Iray

Iray is a photorealistic rendering engine developed by NVIDIA, originating from Mental Images and subsequently integrated into NVIDIA’s graphics software ecosystem after the 2009 acquisition. It is designed for design visualization, product design, architecture, and visual effects, offering physically based rendering and GPU-accelerated performance. Iray employs Monte Carlo path tracing and other light-transport methods to simulate global illumination, caustics, and realistic light interactions. It supports image-based lighting, HDR environments, and a comprehensive set of physically based material models, including dielectrics, conductors, translucency, subsurface scattering, volumes, hair, and fur. Rendering can run on NVIDIA GPUs using CUDA, with support for hybrid CPU/GPU workflows in some configurations.

Iray is distributed as a rendering core that integrates with multiple 3D content creation tools through official or partner plugins, including Autodesk 3ds Max and Maya, as well as additional design and visualization packages. This integration enables both interactive previews and offline or batch rendering within the host applications, allowing artists to work with familiar interfaces while leveraging Iray’s physically based rendering capabilities.

Key features include interactive and progressive rendering, scalable performance for large scenes, and advanced light transport techniques. Iray also supports denoising options, including AI-based denoisers, to reduce noise and accelerate image convergence. The engine accommodates various rendering workflows, such as product visualization, architectural visualization, automotive design, and visual effects, by delivering high-fidelity imagery with physically plausible lighting and materials.

Licensing and availability are managed through NVIDIA and the host software ecosystem, with Iray bundled or licensed within compatible applications and workflows. It runs on Windows and Linux platforms and continues to evolve with NVIDIA’s hardware and software advances.