V-Ray 7 for Maya Update 4: What's New

POSTED 13th OF Jul, 2026, Posted by Summer Magdaraog

Official Release: July 1, 2026

Chaos has released V-Ray 7 for Maya Update 4, introducing major performance improvements, new rendering features, expanded Autodesk Maya compatibility, and workflow enhancements across V-Ray, V-Ray GPU, Chaos Scatter, Chaos Cosmos, Bifrost, and the V-Ray Frame Buffer (VFB).

The update delivers up to 13% faster rendering on Windows, introduces the new Parallax Texture node and Veras AI visualization, expands Gaussian Splat rendering capabilities, and adds support for newer versions of MayaUSD and Bifrost. It also includes dozens of stability fixes and rendering improvements for both CPU and GPU workflows.

Whether you're creating architectural visualizations, product renders, animation, or visual effects, Update 4 focuses on improving rendering speed, scene management, and production reliability.

What Is New in V-Ray 7 for Maya Update 4?

Update 4 introduces new tools while refining many existing workflows. The release focuses on four key areas:

Faster rendering performance
New rendering and visualization features
Improved Autodesk Maya ecosystem support
Workflow, stability, and GPU enhancements

Rendering Performance Is Faster Across CPU and GPU Workflows

Performance improvements are one of the biggest highlights of Update 4.

Chaos reports rendering speed improvements of up to 13% on Windows and up to 6% on Linux, helping reduce render times without requiring workflow changes.

Additional optimizations include:

Up to 6% faster 2D displacement performance
Faster bitmap loading in V-Ray GPU
Memory optimizations through the new Out-of-Frustum Displacement control
Long Windows file path support for output images exceeding 260 characters

These improvements help artists work more efficiently, particularly on large production scenes that use heavy textures, displacement, or complex geometry.

New Rendering Features Improve Visual Quality and Workflow

Parallax Texture Creates Surface Depth Without Extra Geometry

The new Parallax Texture node allows artists to simulate depth on flat surfaces while keeping scenes lightweight. This helps create richer materials without increasing polygon counts.

Veras Brings AI Visualization to Maya

Update 4 introduces Veras for both rendering and viewport visualization.

Artists can use AI-assisted visualization directly inside Maya to explore concepts, iterate on designs, and generate presentation-quality previews more efficiently.

Light Cache Denoising Adds More Flexibility

The VRayDenoiser render element now includes an option for Light Cache denoising, giving artists another method for reducing image noise while preserving render quality.

Simple Caustics for Sunlight Rendering

Chaos has added Simple Caustics to VRayMtl when using VRaySunLight, making it easier to render convincing light refractions without more advanced caustics setups.

V-Ray Now Supports New MayaUSD and Bifrost Versions

Update 4 expands compatibility with Autodesk's latest technologies.

MayaUSD Support

V-Ray now supports:

MayaUSD 0.36.0 for Maya 2027, Maya 2026, and Maya 2025
MayaUSD 0.35.0 for Maya 2026 and Maya 2025

These updates improve interoperability for studios building USD-based production pipelines.

Expanded Bifrost Integration

Chaos has also enhanced Bifrost support with compatibility for:

Bifrost 3.1.0.8
Bifrost 3.0.0.0 for Maya 2027

Additional workflow improvements include support for:

Interactive IPR updates
Meshes and strands
Instance orientation
Material assignment through the graph
Animation
Instances
Improved Bifrost version messaging

These additions make procedural workflows more reliable for simulations, environments, and large-scale scene generation.

V-Ray Frame Buffer Adds Better Image Analysis Tools

The V-Ray Frame Buffer (VFB) receives several usability improvements designed to simplify post-processing.

New additions include:

Image Layer
Histogram
Dedicated Foreground and Background folders within the fixed Layers stack

These features make it easier to evaluate renders and organize compositing layers directly inside the VFB.

Gaussian Splat Workflows Continue to Expand

Chaos continues investing in Gaussian Splat rendering by adding several production-focused features.

Update 4 introduces:

Relighting controls for Gaussian Splats
The new VRayGaussianSplats render element
GPU support for Gaussian Splat clipping

These additions provide artists with greater flexibility when integrating Gaussian Splats into rendering workflows.

Chaos Scatter and Chaos Cosmos Receive Workflow Improvements

Chaos Scatter

Chaos Scatter now includes:

Mesh-based viewport visualization
Chaos Scatter Lister
Scene object selection directly from Scatter
Support for using VRayDecal inside Scatter models

These improvements simplify managing complex scattering systems while improving viewport interaction.

Chaos Cosmos

Chaos Cosmos now supports:

Importing Parallax Textures
Importing Cosmos Sets
Multi-user mode

These enhancements improve asset management and make collaborative production environments easier to maintain.

Additional GPU, USD, and Platform Improvements

Update 4 also introduces several platform-level enhancements.

New additions include:

HIP support for AMD GPUs
OSL, GLSL, and MDL support for Metal
Licensing mode indicator within V-Ray

USD workflows have also been expanded with support for:

USD Light Normalize attribute
Exporting custom UV set names
Exporting transfer_function instead of color_space for BitmapBuffers

These updates improve compatibility across modern rendering pipelines.

More Than 40 Bug Fixes Improve Stability

Alongside its new features, Update 4 includes extensive fixes across V-Ray and V-Ray GPU.

Chaos resolved issues affecting:

Interactive Rendering (IPR)
Distributed Rendering
Motion Blur
VRaySun
VRayAtmosphere
Gaussian Splats
OpenPBR materials
Open Image Denoiser
VRayRectLight
VRayToon
Cosmos initialization
USD export
CPU and GPU rendering consistency
Memory usage on macOS

These fixes improve rendering accuracy, stability, and overall production reliability across supported platforms.

Should You Update to V-Ray 7 for Maya Update 4?

For artists and studios already using V-Ray 7 for Maya, Update 4 delivers meaningful improvements without changing established workflows.

Faster rendering, expanded MayaUSD and Bifrost compatibility, improved GPU support, new AI-assisted visualization, and numerous workflow enhancements make this one of the most substantial V-Ray 7 updates to date.

If your production pipeline relies on Autodesk Maya, this update provides measurable improvements in rendering performance, scene optimization, and day-to-day usability.

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