug Fixes

  • Fix a major bug where older HDR Light Studio projects (pre Tungsten Drop 1) were not opening in Xenon Drop 2!
  • On macOS, if the HDR Light Studio environment variable is not found/work/set then default install location used to find HDR Light Studio main app from Cinema 4D, MODO, Maya, Blender, and Houdini connections.
  • Deleting a light in comp was not updating the Canvas and Render View.
  • Comp lights not updating properly on canvas when deleted.
  • MODO 15 fixes a problem where MODO was preventing floating licenses of HDR Light Studio from working.
  • Better handling if the user set proxy directory is missing.
  • Area Lights open in an ‘off’ state when opening older scenes.
  • Fixed issues with Octane Standalone and area lights not showing and hiding correctly.
  • Cinema 4D / Arnold: Mapping of HDRI map was incorrect as Arnold has changed the orientation of image-based lighting

What’s new in Xenon Drop 2, released January 2021

Filters

The first filter added to HDR Light Studio is Diffusion – a blur effect that mimics the diffusion of light through a material like tracing paper or cloth. Spreading and softening the light.

Diffusion key features:

  • Real-time – change settings with instant feedback
  • Energy Conserving – preserving the amount of light in your HDRI map.
  • Spherical option for HDRI Maps
  • Planar option for Area Lights
  • Use with Masking to apply Diffusion to specific regions
  • Available only on Composite Light content

Light Looks

The lighting process is about creativity and experimentation. There are so many lighting decisions to make and so many different approaches you can try out. Light Looks allow you to easily store, compare, duplicate and edit multiple lighting designs in a single HDR Light Studio project – supporting your creative lighting process.

Try Different Lighting Looks
Kind of goes without saying… but….. you can use Light Looks to create distinctly different lighting moods or styles for the same shot. These are all stored in the same HDR Light Studio project. So once you or your client chooses their favourite Look, it’s easy to select it and produce the final render or make further tweaks to the lighting if needed.

Saving Lighting Iterations
During the lighting process, duplicate the Look you are working on, and then continue with the lighting process. By creating this history of the lighting process using Light Looks, you can easily compare earlier versions and decide if the lighting has improved or not.

Lighting for different Cameras
In a single HDR Light Studio project, you can now set up a lighting design for each camera view. So you no longer need to save multiple scenes file in your host 3D software for each lighting design.

Use Child Looks to make adjustments to a common Base
Imagine you have a product to light, but it comes in different colors. Set up a base Look as the foundation for your lighting. Then create Child Looks to augment the lighting for each colorway, i.e. adding different lights on top of the common base. With a Child Look active, all lighting higher up in the ‘tree hierarchy’ is added together like one big light list.

Read Full Release Notes

System Requirements

  • Windows: 7, 8, 8.1, 10
  • Mac OS: 10.13.0 (High Sierra) or later
  • Linux: Certified against: Scientific Linux 7.2
  • Compatible with: Centos 7, Fedora 19+ (not 27 though), Ubuntu 13.10+, Mint 16+, Debian 8+, OpenSUSE 13.2+

Connection Requirements:

  • 3ds Max – 2019, 2020, 2021 – Plug-in build 2020.0814
  • Blender – 2.83 (LTS) and higher – Plug-in build 2020.0928 (updated)
  • Cinema 4D – 19, 20, 21.115 or higher, 22, 23 – Plug-in build 2019.1212
  • DeltaGen – 2017, 2018, 2019 (and the x-builds), 2020 (and the x-builds) – Plug-in build 2020.0319
  • Houdini – 17.5, 18, 18.5 – Plug-in build 2020.1207 (updated)
  • Maya – 2018, 2019, 2020 – Plug-in build 2020.1203 (updated)
  • MODO – 11, 12, 13, 14 (Windows and OSX) – Plug-in build 2019.0710
  • LightWave 3D – 2018, 2019, 2020 – Plug-in build 2019.1212
  • Rhino 5 (Windows only) – Plug-in build 2018.0206
  • Rhino 6 (Windows only) – Plug-in build 2019.0624
  • Octane Standalone: 2020. 2020.2 (Windows only) , Plug-in build 2020.1208 new

 

 

What’s new in Xenon (Released September 2020)

This new HDR Light Studio release includes new features for Blender, Octane Render Standalone and 3ds Max/V-Ray 5 users. However, the work done for this release has laid the foundations for improving the performance of all our connections in the future, with the development of a new faster TCP/IP based API.

New Blender Connection

We are proud to release our new Blender Connection. This brand new connection is the big new feature in our Xenon Drop 1 release. This Blender Add-on is a free addition for existing Indie, Pro and Automotive customers with active Subscriptions or Maintenance. Visit our Blender Connection web page for more details. Documentation for the new Blender Connection can be found here.

New API

We have developed a new TCP/IP based API (Application Programming Interface) for HDR Light Studio. This new API is significantly faster, providing a far more responsive lighting experience for the 3D artist. The first connections to use the new API are the new Blender Connection and the Octane Render Standalone Connection. We are aiming to port other connections to use the new API, where applicable, in future connection updates.

Octance Standalone Connection

This connection has been updated to use the new TCP/IP based API in HDR Light Studio.

3ds Max Connection

Support for V-Ray 5 added.
Fix added to deal with username paths with non ASCII characters. See here for details on how to implement this.

Notable Bug Fixes

Mouse Up event were not being passed to host 3D app when using LightPaint.

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