Dear VRED Users,
We´d like to inform you that VRED 2021 Design & Professional has just been released. It is ready for installation through the Autodesk Desktop App and is available in your Autodesk Account. Here is a quick overview of what´s new and has changed:
New Installer
With VRED 2021, we move to a new standardized robust installer platform, to deliver faster and more cohesive install experiences across Autodesk products for online and offline installation.
VIVE Cosmos Controller
When using the VIVE Cosmos HMD, the corresponding controllers are now displayed correctly in VR, using the default button behavior.
Python 3 Support
Python 2.7 will not be maintained past 2020 and therefore VRED 2021 now supports Python 3.74. We have added an automatic translation from Python 2 to Python 3, when opening a scene containing Python 2 code. This translation runs in the background, does not change code in the scene, and can be disabled in the preferences. Here you can find more information on what gets auto-translated.
If users want to convert their Python 2 code into Python 3, we have added the option “Convert to Python 3” in the context menu for all VRED modules that use the Script Editor widget.
Script Editor Widget in Variant Sets & Preferences
In VRED 2021, the Script Editor, Variant Sets, and Preferences Script entry now use the same Script Editor widget. This is to provide a cohesive experience across modules with known features like auto-complete, syntax highlighting, find and replace, etc.
Improved decoupled Light Editor
With VRED 2021, the Light Editor module was decoupled and now has a full object-based Python API. More information can be found in the Python v2 Documentation. Also, editing properties on multi-selection is now possible in the module. In addition, we have improved the usability of the module itself and added a menu bar, search bar, and re-worked the context menu to be more consistent with other modules. User can now also zoom and pan in the Ghostline Editor to better set and adjust ghost effects that are close to one another.
Decoupled Annotation Module
The Annotation module was also decoupled and now has a full object-based Python API. More information can be found in the Python v2 Documentation.
Environment Variables Documentation
We now have documented all available Environment Variables in our Python documentation as a new category in the Table of Contents.
GPU Raytracing
VRED 2021 brings customers the power of GPU Raytracing and, therefore, maximum flexibility for hardware choices.
From within the standard VRED interface, users can easily switch between CPU and GPU, using the Raytracing dropdown menu found in the main menu bar.
VRED GPU Raytracing works on NVIDIA GPUs of the Turing, Volta, Pascal, and Maxwell architectures. RTX GPUs are highly recommended and multiple GPUs will improve performance. For optimal performance with 2x GPUs, enabling SLI and using a NVLink-Bridge is recommended. For more than 2 GPUs, the settings are not relevant. 1x VRED Pro license supports 2x GPUs. Only homogeneous GPU setups are supported. Your NVIDIA Driver version must be 441.6 or newer.
VRED Stream & Streaming App
With VRED H264 or JPG streaming, user can run VRED on a desktop PC or a server and connect with a web browser on their platform of choice, whether desktop or mobile, and stream the VRED rendering in the browser. It is also possible to navigate in the scene, use TouchSensors and interact with HTML 5 content.
With the VREDStreamApp, we provide a web app example that uses the H264 Stream plus UI controls to trigger Variant Sets, Viewpoints, and certain VRED quality scene settings.
When using the VREDStream App or the VREDStream HD (h264), please download the OpenH264 codec library from GitHub first, then copy the uncompressed openh264-2.0.0-win64.dll to C:\Program Files\Autodesk\VREDPro-13.0\bin\WIN64. Start VRED Professional and ensure the WebInterface in enabled in the preferences. Open your web browser (Chrome preferred) and use localhost:8888 to enter the WebServer user interface or IP address (e.g.192.168.xxx.xx:8888) when connecting from a different device.
The OpenH264 codec streaming quality/bitrate can be changed by adding bitrate=X (X =1-8000) to the url
Desktop & Content adaptive Variable Rate Shading
Variable Rate Shading is an NVIDIA Turing feature that increases rendering performance and quality by varying the shading rate for different regions of the frame. With VRED 2020.2, we have introduced variable rate shading for VR, in combination with foveated rendering for head mounted displays, such as HTC Vive Pro Eye, already.
With VRED 2021, it is now possible to use Variable Rate Shading also in desktop mode. As an extension to the Realtime Antialiasing, VRS can be activated in the main menu Visualization > Realtime Antialiasing > Variable Rate Shading. The Variable Rate Shading quality is connected the Realtime Antialiasing quality (Off, Low, Medium, High, and Ultra High) and can be adjusted in the preferences. For materials with small patterns that usually cause a moiré effects, like Carbon Fiber, it is possible to override the VRS quality per material in the Material Editor > Common tab.
Hardware requirement: A graphics card supporting the OpenGL shading rate image extension is required (NVIDIA graphics cards with Turing architecture (RTX)).
New Subsurface Scattering
With VRED 2021, we have re-worked our Sub-Surface Scattering and use a brute-force volume scattering algorithm, called Randomwalk, which is necessary for the realistic rendering of materials such as translucent plastic, marble, skin, leaves, wax, or milk. Sub-surface scattering simulates the effect of light entering an object and scattering beneath its surface. Not all light reflects from a surface. Some of it will penetrate below the surface of an illuminated object. There it will be absorbed by the material and scattered internally. Some of this scattered light will make its way back out of the surface and become visible to the camera. VRED Design 2021 now supports sub-surface scattering, as well.
Asset Manager - Subsurface Scattering Materials
We have added 8x Example Sub-Surface Scattering Materials to the Asset Manager/Asset Installer. Ensure you have downloaded and installed the VRED Asset Installer for 2021.
VRED Go
With VRED 2021 Professional, it is now possible to publish scenes as a VRED Go executable (Windows only), including the current 3D scene and parts of the VRED render engine. VRED Go does not require any license and the period of validity can be set up to a maximum of 60 days.
An export wizard helps to configure the VRED Go executable for desktop or VR usage, set up the startup resolution, and let users configure the period of validity and enable password protection. Besides that, all scene settings (Realtime Antialiasing, Occlusion Culling, etc.) are stored in the published VRED Go executable. We also have added a context menu in VRED for changing the realtime antialiasing and showing/hiding the Navigation Cube and progress curser, afterwards.
Mouse navigation and known VRED keyboard shortcuts, like toggle Stillframe Antialiasing (Space), change Visualization Modes (F Keys), or Fullscreen (Alt + Enter), do work similar in VRED Go.
Limitations:
- VRED Go does not support Raytracing! However, there is a fallback to CPU Rasterization when opening a VRED Go executable on a computer without a graphics card or with a non-supported card.
- VRED Go supports internal Python commands, but it is not possible to communicate from outside with VRED Go and send Python commands, using the WebServer. Interactive HTML5 content is supported if all assets, the CSS and JS files, can be in-lined in the Media or Frontplate Editor as HTML5 code or the HTML5 page is stored on the web and an URL is used.
- VRED Streaming does not work for VRED Go executables
- VRED Go supports VR but it is not possible to create or join a VR Collaboration Session
ADrive Support for Smart References via Desktop Connector
Autodesk Drive now supports VRED Smart References that are uploaded via the Autodesk Desktop Connector. Autodesk Drive offers 25GB free cloud storage to everyone with an Autodesk Account.
The Autodesk Desktop Connector is a desktop service that integrates an Autodesk data management source (or data source) with your desktop folder and file structure for easy file management.
The files in the data source are replicated in a connected drive. You can manage files in the data source through the connected drive, just as you would any other folder on your machine. Changes made in the connected drive are automatically uploaded to the data source.
Merge Sub- Reference Materials
A new checkbox in the File Specific Options tab of the File Import Dialog was added to avoid the merging of materials that have identical names and properties when importing CAD assembly files. As a default VRED merges those materials coming from several sub- assemblies assuming it should be represented as one single material in the scene. This might not always be wanted. As an example, if a duplicate of material with identical name and properties was created and assigned to two sub- assemblies on purpose in the CAD system, it is now possible to import them as two separate materials in VRED.
Sincerely,
Your Autodesk VRED Team
