V-Ray Tip: Optimize V-Ray Progressive Iterations and Stop Conditions

Control noise by managing how many progressive passes you allow V-Ray to complete and by choosing clear stop conditions.

What “render iterations” really mean: in Progressive mode, V-Ray refines the image in passes (iterations). Each pass adds samples per pixel, reducing noise. You decide when to stop by setting a target Noise Threshold, a time limit, or a maximum samples cap. This simple idea is the fastest way to balance speed and quality.

• Start in Progressive mode for lookdev. Set:
  • Noise Threshold: 0.05–0.03 for interactive lookdev, 0.02–0.01 for finals.
  • Time limit: 2–5 minutes for WIP; extend for finals as needed.
  • Max AA samples/Max subdivs (name varies by host): use as a safety ceiling to prevent runaway sampling.
• Use a denoiser strategy aligned to your thresholds:
  • Interactive: NVIDIA/OptiX or Intel OIDN for instant feedback.
  • Finals: V-Ray Denoiser (Default or Mild) with a slightly higher Noise Threshold (e.g., 0.02) to save iterations.
• Tune where your iterations go:
  • Min Shading Rate (Progressive): increase for heavy GI, glossy reflections, SSS, DoF/MB to stabilize noise without endlessly adding AA passes.
  • Problem areas first: use Region/Mask renders in the VFB to iterate where noise is most visible.
• Switching for finals:
  • Stay Progressive for single frames with Noise Threshold 0.01–0.015.
  • Or switch to Bucket for predictable farm scalability; match effective noise by comparing VFB History renders.
• Diagnose and verify:
  • Enable VRaySampleRate and VRayDenoiser elements to see where sampling concentrates and whether the denoiser has enough signal.
  • Use Render Stamp to log Noise Threshold, sampler mode, and time limits into frames for traceability.

Typical iteration presets you can adopt quickly:

• Lookdev (fast): Progressive, Noise 0.05, Time 2–3 min, OptiX/OIDN on, Region renders for materials and lights.
• Lighting WIP: Progressive, Noise 0.03, Time 5–8 min, V-Ray Denoiser = Mild, Min Shading Rate +2 over default.
• Final stills: Progressive Noise 0.01–0.015 or Bucket with Threshold 0.01; denoise in VFB and fine-tune in comp.

Troubleshooting iteration plateaus:

• Fireflies persist across passes: enable Clamp Max Ray Intensity (10–20) and check extremely glossy/refraction IORs and emissive materials.
• Noise stuck in GI-heavy interiors: increase Min Shading Rate, verify Light Cache/Brute Force settings, and consider softer light sizes to reduce contrast noise.
• Temporal stability in animations: enable Sample Locking to keep the noise pattern consistent across frames and avoid flicker when using denoisers.
• GPU specifics: cap Max samples and use “Stop at noise level” plus the VFB denoiser for predictable iteration length on multiple GPUs.

Pro tip: set iteration budgets per scene phase and enforce them with presets so teams render consistently. Keep a few standardized render presets and share them across the studio.

If you need to upgrade, add nodes, or standardize licenses across your team, check NOVEDGE for V-Ray options and bundles: NOVEDGE V-Ray listings and novedge.com. Their team can help you align your iteration workflow with the right V-Ray SKU and hardware mix.

You can find all the V-Ray products on the NOVEDGE web site at this page.