Scripting and Programming

This page introduces scripting and programming for V-Ray for 3ds Max.

Overview

The core of how V-Ray determines how to render your 3ds Max scenes can be found within the VRay tab of the Render Setup window. Some basic information on each rollout can be found below, but for more details, please see the dedicated pages for each section.

Options

  • MaxScript - Allows the control and creation of many areas of V-Ray for 3ds Max via 3ds Max's native MaxScript. Many complex and time consuming tasks can be made easier through the use of MaxScript.

  • V-Ray SDK - The V-Ray SDK is included with the installation of V-Ray for 3ds Max and allows the creation of V-Ray compatible materials, textures, lights, atmospheric effects, cameras, and custom geometric primitives. As it is based not on MaxScript, but on C++ source code, resulting plugins can run a lot faster; they can also be far more complex than a MaxScript in many cases. The plugins must be compiled from the source code via a compiler such as Visual Studio. In addition, the V-Ray SDK includes the source code for some of the additional V-Ray plugins - for example, the VRayDomeCamera plugin.