vMaterials 2.4 not functioning with SolidWorks Visualize Connected 2025

[mbrittsess]

I have been trying to use the latest vMaterials with the version of Visualize that comes with SolidWorks Maker Edition.

At work, I have successfully installed and used vMaterials 2.4 with SOLIDWORKS(R) Visualize Standard 2024 SP5, 32.5.0.48.

At home, I have SOLIDWORKS(R) Visualize Connected 2025 SP2, 33.2.0.128, 3DEXPERIENCE R2025x HotFix 2.7. I am having the following problem:

Trying to use any MDL from this library results in an error message:

To summarize: any attempt to import any member of ::nvidia::core_definitions fails.

This error is consistent across multiple uninstalls, reinstalls, and repair installs.

While I do not have the exact error noted, I did also at one point try to install vMaterials 1.7, and it gave a different but related error; I could try that again and look it up, if needed.

Is there a version of vMaterials that is known to work with this version of Visualize?

UPDATE: Something that may be relevant: I’ve discovered that Visualize used to support three choices of rendering engine: nVidia IRay, 3DS Stellar Physically Correct, and AMD Radeon ProRender. Starting with the 2025 version, support for IRay has been discontinued and Stellar is the new default. I haven’t been able to confirm, but it seems possible that IRay used to be the default renderer. Since MDL support is handled individually by each renderer (to my knowledge), it’s possible that MDL support in Stellar (and ProRender, which I tested just now and experienced the exact same problems with as described above) lags behind the level of support in IRay.

[mbrittsess]

I have diagnosed the root of the problem, and I have found a solution to the problem.

When attempting to perform something like import ::nvidia::core_definitions, Solidworks Visualize should have split the environment variables %MDL_SYSTEM_PATH% and %MDL_USER_PATH% by a separator and then added the resulting directories to the list of search paths available to the MDL being compiled; this would allow it to access the copy of nvidia\core_definitions.mdl made available to the system when installing the NVidia Material Exchange.

Analyzing the program with a debugger shows that it does not do this. However, after comparing against the 2024 version of Visualize, I noticed that in the install folder for Visualize is a sub-folder msl_shaders, which previously contained a sub-folder nvidia with its own copy of core_definitions.mdl. This nvidia sub-folder is no longer present in the 2025 version.

By making a symbolic folder link nvidia which links back to the actual nvidia folder in the NVidia Material Exchange install directory, attempting to use the vMaterials appearances now works properly; this is similar to the instructions for making vMaterials available for Visualize generally, and I think this additional step should be added to those instructions.

[filippasko.pasko]

you are an actual legend, thank you so much, this should 100% be part of the instructions