Thursday, March 9th, 2017 Posted by Jim Thacker

Chaos Group releases V-Ray 3 for SketchUp


Chaos Group has released V-Ray 3 for SketchUp, the latest version of the renderer for Trimble’s architectural sketching software. The update overhauls the UI and adds a library of 200 physically based materials.

Improved workflow for architects and visualisation professionals
Although version 3 adds a number of new features, many of the key changes occur beneath the hood.

The interface has been “rebuilt from the ground up” to provide users with access to key features in a way that fits more naturally with SketchUp workflows, and performance has been “significantly” improved.

The update also adds a drag-and-drop library of 200 physically based materials, ranging from concrete and brick to glass and car paint, based on the VRayBRDF material. You can see it at 02:30 in the video above.

New features from the 3ds Max and Maya editions of the renderer
The update also introduces features previously rolled out in the 3ds Max and Maya versions of the renderer, including distributed rendering system V-Ray Swarm, and support for output to common VR headsets.

Scene files can also now be shared with V-Ray 3.5 for 3ds Max and V-Ray 3.4 for Maya.

You can read a full list of new features below, taken from Chaos Group’s press release:

  • Virtual reality
    Render VR-ready content for the most popular virtual reality headsets (Samsung Gear VR, Google Cardboard, HTC Vive and Oculus Rift).
  • V-Ray Swarm
    Introducing a powerful, scalable distributed rendering system that’s simple and fast.
  • Section cuts
    Easily create quick cutaways and section renders with V-Ray Clipper.
  • Aerial perspective
    Quickly add realistic atmospheric depth and haze.
  • Denoiser
    Automatically remove noise and cut render times by up to 50%.
  • Grass
    Create realistic grass, fabrics and carpet with V-Ray Fur.
  • Proxy objects
    Bring more detail to your project with memory-efficient proxy models of complex objects like grass, trees, cars and more.
  • Render elements
    Render as separate layers for more artistic control in your image-editing software.
  • Frame buffer
    Track render history and fine-tune color, exposure, and more directly in V-Ray’s frame buffer.
  • V-Ray Scene export
    Share complete, ready-to-render V-Ray 3 for SketchUp files with any V-Ray 3.4 or higher application.

Pricing and availability
V-Ray 3 for SketchUp is available for SketchUp 8 and above, running on Windows Vista or higher and Mac OS X 10.6 or higher. New floating workstation licences cost $695, including one free render node.

Read more about the new features in V-Ray 3 for SketchUp on Chaos Group’s website