Autodesk’s Arnold renderer will soon support GPU acceleration, starting with this Wednesday’s public beta release of Arnold 5.3 with Arnold GPU.
The new Arnold 5.3 will support quick switching between CPU and GPU rendering. The availability of GPU-aided renders should to make the process of iterations and review cycles more efficient, especially for artists and small studios that typically see massive improvements in render performance from graphics hardware compared to CPU power.
Arnold with Autodesk Maya
Autodesk
“We recognize the needs of Arnold users for increased speed and interactivity during the creation process,” said Autodesk’s senior director of media and entertainment products, Chris Vienneau, in a prepared statement. “We’re excited to introduce this beta version of Arnold GPU because it gives our users a first taste of the performance gains they can expect to see while keeping the great look they love from Arnold. We’ve worked closely with Nvidia to optimize Arnold GPU to run on the latest RTX technology, and look forward to continuing to collaborate to bring our customers the highest quality rendering.”
Other improvements in Arnold 5.3 include upgrades to its adaptive sampling technology, which reduces render times while maintaining quality; a new version of its randomwalk sub-surface scattering (SSS) mode; and artist-friendly improvements to the Operator framework, Autodesk said.
Arnold 5.3 with Arnold GPU will be available in a public beta version beginning March 20, 2019, as a standalone subscription or as part of a suite of Autodesk software packages. (Arnold GPU also works with Side Effects Houdini, Maxon Cinema 4D and Foundry Katana via plug-in.) A free 30-day trial of Arnold that includes Arnold GPU is available.
