Octane Render v1.0 beta2 released
Octane Render is a GPU based, un-biased, physically based renderer that supports Blender. It uses the processor in your Nvidia GeForce 8000 (or higher) graphicscard. Octane is priced at €99,-.
We are proud to announce the availability of the much anticipated v1.0 beta2 version of Octane Render.
Some of the new features are the physical daylight system with sun and sky, bump maps, normal maps, opacity/alpha maps, spectral thin film coatings, smooth group support, support for the new Cuda 3.0 system, an improved user interface, many other tweaks and many bugfixes.
This release also brings a native version for Mac OS X, and works on Leopard (10.5) and Snow Leopard (10.6), along with 32bit and x64 versions for MS Windows, and a 64bit native linux version.
The website has also been replaced with a new one, with a new gallery full of images rendered with Octane Render to enjoy.
Since the developers are Blender fans and use Blender themselves, use of Blender is fully supported through Wavefront OBJ format, and a special extended OBJ export script with additional features like bump map and opacity map export is available for Blender users.
Please note that the software is currently only compatible with Nvidia Geforce 8000 or higher GPUs, however support for ATI GPUs is in development as well.
Links
I’d choose SmallLuxGPU over that any day.
@dsavi
SmallLuxGPU isn’t un-biased, physically based. Just compare it whit luxrender.
The dev’s know this, don’t bother them whit it.
Wow!
I love the new website, I’m seriously considering purchasing this, the first demo I tried out was exceptionally fast.
LuxGPU isn’t ready yet and it can’t be compared to this, not yet anyway.
I bought this a while back. I still love the open source render engines, but the quality of the renders you get from this engine are simply phenominal. Well worth ?99 Euros. The new version is incredible.
@dsavi,
i’m curious to see what you have done with SmallLuxGPU..
or are you one of these that criticize software without using it or even knowing what it offers over other alternatives?
Octane seems to has really fine render engine. By default it works in ‘direct light’ mode, that gives excellent speed. For more complicated light scenarios you have to turn on pathtracing and things are not so smooth anymore (but still much faster than on CPU, thought)
I would buy this right away IF:
– ATI cards were supported too
– CPU rendering was also supported (otherwise my little rendering cluster is useless)
– I knew I can rely on the object format for blender scene export. I dont know how Yafaray or Luxrender for example integrate into blender (they integrate very well I find), but I have had huge problems in my 15 years of 3D with im/exporting through various formats.
Dont get me wrong, I really think this is a great product! I am very frustrated right now with all of the rendering enginges for blender (including the 2.5 internal).
@anonymous, @Daniel Wray
As far as I know, SmallLuxGPU is still in development but yet usable.
– uses OpenCL so you can use NVidia and ATI cards
– uses GPU/vram for acceleration but rely also on CPU/ram for texture handling which seem problematic with pure-GPU rendering
– “SmallLuxGPU isn’t un-biased, physically based” where do you get this idea from ? From what I understand SLG is using luxrender’s physical based engine, even if the lighting model and calibration is not the current priority there is progress every week..
– allows texture, bump, normal and alpha maps
– allows participating media (volumetrics / fog / light rays)
– tightly integrated to blender (+ very interesting perspectives)
SLG 1.4 demo: http://vimeo.com/10048897 (much new features since this)
Octane looks interesting too, but SLG is FLOSS philosophy…
Victor
@dsavi / anonymous – smalllux is a concept rendering engine. It’s nowhere near finished.
That said, it’s development is moving very quickly and I’ve seen some really badass renderings come from it, and look forward to it’s ray tracing acceleration being grafted into luxrender.
NB: IIUC Octane is the project Radience moved to after leaving the Luxrender project. Tends to be a touchy subject.
@org ATI/ CPU rendering would sort of defeat the point of Octane using Nvidia’s CUDA GPU for interactive rendering. ;)
I have bought Octane and a GTX 285 for my Mac, and I can say it is truly amazing! The results are good, fast and easy (and the fact that I no longer have to use VMWare/ Bootcamp only made it better).
That extended OBJ exporter script seems worthwile to check out as well. =)
Well this is all fine and dandy, but Why doesn’t my CUDA enabled 9600GT not work for this program? It’s all like “Hurrr no CUDA devices detected shutting down” I know most people that use it are on 240GTX and above, but shouldn’t ALL CUDA 3.0 Devices work?
what is biased and unbiased rendering. i have no idea.
Must be 21 or younger to be eligible for the educational license discount?
WTF???
I didn’t even *start* college until a few months before my 21st birthday.
@Senshi: I’m really not into the “technical stuff”, I’m a 3D artist. I mentioned those points cause as the (poor) guy I am I build myself a rendering cluster out of junk parts, all machines have mixed hardware, 32 and 64 bit, ATI and NVIDIA cards, all running linux. I just thought if theres gpu rendering, why not on ati cards too? + cpu + clustering.
As I said I’m very frustrated with current rendering solutions for blender looking forward to ANYTHING better! As soon as they release a linux demo I will check it out for sure.
I do wish I had 99euros to pick it up and play (may see if there’s a demo) this but with OpenCL accelerating (development wise and yes pun intended) rapidly and I do understand that Cuda is far more appropriate for Octane, sadly not utilising cpus along with Gpus is going to make this (xxx)cpu farm a little redundant. However the workstations about the studio could…
Watching both SmallLuxGPU and Octane very very closely indeed.
@Senshi
OpenCL allows for heterogenous sources: this means GPU + CPU
Why do you say ATI rendering would defeat the point?
It’s also GPU’s used. The only difference is the language used: OpenCL instead of CUDA.
It does the exact same thing.
It’s best to use OpenCL anyway.
Because it’s a good more generalized, more powerful solution that (here comes the bonus/big selling point) is not proprietary.
(Beats CUDA for me, besides, NVidia is working on OpenCL + CUDA anyway. )
@org
OpenCL is your solution it not only also allows for other graphic cards then Nvidia, it also allows for GPU + CPU. (Also enabling cluster computing.)
How’s about that?
@txrx
Hold on, CUDA is not more appropriate for octane then OpenCL. In fact opencl is even better because it uses GPU and CPU. Your CPU’farm hasn’t become redundant.
Far from it, add some decent OpenCL-enabled graphic cards to it and you have got yourself an OpenCL(/CUDA)-calculation/render farm.
(You never know when those CPU’s can come in handy. )
If I understand correctly, Octane might eventually go towards both Ati and Nvidia. When that will be is up to them though. I know they’re focusing on getting more features implemented with the existing software before they look at that. I have found exporting, using the obj format is ok. It is glitchy here and there, but nothing that can’t be overcome. fbx and collada formats are in the works, as well as rib. You “can” use your cpu in cuda emulation mode, though you dont get the performance benefits that a gpu can give. The big thing here is showing that the cpu for rendering is not the best way to go. The gpu is much better at rendering then the cpu is. This is why so many companies are focusing on porting their software to a gpu architecture. Whether it is OpenCL, Stream, or Cuda, only time will tell.
Octane is great software. I know its not open source and free, but that doesn’t make it bad. Its affordable, easy to use, awesome quality, and free to try, though you can’t save. Give it a shot and try it out, you will be happy and surprised.
OpenCL still has some time before it really gets applicable across the board. I am not saying it wont be THE solution, but maybe just not yet.
Is Terrence Vergauwen the former Radiance of Luxrender?
>>> Is Terrence Vergauwen the former Radiance of Luxrender?
yeah, i am.
Radiance