Autodesk Arnold 6 looks to simplify content creation

Autodesk has just announced and released Arnold 6 with Arnold GPU. Autodesk is confident that the latest iteration of its global illumination rendering software will simplify “how artists and studios create and iterate content.”

Arnold 6 overview

Essentially, Arnold 6 will increase the speed and flexibility of your computer. According to Autodesk, PCs with Arnold GPU will be better equipped to adapt in fast-paced workflows and to better scale rendering capacity. Additionally, Autodesk says it will be easier to toggle between CPU and GPU rendering while still retaining the same settings.

Autodesk Arnold 6
Also, the Arnold GPU is based on NVIDIA’s OptiX framework and can use NVIDIA RTX tech

“Arnold GPU powered by NVIDIA RTX GPUs will help graphics professionals work faster, meet tight deadlines, and explore new ideas during the creative process,” said Richard Kerris, Industry General Manager for Media & Entertainment, NVIDIA, “Autodesk was the first company to commit to RTX for their Arnold renderer, and we think artists are going to be blown away by the new interactivity, flexibility, and unmatched speed of final rendering using GPUs in Arnold 6.”

All the highlights

  • Switch between CPU and GPU rendering
  • Arnold GPU now supports OSL, OpenVDB volumes, on-demand texture loading, most LPEs, lights, shaders, and all cameras
  • GPU noise is on par with CPU noise when using adaptive sampling now
  • Works with NVIDIA RTX hardware
  • New USD components: Hydra render delegate, Arnold USD procedural, and USD schemas for Arnold nodes and properties are now available on GitHub
  • Faster creased subdivisons
  • Improved Physical Sky shader
  • Dielectric microfacet multiple scattering

How can you get Arnold 6?

Arnold 6 with Arnold GPU can be purchased either as a standalone subscription or as part of the Autodesk Media & Entertainment Collection. You can opt for either a monthly, annual, and 3-year single-user subscriptions. Additionally, Arnold GPU is available in all supported plug-ins for Autodesk Maya, Autodesk 3ds Max, Houdini, Cinema 4D, and Katana.

If you are unsure, you can always try with Arnold 6 with a free 30-day trial.

Sean Berry
Sean Berry
Sean Berry is Videomaker's managing editor.

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