In brief
- Vantage 3.4 supports the OpenPBR material standard as a mode that can be enabled or disabled within VRayMtl.
- Chaos Scans materials and anisotropy, thin film, sheen and dispersion parameters can now be displayed in Vantage.
- The real-time fluid simulator has been renamed Fire & Smoke, and new presets have been added.
- Vantage is no longer available as a standalone subscription; it is offered only on a rental basis as part of the V-Ray Collection and Corona Collection bundles.
Chaos released version 3.4 of Vantage, its real-time ray-tracing visualization tool, on 29 September 2026. According to CG Channel, the update includes support for the OpenPBR material standard, Chaos Scans materials, broader compatibility with V-Ray material and light properties, the renamed Fire & Smoke simulator, and NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 integration. The release runs on Windows 10 and later with DXR-compatible AMD, Intel and NVIDIA graphics cards.
Vantage is a tool for exploring V-Ray, Corona and Enscape scenes in real time. Architecture and interior design studios use it especially for live client presentations, quick animations and design reviews. Version 3.4 focuses on reducing the gap between production renders and real-time previews.
OpenPBR and Chaos Scans support
The update’s most notable addition is OpenPBR support. OpenPBR is an open material standard gaining traction across DCC applications. In Vantage, it is implemented not as a separate material type but as a mode that can be enabled or disabled within the standard V-Ray Material (VRayMtl). This makes it easier to adopt the standard without disrupting the structure of existing scenes.
Chaos Scans materials are also supported in Vantage with this release. Chaos Scans is a library of real-world scanned materials available with higher-tier V-Ray subscriptions. Being able to view scanned surfaces such as fabric, leather and stone in a real-time environment could make a difference, particularly in furniture and interior presentations.
Broader V-Ray material and texture compatibility
Vantage 3.4 now supports the following VRayMtl parameters:
Anisotropy (directional reflections, such as on brushed metal)
Thin film effect
Sheen (the soft sheen of velvet and fabric)
Dispersion (color separation in glass and crystal)
On the texture side, V-Ray’s Curvature and TriPlanar textures are supported, while Distance texture support is partial. Workflow improvements also include object inclusion and exclusion lists for global Ambient Occlusion and Wet effects. This can prevent, for example, a wetness effect from spilling onto unwanted objects.
Fire & Smoke simulator and Gaussian Splats
The real-time fluid simulator introduced in Vantage 3.1 has been renamed Fire & Smoke for clarity. New presets have been added to speed up the setup of common simulation types. These presets can reduce setup time for scenarios such as a fireplace, an outdoor fire pit or an industrial structure presentation.
As CG Channel notes, Vantage can relight and render 3D Gaussian Splats, with capabilities added incrementally in versions 3.2 and 3.3. Chaos’s product page also states that environments captured from the real world can be rendered directly in Vantage using Gaussian splat technology. Showing scanned environments alongside design models is an increasingly common approach for presenting terrain and urban contexts.
DLSS 4.5 and licensing changes
The integrated NVIDIA DLSS technology has been upgraded to version 4.5. DLSS uses AI to upscale an image calculated at a lower resolution, improving smoothness during real-time walkthroughs. For teams presenting large architectural scenes live, this could mean a smoother experience on the same hardware.
There is also an important licensing change: Vantage 3.4 is no longer sold as a standalone subscription. The software is available only on a rental basis as part of Chaos’s V-Ray Collection or Corona Collection bundles.
| Category | Vantage 3.4 details |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 and later |
| GPU | DXR-compatible AMD, Intel or NVIDIA |
| V-Ray compatibility | V-Ray Next and later (V-Ray 4+) |
| Corona compatibility | Corona 12 and later |
| Enscape compatibility | Enscape 4.2 and later |
| Sales model | Only included in V-Ray Collection / Corona Collection |
Impact on archviz workflows
One common challenge in architectural visualization is that materials seen in a real-time preview can look different in the final render. By supporting parameters such as anisotropy, sheen and dispersion, Vantage 3.4 brings the appearance of a V-Ray scene in Vantage closer to the final output. This also improves consistency between live client presentations and delivered images.
OpenPBR support could prove more significant in the long run. Losses when transferring materials between different software applications can cost time, particularly in studios using more than one render engine. Supporting a shared standard has the potential to simplify these transfers. A separate Hydra delegate is available for Houdini users.
Studios should check a few things before upgrading. First, consider which V-Ray, Corona or Enscape version Vantage will be used with: teams running versions below the minimums listed in the table above will need to update their primary software first. Second, review the licensing structure: users who have so far used Vantage on a separate subscription will need to plan which Collection bundle to move to at renewal. Third, consider material libraries: testing the OpenPBR mode on a copy of a scene before using it in existing projects can help catch unexpected differences in appearance early.
The role of real-time presentation in the office is also changing. Once a tool opened only on presentation day, Vantage is moving toward a role in design review meetings—and even material selection—as material compatibility improves.
Sources
2 sourcesSource texts are not republished; short quotes are marked, everything else is our own summary and commentary.
Rather than offering one flashy feature, Vantage 3.4 delivers a series of improvements that help V-Ray scenes look more accurate in a real-time environment. For studios in Turkey that give live presentations to clients, particularly in furniture, interior design and residential projects, getting fabric and metal surfaces right can directly strengthen a presentation’s persuasive power.
On the other hand, removing the standalone subscription could increase costs for small teams that want to use only Vantage. Studios already using V-Ray or Corona Collection will not have an additional expense, but those looking to adopt real-time presentations for the first time will need to assess bundle prices alongside the exchange rate. Support for any modern DXR-compatible GPU provides flexibility on the hardware front.
Frequently asked questions
Which versions of V-Ray and Corona does Vantage 3.4 work with?
According to CG Channel, Vantage 3.4 is compatible with V-Ray Next and later (V-Ray 4+), Corona 12 and later, and Enscape 4.2 and later.
Can Vantage 3.4 be purchased separately?
No. Vantage 3.4 is no longer offered as a standalone subscription; it is available only on a rental basis as part of the V-Ray Collection or Corona Collection bundles.
Can Vantage be used with an AMD graphics card?
Yes. According to the system requirements, DXR-compatible AMD, Intel or NVIDIA graphics cards are supported on Windows 10 and later.
