To run V-Ray, you have to:
Overview
This guide provides steps on installing V-Ray for Houdini.
Trial users should refer to the Trial installation of V-Ray for Houdini, as the process differs from the one shown here.
The V-Ray installer can be unpacked from a zip file.
Download the latest V-Ray for Houdini installer
Please check the system requirements before installation. he V-Ray installer automatically removes any previous V-Ray for Houdini versions. If you experience problems, you can manually uninstall the previous versions to perform a clean install.
Installing V-Ray for Maya gives you access to:
Running the Installer
Before running the installation, make sure your OS account has administrative privileges.
Run the installer. Windows / macOS / Linux may ask you for permission to run the installer with administrator privileges. Please confirm.
Information on How to run the MacOS installer safely on macOS Catalina and later can be found on the Installation of Chaos Cloud Rendering Client App page or in Apple's How to open an app that hasn’t been notarized or is from an unidentified developer article.
End User License Agreement
Please take a moment to review the License Agreement.
Once you've carefully read the License Agreement, you can click "I accept the Agreement" if you agree to the terms. Proceed to click the Install button.
If you need to customize your V-Ray installation, click the Advanced button.
Install Directories
Advanced settings
Here, you can specify the installation paths for V-Ray for Houdini and the Houdini Packages. Please check if the default folders are correct.
The V-Ray installer automatically sets default paths, which are configured for the latest version of Houdini. If you use an earlier version of Houdini, please be aware that you may have to manually add the correct paths for your specific version.
Help make V-Ray even better – Participate in the improvement decisions for future versions of V-Ray. No intelligence property is violated when agreeing to participate in the feedback program. Chaos does not gather scenes, assets, materials, etc. What Chaos receives is user preferences on just a few key render settings and the resulting render times. The point of this feature is to improve V-Ray's performance and the user experience. For more information, see the Chaos Telemetry page.
Licensing
In this step, specify whether the Chaos License Sever runs locally or on another machine.
If you select Remote licensing, you have to fill in the IP address of your Chaos License Server in the Primary License Server field. Leave port 30304 unchanged. An Alternate License Server can be used for redundancy in case the primary one does not respond. The License Server will not install when the Remote option is selected.
If you select the Local option, you can select whether you want to install the Chaos License Server, or use the one already installed, if any.
Chaos License Server Options
At this step, you can choose where to install the Chaos License Server:
Windows default path: C:\Program Files\Chaos\VRLService
macOS default path: /Application/Chaos/VRLService
Linux default path: /usr/Chaos/VRLService
Migrate data during installation – When enabled, it transfers all of your settings made with earlier versions of Chaos License Server, such as proxy settings, etc. Disabling this option makes a clean install of Chaos License Server with any custom settings from previous installations reset to their defaults.
Add firewall exception – When enabled, the default licensing port (TCP 30304) can pass the firewall. If you disable it at this step, you must manually add firewall exceptions later. This option is available for Windows OS only.
Installation Process
After you click the Install button, the installer proceeds to uninstall any previous versions and installs V-Ray on your machine.
If the installer detects any applications that need to be closed, it shows an error before being able to continue. Please close the applications and click Continue anyway, or restart the installation.
Once V-Ray installation has finished, the Chaos Cloud client installation starts. Note that the download process might take a while.
V-Ray installation is successful.
Next Step
Go to step 2 to activate your Chaos License.