Real-time path tracing in D5 Render update

D5 Render is a design and visualization solution for architecture, interior, and landscape design. With the launch of D5 Render 2.10, the maker of the software has brought real-time path tracing to its rendering platform, bridging the gap between real-time performance and offline rendering quality. As a result, the product has increased realism along with lighting accuracy; also, the offering brings streamlined workflows by eliminating the need for extensive post-rendering corrections. D5 Render 2.10 also contains many other new features including AI tools.

D5 Render rendering software has been upgraded to Version 2.10, which introduces innovations that enhance realism, efficiency, and workflow optimization. These include real-time path tracing, AI-powered post-processing, an instant city generator, and night sky simulation.

The renderer’s real-time path tracing provides a high degree of realism without affecting performance, the company says. It offers physically accurate reflections, soft shadows, and indirect lighting with customizable global illumination (GI) precision, reflection depth, samples per pixel (SPP), and noise reduction.

For years, real-time rendering has relied on approximations and optimizations to simulate global illumination, reflections, and indirect lighting efficiently. While these methods have improved, they often required manual adjustments and post-processing to achieve photorealistic results. In contrast, path tracing simulates the physical behavior of light by tracing its interactions across multiple surfaces.

Previously, path tracing was only feasible in offline renderers, requiring long computation times, the company notes. D5 Render 2.10 changes this by introducing real-time path tracing, delivering near-offline quality at interactive speeds.

Path tracing replaces the previous GI approximation with a higher-accuracy caching system. Instead of estimating light behavior, D5 Render now computes and stores indirect lighting before rendering begins, leading to more natural light bouncing, enhanced indirect reflections, better handling of complex lighting scenarios.

By introducing real-time path tracing, D5 Render is bridging the gap between real-time performance and offline rendering quality. This not only enhances realism and lighting accuracy, but also streamlines workflows by eliminating the need for extensive post-rendering corrections.

Real-time path tracing offers the following advantages:

True-to-life lighting—Indirect illumination and reflections behave naturally, improving accuracy.
Fewer manual adjustments—No need for artificial light placements or tweaking bounce intensity.
Instant feedback—Changes to materials, lighting, and composition are reflected in real time.
Better reflections and shadows—Mirror surfaces, metallic textures, and glass materials react accurately to light sources.

According to the company, D5 Render 2.10 integrates real-time path tracing using the ReSTIR GI framework, which optimizes lighting calculations while maintaining efficiency. This system constructs a lighting cache that improves accuracy while keeping performance stable.

There is also an Accumulate Mode, which progressively refines render output for visual clarity. This innovation ensures instant lighting results, reducing trial and error, while eliminating the need for extensive post-processing. As a result, cinematic-quality rendering in real time is achievable, D5 Render says, streamlining workflows for architects and designers.

Version 2.10 of the D5 Render also contains the following:

Night sky simulation with customizable moon and star intensity, Milky Way simulation for atmospheric depth, and custom night settings to fine-tune moon intensity, altitude, and phases.
Enhanced rain and snow effects for realistic weather conditions, providing more of a lifelike visual to weather-sensitive renders.
City generator with OpenStreetMap (OSM) integration for instant real-world urban environments.
AI-powered tools for simplifying post-processing and reducing the need for third-party editing software.
Optimizing terrain and scatter workflow, making landscape design more efficient with upgraded tools.
Animation enhancements for smoother, more intuitive motion.

Additionally, the new version offers performance and usability enhancements, including DLSS 4 support. According to the company, AI-powered frame generation for GeForce RTX50-series GPUs boosts FPS up to 4x.

Version 2.10 further offers:

New language support: French and Japanese interfaces.
Configurable units: Choose between millimeter, centimeter, meter, inch, and foot.
Batch scene deletion for faster project management.
Auto-save before canceling rendering prevents data loss.
Improved rendering queue management with auto-close options.
Bug fixes pertaining to orthographic views, material UV inaccuracies, and scatter inconsistencies.

D5 Render is also making collaboration more seamless with cloud-based project management tools in D5 for Teams. The company also has expanded the D5 Render’s asset library with more ready-to-use models. These assets help streamline scene creation, reducing the need for custom modeling.

D5 Render 2.10 is available for Windows 10 and above. The Community Edition is free, while the Pro Edition—which includes AI features, frame sequence rendering, and access to the full asset library—costs $38 per month or $360 per year.

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