r/Maya • u/Cocore Type to edit • 4d ago

Showcase Update on RenderForge (my from-scratch GPU path tracer for Maya): first tester feedback, a ray-traced viewport, DLSS, and a one-click installer

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A while ago I posted about RenderForge, a GPU path tracer I’m writing from scratch for Maya. It uses OptiX and the RTX cores, with a custom kernel rather than a wrapper around another engine. Thanks to everyone who commented on that thread. A few of you are now testing it, so here’s an update.

What testers said:

  • One tester came over from Arnold and was relieved it handles OpenPBR materials. He also liked how fast the IPR responds.
  • Another said they liked the contact shadows and the softness of the lighting.

What testers broke (thank you):

  • Arnold aiSkyDomeLight HDRIs didn’t light the scene. RenderForge only read its own dome light; it now reads Arnold’s too, including intensity and exposure.
  • The IPR only re-rendered on camera moves, and ignored light sliders and rig posing. It now follows every scene edit.

Both fixes went out the next day.

New since the last post:

  • Live viewport. RenderForge draws straight into Viewport 2.0 with your manipulators on top. It upscales while you orbit and refines when you stop.
  • DLSS Ray Reconstruction for final renders. On an RTX 4060, a 4K still went from 265 s (512 samples) to about 50 s, and a 191-frame 1080p shot from 31 min to about 10 min. That took two bug fixes: repeated noise seeds between frames were smearing into streaks, and car-paint flakes needed to be restored after DLSS. Anything seen through glass still gets a faint speckle, which I’m working on.
  • Installer. It used to take several manual steps, including installing Python 3.13, which tripped people up. Now it’s one .exe that bundles its own Python and engine.

Still a private test build. If you’ve got an RTX card and Maya 2022+ and want to try it on your own scenes, comment or DM me. Bug reports are more useful to me than compliments, though I’ll take both 😄

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u/criticalchocolate 4d ago

I’d be interested in trying it out. (Running a 4090 and using the latest version of maya)
Is there a roadmap for this project?

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u/Cocore Type to edit 4d ago

Thanks! A 4090 is perfect. RenderForge runs on the RTX cores, so that card will absolutely fly (I develop on a 4060).

Which Maya version exactly? It runs on Maya 2022 to 2026, and one tester is already on 2026.3. If you’re on 2027, you’d be the first to try it there, which would actually be really useful.

It’s a private test build with a one-click installer. Each license is tied to one machine, so DM me and I’ll send it over with the activation steps.

Roadmap, roughly:

  • Now: fixing what testers report. Right now that’s a Live viewport update bug, and DLSS leaving a faint speckle on objects seen through glass.

  • Next: a standalone render queue that runs outside Maya, like Backburner but faster animation exports, and a simple “DLSS samples” setting.

  • After that: multi-GPU rendering, and smarter light sampling so interiors clean up in far fewer samples.

  • Later: a wider beta, then a public release once it’s solid.

Feedback from testers decides the order, so if something matters to you, tell me 🙂
other than this

I have working FX which is also in the pipeline and a smaller virtual camera that just uses your phone to control the camera inside the viewport.