Resources

FAQs

Doesn't ArtVPS make rendering hardware?

We are, indeed, known for developing the first processor exclusively designed to accelerate ray-tracing of 3D data, using sophisticated rendering algorithms. With advances in mainstream processor technology, we have now extended our specialist programming expertise into off-the-shelf processing platforms.

How does Shaderlight fit into the rendering workflow?

Shaderlight stands to fundamentally change the way 3D artists generate images. Whether it's 3ds Max or SketchUp, we've developed Shaderlight to be a tightly integrated with its host application so it becomes an extenstion of your existing toolset.

How does Shaderlight work?

Conventionally, any change in image attributes means re-rendering, and because this takes time there is a tendency to compromise. The usual route is to experiment at low resolution or low quality settings, but this does not provide sufficient detail for the kind of accurate fine-tuning any good artist will want to make.

Shaderlight is an interactive renderer that lets you create photorealistic images quickly and simply.  Shaderlight uses progressive raytracing so as you create and modify a scene, a constantly updating render of the scene is maintained.  Shaderlight for 3ds Max (coming soon to Shaderlight for SketchUp) goes further by removing the bottleneck of having to re-render at all.

By maintaing the relationship between the colour of rendered pixels and the elements of the 3D scene that contribute to those pixels, when changes are made to materials, environments, lights or textures, the information embedded in the intelligent pixels updates the image interactively.

Does it require additional memory? What are the system requirements? Are there any other hardware issues?

The system requirements for Shaderlight for SketchUp will be no more than that required to run SketchUp however initially it is Window’s only.  A Mac version will be available early next year.

The additional interactivity of Shaderlight for 3ds Max means you will find that more memory will enhance the experience. For this reason, we recommend Windows Vista or Windows XP with 64-bit processors and at least 8GB of RAM. This, though, is becoming the norm for 3D professionals.

Does Shaderlight only work with 3ds Max?

The 3ds Max plug-in is the first of a series of Shaderlight products. Our aim is that the Shaderlight rendering technology will be available to anyone who needs to generate and edit high quality renderings.

Shaderlight for SketchUp is available to download as beta software with the full release expected towards the end of the year.

Will there be plug-in versions for Maya, etc?

The Shaderlight technology has the potential to be used in any number of 3D applications, and we are keen to work closely with both hardware and software partners to ensure that as many creative 3D professionals as possible can take advantage of Shaderlight.

Will Shaderlight require extensive training?

No - Shaderlight has been designed to integrate seamlessly into the workflow of any 3D artist using 3ds Max or Google SketchUp.

Can Shaderlight be used in animation?

Absolutely. Shaderlight can be used interactively to speed the process of lighting and texturing a scene and conventionally as an offline renderer in the same way as other third-party renderers in the production of animations and fly-throughs.

Does Shaderlight take longer than other render engines to render the first pass in order to collect all the data it needs?

Marginally more time, yes, so that direct changes can be made to the materials, environments, lighting or textures of a fully rendered image with instant results.

What is MELT?

The acronym for the elements (materials, environments, lights and textures) that can be changed on a final image without having to re-render when using Shaderlight.  The MELT capability is currently only available in Shaderlight for 3ds Max

What are intelligent pixels?

Shaderlight renders intelligent pixels that understand where they fit in a 3D image and what to do if something changes.  When a MELT change is made the intelligent pixels in the image update nteractively rather tha re-rendering the entire image from scratch.

Does Shaderlight have GI?

Yes - we've developed a new approach to global illumination that we call 'active photon tracing'.  GI and other advanced lighting features are not yet available in Shaderlight for SketchUp but will be included in the full release later this year.

Is Shaderlight compatible with mental ray?

No, Shaderlight is a renderer in its own right so it not compatible with mental ray or other third party renderers.

Does Shaderlight use mental ray or V-Ray materials?

No, although Shaderlight can be used with the 3ds Max materials as well as its own sophisticated physically accurate materials.  We have also developed a material library with 30 material presets to download and use with Shaderlight for 3ds Max.

Shaderlight for SketchUp supports all Google SketchUp materials and material finishes can be controlled via the Shaderlight Material Editor

Does Shaderlight support Proxy objects?

While Shaderlight for 3ds Max does support Xref objects, it doesn't support proxy objects.

Does Shaderlight support distributed/network rendering?

Both Shaderlight versions are fully multi threaded so it will use all available CPU cores on a local machine however it currently does not support distributed rendering over a network.