Iray VR
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Iray VR is NVIDIA technology for viewing computer-generated designs in virtual reality, using its Iray rendering technology. NVIDIA presented it at the 2016 GPU Technology Conference (GTC) in San Jose, California, demonstrating the company's Silicon Valley campus while it was under construction. The company described vehicle interiors and architectural spaces as applications.[1][2]
Rendering approach
Iray is a rendering system with interactive ray tracing and material simulation. NVIDIA's 2016 description positioned Iray VR as a way to inspect proposed interiors and buildings through a headset. The virtual environments shown at GTC were computer models.[1]
For its April 2016 Silicon Valley Virtual Reality conference demonstration, NVIDIA described combining more than a thousand views of its new campus into a multidimensional light field. A viewer within this field could look around and see the rendered scene in real time. The company described this demonstration alongside two other approaches to bringing Iray rendering into VR:[3]
| Approach described in 2016 | Use |
|---|---|
| Light-field demonstration | Combine images from different viewpoints into a light field for viewing the modeled environment through a headset. |
| Stereoscopic panoramas | Render panoramas offline for tours planned in advance. |
| Live GPU rendering | Use multiple GPUs to render during viewing, allowing users to explore and modify their virtual designs. |
These were distinct rendering workflows in NVIDIA's account; the light-field demonstration was one of the ways it was adapting Iray to VR.[3]
Architectural visualization
NVIDIA's Iray SDK site retains a case study of the company's headquarters project with architecture firm Gensler. It describes viewing the design with an HTC Vive, including the scale of a lobby or meeting room and the ability to look around chairs and support posts. Gensler principal and design director Hao Ko described working with NVIDIA on a tool for trying building materials and lighting conditions in VR, including the interaction of daylight with different materials.[4]
Related Iray software
The broader Iray software development kit provides a C++ API for integrating rendering into 3D applications and client-server systems. Its documented rendering modes cover interactive feedback, physically based visualization and lighting simulation.[4]
NVIDIA also named Iray VR Lite in its April 2016 Korean account of the GTC keynote. That account described Lite as an alternative for people without a supercomputer.[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Phil Carmack (2016-04-05). "NVIDIA 以 Iray 技術打造出互動式逼真 VR 場景". NVIDIA Taiwan Blog. https://blogs.nvidia.com.tw/blog/vr-with-iray/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ Brad Nemire (2016-04-06). "NVIDIA Announcements at the 2016 GPU Technology Conference". NVIDIA Technical Blog. https://developer.nvidia.com/blog/nvidia-announcements-at-2016-gpu-technology-conference/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wil Braithwaite (2016-04-27). "我們如何在矽谷虛擬實境大會上介紹自家的 Iray VR 技術". NVIDIA Taiwan Blog. https://blogs.nvidia.com.tw/blog/virtual-reality-conference/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "NVIDIA IRAY SDK". NVIDIA Developer. https://developer.nvidia.com/iray-sdk. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ NVIDIA Korea (2016-04-12). "[GTC 2016 엔비디아 CEO, 젠슨황의 기조 연설- 세계 난제 해결 솔루션, GPU"]. NVIDIA Blog Korea. https://blogs.nvidia.co.kr/blog/gtc2016_keynote/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.