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Daz Studio 4.20 | Volumetric Clouds, Smoke, and Fire Effects

Daz Studio 4.20 | Volumetric Clouds, Smoke, and Fire Effects

The latest update for Daz Studio — Studio 4.20 — delivers a collection of features and improvements that are sure to add a new level of depth and detail to your renders. 

Most notably, Daz Studio 4.20 supports volumetric rendering in Iray, offering enhanced control over a variety of 3D effects. Rather than creating the illusion of clouds or fog, these effects can now exist as volumes in your scenes. 

What is Volumetric Rendering?

Volumetric rendering covers a variety of effects made possible through the implementation of “volumetric” data, or in other words, data discretized on three-dimensional grids. This can include things like clouds, smoke, fire, and more. In simple terms, these effects become 3D objects contained within your scene.

In the past, effects like these were often added in post-processing. This involved adding 2D images with transparency into the scene and manipulating them to appear like they were actually there. While careful and skilled editing can produce great results using this method, it’s certainly not ideal.

With Studio 4.20, you no longer need to bother with the tedious creation of these “faked” effects thanks to volumetric rendering in Iray and VDB support. 

Volumetric Effects Flames Render

Add New Depth to Your Renders with VDB Support

Soar through the clouds, drop meteors from the heavens, and set your scenes ablaze with the volumetric rendering capabilities included in the latest Iray integration for Daz Studio 4.20, featuring VDB file support. 

Whether you’re importing your own VDB files (filename.vdb) or using imaginative new products made by Daz Published Artists, VDB support allows you to add a variety of effects to your scenes to create incredible 3D artwork like never before. The 4.20 update also adds a new shader to the Default Resources for Daz Studio that allows you to load VDB files and create your own effects.

Want to experience the impact VDB files have firsthand? 

This KA Rocket Launch VDB offers a great introduction to volumetric effects with a collection of rocket flames and VDB smoke — also available in the Countdown to Launch Mega Bundle. Keep an eye out for new VDB products coming soon to the Daz Store! 

Volumetric Effects Rendering Rocket Launch

Other Features & Fixes

While volumetric effects are the star of this update, you’ll also find several other new additions and fixes to enjoy. Here are a few highlights from the Daz Studio 4.20 release notes:

  • Updated to the latest version of Iray (2021.1.0). In addition to volumetric rendering, this also adds guided sampling which should speed up the rendering of those dark corners of your scene.
  • Create your own volumetric effects. A new shader has been added to the Default Resources for Daz Studio that allows you to load VDB files and create your own effects.
  • A fully supported ghost light solution. Ghost lights used to be dependent on bugs in Iray and would stop working when those bugs got fixed. However, this release provides ways to create lights and flag them to have fully supported ghost lights that will keep working even as Iray is updated.
  • Scripting API additions. Scripts built with these new functions will be forward-compatible with the upcoming Studio 5 release.
  • Many bug fixes and stability improvements. This release has been in beta for about three months, giving it plenty of time for bug fixing and stability improvements.

Download Daz Studio 4.20 Today 

The latest Daz Studio release opens the door to exciting new volumetric effects and more ways to add depth and realism to your scenes. We can’t wait to see how the addition of volumetric effects transforms your artwork. 

Download Daz Studio 4.20 from your DazCentral or DIM and create amazing 3D art with new volumetric effects today!

Volumetric Effects Alien Crash