Chaos Group releases V-Ray 2.0 for SketchUp
Chaos Group has released V-Ray 2.0 for SketchUp, a significant update to the renderer that implements a number of key features familiar from the 3ds Max and Maya editions of the software.
The release was originally intended as version 1.6 when it first went into open beta earlier this year.
Features new and older
Features familiar from other editions of the software include VRayProxy for importing geometry from an external mesh at render time when handling very complex scenes.
Dome lights, sphere lights and lights as components are also implemented; as is V-Ray RT, V-Ray’s interactive preview renderer, in both its GPU-accelerated and CPU-only forms.
The update also adds a new “compact and optimized” basic material that includes diffuse, reflection, and refraction parameters, with the option to change the BRDF; a Wrapper Material that enables users to specify additional properties; and the cross-platform VRMats library featured in V-Ray 3.0 for 3ds Max.
Pricing and Availability
V-Ray 2.0 for SketchUp is available for SketchUp 8, SketchUp Make 2013 and SketchUp Pro 2013 on Windows and OS X. The cost of a full licence remains unchanged from that announced at the time of the original beta: $800.
However, since it’s now a full-point release, existing users pay $320 for the upgrade, although you will get it for free if you bought after 15 April 2013.
You will also need a dongle, which may add another $35 or so. According to Chaos Group, “V-Ray 2.0 for SketchUp customers will have the option to purchase a new hardware key or install the license on an existing one.”
Read a full list of new features in V-Ray 2.0 for SketchUp (PDF download)
Visit Chaos Group’s V-Ray for SketchUp web page
(Includes video demos of the new features)
Read more about the new dongle requirements on the V-Ray for SketchUp forums
(Registration required)