
Cloud graphics pioneer, OTOY Inc., today announced that its renowned 3D rendering software, OctaneRender , along with OctaneRender plugins for Blender and Autodesk's 3ds MAX and shortly, Maya , are now free for students. The move puts the same cutting-edge software that's used by hundreds of thousands of professional artists, animators, and designers, in the hands of today's up-and-coming talents at no cost if purchased using a .edu email address.
Widely recognized for its unmatched rendering quality and speed, and supporting more than a dozen popular 3D modeling programs, OctaneRender is used by artists working for and with the top visual effects studios in Hollywood and around the world to create digital characters and environments that look every bit as authentic as real life. Notable features of OctaneRender include:
Perfect simulations of reality through unbiased rendering: OctaneRender simulates light as it actually is: an electromagnetic wave. Unlike competing rendering solutions that sacrifice scene accuracy to speed up rendering time, OctaneRender is based on the physics of light, capturing all light interactions in the scene and simulating them exactly as they would be in reality to produce the most precise representations of real life possible.
Unrivaled performance through parallel processing: OctaneRender was built from the ground up to harness the highly parallel horsepower of modern graphics processors or GPUs, rather than serial computer processors or CPUs. The result is dramatically faster render times than competing solutions. OctaneRender produces final images 10 to 50 times faster than comparable CPU-based rendering engines, letting artists spend more time on crafting their image and less time waiting for results.
Unflinching flexibility with results in real-time: OctaneRender provides a true WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) rendering environment that shows artists changes to materials and lighting in real-time, unlike competing solutions that force artists to switch back and forth between modeling views and renders. OctaneRender supports some of the most advanced material and lighting simulations possible to more accurately reflect the way light interacts with objects in the real world. Regardless of the complexity of the scene, changes are instantly updated on screen, delivering an intuitive workflow that can be quickly understood by novices and professionals alike.
Work how you want, where you want with broad program support: OctaneRender plugins support a wide variety of leading 3D modeling suites, letting artists work in their program of choice. Supported software includes GRAPHISOFT 's ArchiCAD, Blender , Daz 3D's DAZ Studio, NewTek's LightWave , SmithMicro Software's Poser , Robert McNeel & Associates' Rhinocerus (or Rhino), The Foundry's MODO , Maxon's CINEMA 4D, and a host of Autodesk software including 3ds MAX , AutoCAD , Inventor , Maya , Revit , and Softimage , and forthcoming support for Daz 3D's Carrara and Trimble's SketchUp. Additionally, community-developed exporter scripts for a wide range of programs extend functionality of OctaneRender even further. Plugins for Blender and Autodesk's 3ds MAX are the first to be available to students at no cost, with free plugin support for Autodesk's Maya coming soon.
I had the great fortune of being able to learn and experiment with 3D graphics in my youth, but having access to the latest and greatest tools was always a challenge, said Jules Urbach, Founder and CEO, OTOY. OctaneRender represents the pinnacle of rendering software today, validated by the incredible number of users we have including some of the world's best CG artists and animators. We're proud to give students the chance to learn and grow using the same technology that the industry's top talent uses, fueling their passions, and helping them bring their creative visions to life.
Students can download OctaneRender for free now at http://render.otoy.com/shop/.
About OTOY Inc.
OTOY Inc. is the definitive cloud graphics company, pioneering technology that is redefining content creation and delivery for media and entertainment organizations around the world. OTOY's Academy Award -winning technology is used by leading visual effects studios, artists, animators, designers, architects, and engineers, providing unprecedented creative freedom, new levels of realism, and new economies in content creation and distribution powered by the cloud. For more information, visit http://www.otoy.com.
Additional Resources:
Get more information about OctaneRender on the OTOY website here.
Review OTOY's Series D funding announcement here.
Read more about OTOY's advisory board here.
Follow OTOY on Facebook and Twitter.
Download the OTOY logo here.
Get more images rendered using OTOY software here.
###
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
20/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/03/2026
Real-time 9:16 AI-Generated Autocropping; Software-Defined Station in a Box; and Software Switcher with Unlimited Layering Are Among Show Highlights
For the fi...
20/03/2026
Signiant Showcases New Content Innovations Driving Visibility, Access, and Actio...
20/03/2026
Caffeine Relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for End to End Post Workflow
Brie Clayton March 19, 2026
0 Comments
Blackmagic Cloud helps Mexican post faci...
19/03/2026
Live sports production increases complexity, with dynamic audio levels and an overall philosophy that encourages transient volume spikes
Fourteen years ago, Am...
19/03/2026
Advanced Systems Group, a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, announced the appointment of Peter Thordarson to the newly cr...
19/03/2026
For this senior from the Bay Area, the speed and pressure of live sports production play right into her strengths
In the live-sports-video industry, the future...
19/03/2026
Grass Valley has expanded its long-term partnership with University of Pittsburg...
19/03/2026
Audio-Technica has released the ATV-SG1 and ATV-SG1LE On-Camera Shotgun Microphones, designed for use with DSLR, mirrorless SLR, and other cameras.
The ATV-SG1...
19/03/2026
Harmonic (booth W2831) announces updates to its XOS Advanced Media Processor aim...
19/03/2026
DAZN and Top Rank have announced a multi-year partnership that will bring Top Ra...
19/03/2026
IHSE, a provider of KVM systems, has announced a partnership with Cyviz AS, a provider of technology solutions for collaboration and mission-critical operations...
19/03/2026
Net Insight has appointed Larissa G rner-Meeus as Chief Product Officer. She joins the company's executive management team.
G rner-Meeus holds a Dipl-Ing. ...
19/03/2026
Leader Electronics of Europe has appointed Rob Stanley as Regional Sales Manager for the UK and Northern Europe. In the role, he will manage key accounts and ha...
19/03/2026
FIFA has announced that YouTube will be a Preferred Platform for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Under the agreement, FIFA's Media Partners will be able to publis...
19/03/2026
New features across mobile, connected devices, and automotive platforms undersco...
19/03/2026
PSSI Global Services has appointed Ben Bradshaw as Director of Product and Netwo...
19/03/2026
Cobalt Digital has announced its NAB 2026 product lineup, which includes additio...
19/03/2026
Sportradar has released a new report, Innovation in Sports Media: The Next Era of Sports Viewing, examining how the sports viewing experience in the U.S. is evo...
19/03/2026
Matrox Video has been awarded a three-year framework agreement to supply its Con...
19/03/2026
CBS Sports' Jason Cohen and TNT Sports' Chris Brown lead the charge on n...
19/03/2026
A1 Dave Grundtvig and his team deploy plenty of mics to capture the sounds and energy from the stands as well the court
March Madness is a tournament in which ...
19/03/2026
In 2021, we launched EQUAL, a program designed to address an industry reality that persists: Women artists, songwriters, and producers too often face fewer oppo...
19/03/2026
Latest EZKeys 2 expansion arrives
Toontrack's staggering collection of EZKeys 2 expansions has grown once again, and the latest instalment delivers a on...
19/03/2026
New generative AI plug-in due in May 2026
Roland have announced the upcoming launch of a new generative AI tool created in collaboration with Sony Computer ...
19/03/2026
Nick Williams updates users on insolvency process
Nick Williams, the CEO of Native Instruments, has released the following official statement regarding thei...
19/03/2026
Iconic Swedish mic manufacturer back in action
Legendary Swedish microphone manufacturer Milab have announced that production is now fully underway, and mic...
19/03/2026
Acclaimed saturation unit goes virtual
Freqport's Freqtube FT1 (reviewed here in SOS February 2023) offers a convenient way to integrate real valve-base...
19/03/2026
The discontinuation of loss-making business activities as part of the restructur...
19/03/2026
Silicon Valley satire The Audacity premieres 15 April on SBS and SBS On Demand
19 March, 2026
Media releases
From one of the writer/producers of Succession...
19/03/2026
SBS brings communities together at Bondi Pavilion for Harmony Week multilingual ...
19/03/2026
Clarification from SBS regarding Western Sydney expansion
19 March, 2026
Media releases
From an SBS spokesperson:
SBS wishes to clarify some media coverag...
19/03/2026
Test & measurement innovator, Leader Electronics of Europe, is pleased to announce the appointment of Rob Stanley as Regional Sales Manager - UK & Northern Euro...
19/03/2026
The recently announced joint venture between Accedo One and Magine Pro has been officially launched as Leyra. The new company will combine the two complementary...
19/03/2026
Budapest, Hungary, March 2026 - Demand for traditional matrix switching remains strong across live events, rental and staging markets. With a reputation for rel...
19/03/2026
DPA Microphones adds to its CORE microphone selection with the 4097 CORE Micro Shotgun, which delivers a new level of clarity, headroom and sonic transparency...
19/03/2026
Starfish Technologies will present the latest releases of its TS Splicer (Win) and TS Splicer (K8) at NAB Show 2026, together with a new Monitoring Dashboard de...
19/03/2026
Bitmovin, a leading provider of video streaming solutions, has announced that TrueVisions NOW, a leading streaming platform in Thailand, and part of the TrueVis...
19/03/2026
Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced significant enhancements to its XOS Advanced Media Processor that lower the cost of broadcast distribution while enablin...
19/03/2026
Cobalt Digital, the leading designer and manufacturer of award-winning signal processing products, and a founding partner in the openGear initiative has announ...
19/03/2026
Magewell a developer of innovative, high-performance video I/O and IP workflow solutions will be at the 2026 NAB Show on booth C6113. In addition to several...