RTX Render Open Beta Update: Beta3_0917

Open Beta RTX render
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A new build of the RTX Render open beta is now available: Beta3_0917.

Following our initial beta releases, Beta 3 introduces major feature additions—including native Volumetric Lighting, a dedicated Lens Flare post-processing channel, and physical Lens Presets with Sensor Shift alignment—alongside core architecture refinements to Substance materials, World Lighting, and Denoising mechanics.

For a complete walkthrough of all features, workflows, and visual examples, check out our full guide:

:point_right: RTX Render Open Beta 3 Full Feature Guide

How to Update

This build does not update in place. To move to Beta3_0917:

  1. Remove your existing RTX Render beta files (the previous build).
  2. Download the new build using the original links in your beta email.
  3. Unzip and run as before. No installation needed.

Getting Started for New Users

If you are joining the RTX Render Open Beta for the first time, getting set up takes just three simple steps:

  1. Submit the Signup Form: Request access by filling out the beta application form in the main thread.
  2. Receive Download Links: Once approved, check your email for your unique download links and access credentials.
  3. Download & Run: Download the package, unzip the files, and launch the tool—no complex installation process required.

For the complete step-by-step installation guide, hardware requirements, and signup links, head over to the official RTX Render Open Beta Thread.

:hammer_and_wrench: Enhancements

1. Substance Material Integration

  • Preserved Depth: Substance materials retain their full 3D surface structure and depth when converted to RTX—no baking or flattening required.
  • Live Parameters: Substance material parameters remain fully adjustable in real time within RTX mode.
  • Animation Support: Keyframing Substance parameters functions as expected in RTX. (Note: Real-time playback is ~3 FPS in RTX mode due to current performance bounds, compared to ~60 FPS in DX11).
  • Known Limitations: Displacement and Ambient Occlusion (AO) effects are currently unsupported in RTX rendering.

2. Lens Flare

  • Enhanced Visuals: Refined lens flare controls and direction settings for improved optical quality and control.

3. Volumetric Light

  • Expanded Support: Volumetric lighting is now supported for Spot Lights and Point Lights. (Directional Lights are not yet supported).
  • Note: Volumetric light currently does not pass through glass materials in either RTX or DX11.

:sparkles: New Features

1. Advanced Camera Tools

  • Lens Presets: Choose from realistic lens profiles including Prime Lenses (e.g., 12mm f/2.8), Zoom Lenses (e.g., 24-70mm f/2.8), and Universal Zoom (unrestricted 20mm–200mm).
  • Sensor Shift: Simulates tilt-shift lens behavior. Adjust framing without altering camera position, orientation, or perspective lines.
  • Depth of Field & Bokeh: Includes F-stop control, Squeezing Factor (anamorphic lens simulation), and Dynamic Focus Tracking on animated objects/vertices.

2. Color Management

  • AgX View Transform: Added AgX View Transform alongside Standard mode for better highlight retention and color fidelity.
  • Look Profiles: Includes AgX-exclusive profiles such as “Punchy” and “Greyscale”.

3. Render Settings & Denoise

  • Independent Workflows: Separate configuration panels for Preview and Final Render to balance interactive performance and output quality.
  • Quality Controls: Adjustable Bounce Counts, Diffuse Bounce Counts, and Brightness Pixel Noise Threshold (firefly reduction).
  • Denoise Options: Flexible Viewport Denoise triggers, sample count thresholds, and pass-assisted noise reconstruction (Albedo/Normal).

4. Visual & World Background

  • Decoupled Lighting & Background: Independent controls for World Lighting and World Background panels.
  • Dynamic Sky System: Procedural atmosphere system with customizable sun brightness, sub-horizon colors, and edge blur controls.
  • 2D Background Integration: Unified 2D background management directly within World Background controls.

5. Bloom & Glare

  • Multi-Scatter Method: Combines 6 bloom layers for realistic, natural glow without retro/vintage overexposure artifacts.
  • Kernel Method: Supports EXR/DDS HDR textures for custom bloom shapes with high-luminance Boost controls.

6. Render Passes

  • New Render Passes: Added support for Transmission, Coat, Sheen, Emissive, Specular, and SSS (Subsurface Scattering) passes for enhanced post-compositing workflows.

Have fun exploring the new features, and please keep us updated if you encounter any issues!

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Crashed immediately and repeatedly. I’m going to be honest here… This was the one feature I have been waiting for a long time, ever since Iray sadly went the way of the Dodo. I was hopeful to get an RTX solution that is on par with rendering capability I have with Unreal Engine Path Tracing, or Cinema 4D Redshift or Octane, or even Blender Cycles for that matter, which are all stable and easy to use rendering solutions, with high visual fidelity. But even getting characters or scenes loaded into the RTX render is laborious and prone to frequent crashes. Getting a bit frustrated here.

2 Likes
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Yeah, I’ve been having a similar experience. Converting and loading existing projects into RTX Render can take a long time, and some of my iClone projects won’t open at all—they just come up as an “invalid file.”

I’m also wondering about the rendering times on more powerful computers and whether it is fully using the GPU and CPU. I have an RTX 4090, but even a test lasting only a few seconds, with one character in a room, was taking a very long time to render. At that speed, longer scenes and multiple camera angles wouldn’t be practical for my regular workflow.

Has anyone checked the GPU and CPU usage while rendering, or found any settings that significantly improve the rendering time?

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The number of samples will make the biggest difference in rendering speed. Try setting the samples lower, with the denoise box checked.

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I would start with the lowest number that looks good for your scene in the preview, then set the final a little higher for good measure.

The denoise can make your renders clean at lower sample values.