This article provides information on which versions of Scatter are installed with specific versions of V-Ray or Corona.
Note that this article applies to Corona and V-Ray plugins for 3ds Max and Cinema 4D only.
Compatibility
Which version of Scatter is installed with specific versions of V-Ray and Corona?
V-Ray and Corona installers include a specific version of Scatter. See the Version table below. Some instances of V-Ray and Corona use the same Scatter version.
Chaos tests all new versions of Scatter thoroughly with older versions of V-Ray and Corona to ensure that they are compatible. It is possible to render a scene with a different version of Scatter than the one that the scene was created with. Note, however, that some minor differences may occur in specific cases, e.g. when the scene is saved with a very old version of Scatter and then opened with the newest version. Therefore, the rule of thumb is to use the latest version of Scatter available.
Which version of Scatter is installed when both V-Ray and Corona are installed?
V-Ray and Corona installers work in a “no downgrade” manner. This means that if you already have a newer version of Scatter installed and you launch a V-Ray or Corona installer that contains an earlier Scatter installer, the earlier version is not installed at all. You need to uninstall the current version to be able to install an older one.
Which versions of V-Ray, Corona, and Scatter to install when using multiple versions on a single system?
When using multiple versions of V-Ray and Corona, e.g. in a render farm, use the newest available Scatter version. This ensures that the rendering will turn out as expected.
For example, you have a render farm and you are rendering scenes sent by various users using different versions of V-Ray, Corona, and Scatter. Install the version of V-Ray or Corona which comes with the newest Scatter version. If you experience some compatibility issues with the render engine itself, uninstall the current version of the render engine and install a version closer to the one the scene was originally made in, then try again. Uninstalling the render engine does not remove the Scatter installation, and therefore, you will still operate on the latest version of Scatter, which is the recommended approach.
Bear in mind that switching between V-Ray and Corona renderers may not produce the same result, also there might be some compatibility issues with specific renderer features. Thus, a scene created with the latest official version of Scatter in Corona may not render the same on a machine with the latest official version of Scatter in V-Ray.
You can look at the table below, find the latest version of Scatter, and install it (regardless if it comes with V-Ray or Corona).
If you are unable to locate the right installers or need a standalone Scatter installer for a specific version, please contact us at Chaos Support.
Corona
| Renderer | Scatter Version |
|---|---|
| Corona 8 | 1.0.14598 |
Corona 8 HF1 | 1.1.15153 |
| Corona 8 HF2 | 1.1.15153 |
| Corona 9 | 2.3.17378 |
| Corona 9 HF1 | 2.4.17713 |
| Corona 9 HF2 | 2.4.19132 |
| Corona 9 HF3 | 2.4.19132 |
| Corona 10 | 3.0.19915 |
| Corona 10 HF1 | 3.0.19915 |
| Corona 10 HF2 | 3.0.19915 |
| Corona 10 HF3 | 3.0.19915 |
| Corona 11 | 4.0.21932 |
| Corona 11 HF1 | 4.0.22455 |
| Corona 11 HF2 | 4.0.24726 |
| Corona 12 | 5.0.27262 |
| Corona 12 HF1 | 5.0.27262 |
| Corona 12 UP1 HF1 | 6.1.510227 |
V-Ray
| Renderer | Scatter Version |
|---|---|
| V-Ray 6 (Max) | 1.4.0.15633 |
| V-Ray 6.1 (Cinema) | 2.1* |
| V-Ray 6.1 (Max) | 2.5.0.18341 |
| V-Ray 6.1 HF1 (Max) | 2.6.0.19007 |
| V-Ray 6.1 HF1 (Cinema) | 3.0.0.19915 |
| V-Ray 6.1 HF2 (Cinema) | 3.1.0.20732* |
| V-Ray 6.2 (Max) | 4.0.0.21812 |
| V-Ray 6.2 (Cinema) | 4.0.0.21982 |
| V-Ray 6.2 HF1 (Max) | 4.0.0.24346 |
| V-Ray 6.2 HF1 (Cinema) | 4.0.0.21982 |
| V-Ray 6.2 HF2 (Cinema) | 4.0.0.21982 |
| V-Ray 6.2 HF3 (Cinema) | 4.0.0.21982 |
| V-Ray 6.2 HF4 (Cinema) | 5.1.0.28093 |
| V-Ray 6.2 HF5 (Cinema) | 5.1.0.28093 |
| V-Ray 7 (Max) | 6.0.0.479509 |
| V-Ray 7, HF1 (Max) | 6.1.0.493840 |
| V-Ray 7 (Cinema) | 6.1.0.504507 |
| V-Ray 7, HF1 (Cinema) | 6.1.0.504507 |
| V-Ray 7, HF2 (Cinema) | 6.1.0.504507 |
* – Scatter2.1 and 3.1 are not compatible with V-Ray versions for 3ds Max, only with V-Ray versions for Cinema 4D.
Loading a Specific Version of Scatter
Corona
To load a specific version of Chaos Scatter, follow these steps:
- Download and install the newest version of your renderer. This will install the newest available version of Scatter. If you need a Standalone Scatter installer, contact the Chaos Support team.
- Download and unpack any older Scatter version(s) you would like to use.
- Set up the environment variable
CHAOSSCATTER_3DSMAX_<YEAR>_LOAD_PATH
You can either:
- Manually add an environment variable in Windows - this works permanently unless you remove or change the variable,
For example:
- Variable:
CHAOSSCATTER_3DSMAX_2021_LOAD_PATH - Value:
C:\my_unpack_folder\Chaos Corona\Chaos\Scatter\3ds Max 2025
- Variable:
or
- Use a batch script to automate the variable setting process for you - this is not permanent and works only for the current 3ds Max session.
For more information, see the Multiloaders page.
V-Ray
Scatter is installed automatically with the typical V-Ray installation. Therefore, when you open V-Ray for 3ds Max, it automatically loads the Scatter version from the V-Ray installation build.
You cannot use environment variables to switch the Scatter version manually.
However, if you have Corona installed, too, with a newer Scatter version, or if you are using a newer standalone Scatter build, it will override the Scatter version from the V-Ray installer. Then when you start V-Ray for 3ds Max, it will automatically load the newer version of Scatter.
