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

Tags: 3ds max, architectural sketching, architectural visualization, Chaos Group, DeNoiser, interface, materials, Maya, physically based, ray tracing, renderer, SketchUp, Trimble, UI, V-Ray, V-Ray 3 for SketchUp, V-Ray Clipper, V-Ray for SketchUp, V-Ray Fur, V-Ray Swarm, virtual reality, VR, VRayBRDF