Rendering optimisations in Indigo 3.8

Rendering optimisations in Indigo 3.8

Written Wednesday 11 Dec

With the 3.6 stable release out the door, it's time to show some of the new stuff we have been working on for the next version of Indigo!

Indigo 3.8 will bring some important optimisations for arch-viz users, particularly the common case of rendering sunlight through glass: a brand new arch glass option will be available for specular materials, which uses some trickery to accurately approximate the flow of light through thin glass while rendering much, much faster than before!

Indigo arch glass correctly handles multiple reflections, as well as absorption in the glass. It's as easy to use as ticking a checkbox on the specular material settings, and does not require its own rendering mode like the the previous glass acceleration approach.

The second new feature is a change to the way exit portals work - you will now be able to see through them, so for example you can use them in a window, even if the outside of a room should be visible as well. You can even use them for exterior shots looking into a building.

There are a few simple renderings showing the impressive image convergence improvements on the Indigo forum: http://www.indigorenderer.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=12735

Also keep an eye out for news about other optimisations and MLT improvements in Indigo 3.8!

Indigo 3.8 will be a free update for all customers with an Indigo 3.x licence.