A Hidden Tool in V-Ray - Quick Denoise (VDenoise)

Vasyl Lukianenko
3D Artist and Technical Author

Date: January 27, 2026 Updated on: February 2, 2026 Reading time: 3 min Views: 485

Introduction

Did you know that V-Ray comes with a separate application for image denoising that works extremely fast?

Sometimes you need to reduce noise in an image - it can be a texture downloaded from the internet or a finished render that turned out too noisy for some reason.This is exactly where VDenoise becomes very useful.

What Is VDenoise and Where to Find It

vdenoise.exe is shipped together with V-Ray, so you need to have V-Ray installed in order to use it.

You can find the executable at the following path (note that XXXX stands for your 3Ds Max version):

C:/ProgramData/Autodesk/ApplicationPlugins/VRay3dsMaxXXXX/bin/vdenoise.exe

VDenoise can work in:

GUI mode
Command-line mode (CLI)

How to Use VDenoise

Run vdenoise.exe and you will see a very simple and clear interface.

Note!
Sometimes the application may not start on the first try — if that happens, just launch it again.

Basic Settings

In most cases, the default settings work perfectly fine.

If the image is very noisy, you can increase the Threshold value to around 0.5.

Workflow

Select your render or texture using Input File…
Click Denoise
Wait until the process is finished

You can also:

save your settings using Save config
load them later using Load config

My Use Case

I personally used VDenoise to clean up baked AO renders.

I rendered AO using Corona Renderer — simply because it was more convenient for me.

The renders were made with only 1 pass, so the result was very noisy.

On the original image, the noise is clearly visible.

After processing the image with VDenoise, it becomes clean and smooth.

As a result, I get perfect baked AO shadows in about 10 seconds.

How to Automate VDenoise (vdenoise.exe)

To automate the process, I created a simple BAT script (with the help of ChatGPT) that batch-processes all images in a folder.

What You Need

vdenoise.xml — required
a BAT file
all images placed in the same folder

The vdenoise.xml file must be saved beforehand using Save config in the VDenoise interface.

Note!
The BAT file and vdenoise.xml must be located in the same folder as the images.

How It Works

the BAT script automatically detects the installed VDenoise version for your 3Ds Max
if V-Ray is not installed, an error message will be shown
all images with the following formats are processed automatically: *.jpg, *.jpeg, *.png

After that, you just run the BAT file — and the entire folder is processed without any manual work.

Conclusion

VDenoise is a fast, simple, and underrated tool that works great not only for renders but also for any kind of images and textures.

I hope this article was useful.

Feel free to share your own VDenoise use cases in the comments!

FAQ

1. What is this article about?

This article explains a hidden V-Ray tool called vdenoise, which allows you to denoise rendered images separately from the rendering process.

2. What is vdenoise?

vdenoise is a standalone utility included with V-Ray that removes noise from already rendered images without requiring a new render.

3. What is vdenoise used for?

The tool allows artists to reduce render times by performing denoising after rendering is complete and to process previously rendered images.

4. How is vdenoise different from the built-in V-Ray Denoiser?

The standard V-Ray Denoiser works during or immediately after rendering inside 3ds Max. vdenoise runs separately and can process existing render files at any time.

5. Which file formats does vdenoise support?

The utility works with V-Ray image files (.vrimg) that contain the necessary render channels required for denoising.

6. Can I use vdenoise without launching 3ds Max?

Yes. vdenoise is a standalone command-line utility and can be executed independently of Autodesk 3ds Max.

7. Can I denoise old renders?

Yes. As long as you still have the original .vrimg files, you can apply denoising even long after the rendering process has finished.

8. Can vdenoise improve workflow efficiency?

Yes. Instead of re-rendering a scene, you can often improve image quality by processing the render through vdenoise.

9. Can vdenoise be automated?

Yes. The utility supports command-line execution, making it suitable for BAT files, scripts, and automated production pipelines.

10. Is vdenoise suitable for render farms?

Yes. Because it operates through the command line, it can easily be integrated into render farm workflows and automation systems.

11. Can vdenoise process multiple files in a batch?

Yes. Using BAT files or scripts, you can set up batch processing for large numbers of render files.

12. Do I need to launch denoising manually for each file?

No. The entire process can be automated and executed on complete folders of renders.

13. Does vdenoise modify the original render?

No. When configured correctly, the original file remains unchanged and the denoised result is saved separately.

14. Is vdenoise suitable for studio production?

Yes. The tool is especially useful in studios and large-scale projects where large numbers of renders need to be processed automatically.

15. Do I need programming skills to use vdenoise?

No. For basic usage, a ready-made command or BAT file from the article is usually sufficient.

16. Why do many V-Ray users not know about vdenoise?

Although the utility has been included with V-Ray for many years, it remains relatively unknown because it has no graphical interface and there is limited documentation available on its setup and usage.

Vasyl Lukianenko
3D Artist and Technical Author

Vasyl Lukianenko is a 3D artist and technical author focused on practical workflows, optimization, and production-ready techniques. He publishes tutorials, courses, and tools to help artists work faster and get cleaner results.