V-Ray 3.6 Released for SketchUp

Upgrades include an enhanced UI, new hybrid rendering and more.

The new Adaptive Lights mode in V-Ray 3.6 for SketchUp can help cut render times by as much as 700 percent. (Image courtesy of Chaos Group.)

The new Adaptive Lights mode in V-Ray 3.6 for SketchUp can help cut render times by as much as 700 percent. (Image courtesy of Chaos Group.)

Chaos Group has released V-Ray 3.6 for SketchUp, bringing the latest version of its popular rendering plug-in to SketchUp users. Compatible with SketchUp 2018, V-Ray 3.6 comes with an improved user interface, new hybrid rendering, viewport rendering and a host of other new tools and improvements. 

Here’s a selection of V-Ray 3.6 for SketchUp highlights: 

  • Hybrid rendering: A new GPU + CPU hybrid rendering mode will allow NVIDIA CUDA users to maximize their hardware.
  • Viewport rendering: SketchUp users can now render live in the SketchUp viewport, instead of being limited to the V-Ray frame buffer.
  • File manager: Users can manage scenes in a new file manager, allowing them to set file paths, create scene archives and keep track of assets.
  • Adaptive Lights: The new Adaptive Lights mode can help cut render times by up to 700 percent in scenes with many lights.
  • V-Ray color picker: A new color picker allows SketchUp users to choose color values in Screen sRGB (0–255) or Rendering (0.0–1.0) color space.
  • New texture maps: V-Ray 3.6 for SketchUp offers new gradient, color temperature and procedural noise texture maps.
  • V-Ray scene import: SketchUp users can import and render V-Ray scene files from other applications, including Revit, 3ds Max and Rhino.
  • Fog: Realistic 3D fog and light-scattering effects can help SketchUp users add depth to their scenes.
  • Improved denoising: The improved V-Ray denoiser is easier to set up, and settings can be refined after rendering. 

To learn more about V-Ray 3.6 for SketchUp, you can visit the Chaos Group product page. For more V-Ray news, check out “form•Z Introduces V-Ray Integration.”

Written by

Michael Alba

Michael is a senior editor at engineering.com. He covers computer hardware, design software, electronics, and more. Michael holds a degree in Engineering Physics from the University of Alberta.