Announcement: MDL SDK 2025.0.3 released

Gaming and Visualization Technologies Visualization MDL SDK
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Get the update on GitHub - NVIDIA/MDL-SDK: NVIDIA Material Definition Language SDK.

MDL SDK 2025.0.3 (387700.2665): 10 Dec 2025

Added and Changed Features

  • General

    • Improved database garbage collection such that transactions in unrelated scopes
      do not prevent a cleanup.

    • The recommended vcpkg version has been updated to git ID 30d7c16. This
      update includes Boost 1.89.0, OpenImageIO 3.0.9.1, Vulkan SDK 1.4.309.0, and
      various security fixes in their dependencies.

    • The recommended MaterialX version has been updated to 1.39.4.

    • Reduced compiler warnings on Windows.

  • MDL Compiler and Backends

    • Added compilation-context option “rerun_inlining” (off by default) to re-run inlining
      at material compilation time. This might be beneficial in instance compilation mode to
      inline (and fold) much more code, so analysis on code structure will find more properties.

  • MDL SDK examples

    • Multiple examples:

      • Harmonized the name of some command-line options (“--camera” instead of
        “--cam”, “--no_window” instead of “--nogl”, “--nogui”, or “--nowin”).
      • Renamed environment variable MDL_SAMPLES_ROOT to MDL_EXAMPLES_ROOT.
      • Added support for moving example binaries within the install directory,
        e.g., to support the vcpkg layout.

    • Example df_vulkan:

      • Added focal point to “--camera” command-line option.
      • Added “--fatal”, “--error”, etc. command-line options to control the verbosity.
      • Added support to generate MDL code from MaterialX files.
      • Added support to use df_vulkan as test renderer for the MDL backend in MaterialX.
      • Use the image export option “force_default_gamma” for easier comparison
        with other backends in MaterialX.

    • Example DXR:

      • Added options to disable default MDL and MaterialX search paths for improving the export
        of generated MDL from MaterialX for debugging purposes.
      • The example now uses the static MSVC runtime (as all other examples). As
        a consequence, the pre-built MaterialX libraries from their homepage are
        no longer directly suitable. See also the documentation of the CMake
        variable MDL_MSVC_DYNAMIC_RUNTIME.
      • Dropped “autodesk_” prefix from build/install location for MaterialX support files.
      • Replaced command-line options “-g” and “--generated” by “--dump_mdl”.

    • Example distilling_unity:

      • Replaced command-line option “--verbosity” by “--fatal”, “--error”, etc.

Fixed Bugs

  • General

    • Fixed a problem when Ninja is used as CMake generator on Windows.

    • Removed a few calls to strlen() to please static scanners.

  • MDL Compiler and Backends

    • Fixed position of token for qualified names starting with “::” and prefix operators
      taken from the second token. This could lead to wrong error lines if for instance
      the “++” operator and its operand are on different lines.

  • MDL SDK examples

    • Example DXR:
      • Fixed endless loop for existing files when using “--mdl_dump”.
        File names don’t get an increasing suffix anymore.

  • MDL Distiller and Baker

    • Improved distilling of OpenPBR materials with metalness = 1.