Introduction

Welcome to the New Chaos Forum Charter, the unified platform based on Discourse for users of all Chaos products from V-Ray to Corona and Enscape. As prior, the New Chaos Forum is also designed to bring together anyone from enthusiasts to professionals and experts from various industries to engage in meaningful discussions, spread knowledge and collaborate.

This Forum Charter serves as a guide for how we aim to foster a positive and productive community furthermore detailing the some of the forum updates, guidelines, what the forum is and isn’t, including Do’s and Don’ts alongside what to do in order to receive appropriate support as soon as possible.

Why do we switch to Discourse?

We have chosen Discourse as the new platform for our unified forum. This decision was made after careful evaluation of multiple options, considering factors like security, customization capabilities, and user engagement features.

Design Customization

With collaboration from our UX/Ui team and Discourse’s included theme support, we will create a forum design that aligns with the Chaos brand. Extensive customization options ensure a user-friendly interface, making navigation through sub-forums and categories seamless.

Enhanced Spam and Bot Protection

Discourse provides robust anti-spam tools, including integration with Akismet, reCAPTCHA, and rate limiting. Improved pageview tracking helps distinguish between real users and bots, reducing spam and unwanted activity.

Advanced User Engagement Features

  • Integration with Zendesk (via plugin) allows for efficient support interactions.
  • The ability to mark threads as resolved helps keep discussions organized.
  • AI capabilities assist in avoiding duplicate posts by suggesting similar existing topics before a new one is created.

Improved Technical Capabilities

  • Improved Search Capabilities: A more powerful search function compared to our previous forums.
  • Extensive Moderator Options: Enhanced tools for moderators to manage content effectively.
  • SSO Support and Two-Factor Authentication: Improved security features for user accounts.
  • Plugin Selection: Access to a wide range of official and third-party plugins to extend forum functionality.
  • Backend Customization: Comprehensive options for statistics, permissions, user ranks/rewards, hidden subforums, and more.

Unified Experience Across Chaos Products

  • Consistent Guidelines and Policies: Standardized rules and guidelines ensure a consistent experience for all users.
  • Streamlined Communication: A single platform should simplify updates, announcements, and interactions with the Chaos team.

Enhanced User Experience

  • Modern Interface: A clean, intuitive design to make participation even easier and enjoyable
  • Mobile friendly design: Optimized for use on various devices, including desktops, tablets, and mobile phones.
  • Personalized Notifications: Improved notification settings to keep you updated on discussions that matter to you.

Purpose and Limitations

Purpose

Community Interaction and Engagement: To provide a centralized space where users can interact, share information, ask questions, and engage in discussions on various topics related to Chaos products and the industries they serve.

Knowledge Sharing: To encourage users to exchange ideas, best practices, tips, and solutions with peers, fostering a collaborative environment for learning and mutual assistance.

Community Activities: To host and facilitate community-driven events such as contests, challenges, and other initiatives that promote creativity, innovation, and engagement within the user community.

Unified Guidelines and Communication: To ensure a consistent and cohesive experience across all user interactions by adhering to standardized rules, guidelines, and communication protocols.

Limitations

Not a Support Channel for Urgent Inquiries: While users are welcome to seek assistance through the Chaos Forum, it is important to note that the Forum itself is not meant to be a primary customer support channel for any urgent inquiries. Users can and should post their questions to receive helpful responses and feedback from other community members as well as from the Chaos team itself including QA, Development, Customer Support and so forth. However, professional assistance may not be immediately available and there may not always be an official response to each inquiry.

Urgent Support Requests Redirection: Direct urgent support requests (especially those where additional information (e.g. log files) is required) posted on the forum will be forwarded to proper customer assistance channels to ensure timely and personalized help. Users are encouraged to utilize official support resources especially for specific issues requiring assistance as quickly as possible.

Content Scope: The forum is intended for discussions related to Chaos products, their usage, and relevant industry topics. It is not a platform for unrelated subjects, non-community-related content, or advertising of third-party products and services.

Language: Users are expected to post in the forum’s primary language: English. Posts in other languages may not receive responses from us or other forum users, so it is advised to make use of any translator of your choice before posting.

Guidelines (Do’s and Don’ts)

Do’s

Follow Forum Guidelines and Policies

  • Familiarize yourself with all forum rules and adhere to them.
  • Respect the decisions of moderators and administrators.
  • Report any content or behavior that violates the guidelines.

Be Respectful and Courteous

  • Treat all community members with kindness and respect.
  • Use polite language and maintain a friendly tone in all interactions.
  • Appreciate diverse perspectives and engage thoughtfully with differing opinions.

Contribute Constructively

  • Share your knowledge, experiences, and insights to help others.
  • Provide clear, accurate, and relevant information in your posts.
  • Offer constructive feedback and encourage positive discussions.

Stay On Topic

  • Ensure your posts and replies are relevant to the thread’s subject.
  • Use the appropriate sub-forums for specific topics or products.
  • Help maintain organized and focused discussions.

Protect Privacy

  • Keep your personal information secure and respect the privacy of others.
  • Obtain permission before sharing someone else’s content or information.
  • Use private messaging for sensitive or personal conversations.

Engage Positively in Community Activities

  • Participate in contests, challenges, and community events.
  • Encourage others by acknowledging their contributions.
  • Share your creative works and collaborate with fellow members.

Use Clear and Appropriate Language

  • Write in a clear and understandable manner.
  • Avoid using slang or jargon that might not be widely understood.
  • Use the language English appropriate for a global and diverse audience.

Acknowledge Sources

  • Credit original authors when sharing external content.
  • Provide links or references to source materials when applicable.
  • Respect intellectual property rights.

Don’ts

Don’t Disrespect or Harass Others

  • Avoid offensive, abusive, or inflammatory language.
  • Do not engage in personal attacks, bullying, or harassment.
  • Refrain from discriminatory remarks based on race, gender, religion, nationality, or other personal attributes.

Don’t Spam or Advertise Unsolicited Content

  • Do not post repetitive or irrelevant messages.
  • Avoid promoting products, services, or websites without permission.
  • Refrain from posting chain letters, pyramid schemes, or solicitations.

Don’t Share Inappropriate or Illegal Content

  • Do not post obscene, explicit, or offensive material.
  • Avoid sharing content that promotes illegal activities.
  • Do not distribute malware, viruses, or harmful software.

Don’t Violate Privacy

  • Do not share personal or confidential information about others.
  • Avoid posting private messages or communications without consent.
  • Respect the anonymity and confidentiality of fellow members.

Don’t Engage in Trolling or Disruptive Behavior

  • Refrain from making provocative comments intended to upset others.
  • Do not derail threads or disrupt conversations.
  • Avoid feeding into or escalating conflicts.

Don’t Seek Official Support in the Forum first thing

  • Do not use the forum to request official urgent technical support or customer service.
  • For urgent assistance with Chaos products, contact the Chaos Help Center or official support channels.

Don’t Impersonate or Misrepresent

  • Do not pretend to be another user, moderator, or Chaos staff member.
  • Provide accurate information about your identity where appropriate.
  • Avoid misleading others through false statements.

Don’t Ignore Moderator Guidance

  • Respect and follow instructions from moderators and administrators.
  • Do not attempt to bypass moderation actions or bans.
  • Please engage constructively if you have concerns about any moderation decisions.

How to Get Support

When to Post in the Chaos Forum

The Chaos Forum is generally meant to be the main community space for:

General Discussions and Questions

  • Best Practices: Seeking advice on workflows, techniques, or industry standards.
  • Tips and Tricks: Sharing and requesting handy shortcuts or lesser-known features.
  • Product Usage Questions: Inquiring about how to use certain features or tools within Chaos products.

Creative Collaboration

  • Showcasing Work: Sharing your projects, renders, or animations for feedback.
  • Critique and Advice: Requesting constructive criticism to improve your work.
  • Community Projects: Participating in group challenges, contests, or collaborative initiatives.

Peer-to-Peer (User to User) Support

  • Non-Critical Issues: Discussing (minor) issues that others might have encountered and resolved.
  • Knowledge Sharing: Contributing to discussions by sharing your expertise and experiences.

Learning and Education

  • Tutorials and Guides: Posting or requesting tutorials created by community members.
  • Resource Sharing: Sharing helpful resources like plugins, scripts, or external articles.
  • Events and Workshops: Announcing or discussing industry events, webinars, or workshops.

Community Interaction

  • Networking: Connecting with other professionals, students, or hobbyists.
  • Discussions on Industry Trends: Engaging in conversations about the latest developments in the field.
  • Inspirational Content: Sharing and discussing inspiring works or innovations.

When to Contact our Official Support

For issues that require immediate attention or involve specific technical problems, it’s best to use our official support channels. Please contact our official support when:

Technical Issues and Bugs

  • Software Errors: Experiencing crashes, error messages, or unexpected behavior in Chaos products.
  • Installation Problems: Facing difficulties installing or updating software.
  • Performance Issues: Noticing significant slowdowns, lag, or hardware compatibility problems.

License and Account Matters

  • License Activation: Trouble activating or accessing your product licenses.
  • Subscription Inquiries: Questions about your subscription status, renewals, or cancellations.
  • Account Access: Issues logging into your Chaos account or resetting your password.

Payment and Billing Questions

  • Invoice Requests: Needing copies of invoices or receipts.
  • Billing Discrepancies: Noticing incorrect charges or payment failures.
  • Purchase Assistance: Help with buying products or services.

Security Concerns

  • Data Protection: Concerns about the security of your personal or project data.
  • Reporting Vulnerabilities: Notifying Chaos about potential security issues in their software.

Feature-Specific Support

  • Advanced Functionality: Assistance with complex features that may require expert guidance.
  • Compatibility Issues: Problems integrating Chaos products with other software or plugins.
  • Customization and Scripting: Help with SDKs, APIs, or scripting within Chaos products.

Legal and Compliance Matters

  • EULA Clarifications: Questions about the End User License Agreement or terms of use.
  • Copyright Issues: Concerns about intellectual property rights or content usage.

Specific Examples of when to contact Official Support:

  • “V-Ray crashes or slows down every time I try to render! I’m on a deadline! What should I do?”
  • “I can’t activate my license after purchasing! Can someone help?”
  • “I’m being charged twice for my subscription this month! How can I resolve this?”
  • “There seems to be a major bug when using any of your software with my specific setup! Who can assist?”

Roles and Responsibilities

Moderators

Role: Moderators are entrusted with overseeing the day-to-day activities of the forum. They are responsible for enforcing the forum guidelines, fostering a positive environment, and assisting users when needed with forum specific inquiries or issues. They manage content by organizing threads, removing inappropriate material, and ensuring important announcements are highlighted in their respective subforum/area. Moderators lead by example, demonstrating respectful and professional behavior at all times, and uphold the values and standards of the Chaos Forum Community.

Chaos Staff Members (Support, QA, Developers, PM, Customer Success, Marketing)

Role: Chaos staff members participate in the forum to provide official announcements, engage with users, and represent the company. Their role bridges the gap between the community and the organization. The responsibilities of Marketing, PM and Customer Success include communicating official information by sharing announcements about product updates, events, and company news, while Support, QA and Developers will be providing accurate and timely information in response to user inquiries that may be resolved via the forum itself. They engage with the community by participating in discussions relevant to their areas of expertise, offering general guidance and insights to enhance user understanding where it makes sense.

They also focus on offering general guidance within the forum and encourage users to reach out to official support channels for urgent specific technical issues, providing assistance without delving into personalized support cases (there will always be expectations).

Forum Users

Role: Forum users are the heart of the community. They engage in discussions, share knowledge, and contribute to the collective growth of the forum. Their responsibilities include adhering to the forum guidelines by reading and following all rules, and respecting decisions made by moderators (and Chaos staff members). They engage respectfully with others, treating all members with kindness and consideration, using polite language, and being open to different perspectives. Forum users contribute positively by sharing valuable insights, asking questions, providing answers that add value, and encouraging fellow members.

For additional information please refer to the section “Do’s” in this document.

How to share Feedback

We value and appreciate any thoughts or concerns you may have when it comes to the New Chaos Forum Community - Whether you have ideas for any additional features, concerns about our guidelines, or any general suggestions for improvement please kindly make use of the following Google Form (still following) through which you can share anything that may be on your mind.

You can of course also create a dedicated thread in the appropriate sub-forums which are meant to receive feedback and input from our users.