Why does my project look different with Redshift 3.6 (and newer) vs 3.5.24 and earlier?

The differences you are observing may stem from significant technological enhancements and new features that were introduced in Redshift 3.6. This version is a major update to the Redshift ecosystem, incorporating several changes designed to enhance the realism and look of your scenes.

Here are some of the key updates that may be contributing to the visual differences in your projects:

• Improved Anisotropy in Volume Rendering: Utilizes the new Jendersie-D’Eon phase anisotropy mode for more realistic volumes. (older scenes should still be using the Henyey-Greenstein Anisotropy mode)
• Standard Material Transmission: Now conforms to the OpenPBR spec, offering more intuitive handling of scattered light through semi-transparent materials.
• Mesh Lights Upgrades: Support for all the features of other area light types (such as light linking and multiple-importance sampling through transparencies) and have been significantly improved, fixing many bugs. These changes can alter the appearance of scenes where mesh lights are used.
• Corrected VDB Emission: Fixes previous integration issues, resulting in VDB emissions appearing more consistent and correct through reflections and refractions.
• VDB Transmission Improvement: More accurate transmittance for overlapping volumes.
• Global Volume Contribution Adjustments: Scales for global volume contributions have been corrected, especially noticeable through transparent materials, ensuring that they behave as expected.

These enhancements, while providing new capabilities and improving the creative tools available, may modify how certain scenes appear when rendered with 3.6 (and newer) when compared to 3.5.24 and earlier.

However, if you encounter specific issues or notice other differences, please don't hesitate to contact our support team for more assistance. We are happy to investigate any issues you may run into.

You can open a support ticket here:
Open A Support Ticket