V-Ray 3.60.01, the first official V-Ray 3 for SketchUp Service Pack update is now available!
It can be download here:
Here is a list of some of the new features and improvements:
Optimizations
- Implemented Adaptive Lights sampling algorithm. It is enabled by default and will improve render times significantly. Projects with many light sources will get the biggest speed boost
- On-demand mipmapping mode has been added for texture maps used by the GPU (CUDA) engine. This is a smart algorithm that resizes textures automatically during render time and loads the smallest texture version for the rendered view
- The number of automatically generated texture handler plugins has been decreased
- Materials applied at different levels of the scene object hierarchy (inherited materials) are now handled in a more optimized way
- Scene loading (before the ray-tracing process starts) has been optimized. Multi-threading has been utilized
- Stochastic and Clip opacity modes have been added to the VRayBRDF shader
GPU (CUDA) Engine Improvements
- Implemented Hybrid Rendering. The GPU (CUDA) engine can now utilize CPUs as well. It is listed as “C++/CPU” in the devices list in both the Asset Editor Devices list and the GPU Device Select Tool
- GPU (CUDA): The Subsurface Scattering shader is now supported
- GPU (CUDA): Displacement is now supported
- GPU (CUDA): Section Plane (Plane Clipper) is now supported
- GPU (CUDA): Aerial Perspective is now supported
- GPU (CUDA): Texture Placement parameters are now rendered correctly
- GPU (CUDA): Plane Light Directionality parameter is now supported
- GPU (CUDA): Materials Fog Color parameter is now supported
- GPU (CUDA): Matte surface and matte shadows are now supported
- GPU (CUDA): Improved support for procedural textures
- GPU (CUDA): Environment texture and color multipliers supported
V-Ray Frame Buffer
- VFB color corrections are now saved with the SketchUp file/project
- The history of the VFB can now have the Use Project Path option enabled. It saves images in a folder relative to the .skp file
- The rendering progress and messages are now displayed in the lower right corner of the VFB
- The Progress Window can now be accessed via a shortcut in the VFB
- Lens Effects (Bloom/Glare) and Denoiser result can now be viewed together in the effectsResult render element.
V-Ray Proxy
- Implemented a Proxy export options window. It allows for changing the mode of the preview geometry
- Refined Clustering and Vertex Clustering proxy preview types have been added. They automatically generate a low-poly version of the model and use that as proxy scene representation
- Proxy Preview Geometry options have been added for proxies already loaded in the project: Proxy Preview, Whole Mesh, Bounding Box, Point(Origin), Custom Preview
- Proxy Animation options have been added. V-Ray now supports animated vrmesh files that can be created by the V-Ray plugin in other platforms such as Maya or 3ds Max.
- Replacing a proxy file will now automatically change the viewport preview
- The Custom Preview option allows for changing the proxy file without affecting/updating the preview geometry.
VRScene
- VRScenes (.vrscene files) can now be imported and rendered in SketchUp. A vrscene can be exported from Rhino, 3ds Max, Maya, Revit, … Lights and materials are included.
- VRScene Preview Geometry options have been added for scenes already loaded in the project. The following preview types can be selected and changed on demand: Preview Faces, Bounding Box, Point(Origin)
- The VRScene preview faces count can be changed at any point. This allows for re-generating viewport geometry with approximate predictable poly-count
Materials and Textures
- Implemented VRscan materials. Materials generated with Chaos Group scanning technology can now be loaded, edited and rendered in SketchUp
- Dim Distance set of parameters have been added to the BRDF V-Ray and BRDF Reflection shaders. With it the reflections can be faded out based on a distance and a falloff value.
- Updated Blend material. The layers of the shader can now be moved and re-arranged at will
- The visual layer ordering of the Blend material has changed.
- A way to access sub-materials in a shading network has been implemented. Next to each input material drop-down menu a material link icon is available.
- Implemented V-Ray Temperature map. It allows for specifying a color using Kelvin degree temperature
- Implemented Noise B map. It uses an intuitive set of parameters to control the noise appearance
- Implemented Gradient (Ramp) texture. This texture can easily create and edit gradients useful in many different situations
- Added a Lift/Gamma/Gain corrections in the Color Corrections texture
- Color Manipulation parameters section has been added to all texture types that can use it
- The Material Quick Presets and settings have been updated. The presets can now be used as a material creation wizard every time you start working on a new shader.
Displacement
- Implemented 2D Displacement mode. This is a very optimized method for rendering highly-detailed displaced surfaces
Clipper
- Implemented clipping modes: Subtraction and Intersection
Workflow Improvements
- Implemented View Port Rendering (VPR). This is a V-Ray overlay that appears in the SketchUp view-port. It is rendered interactively and allows for scene changes while looking at the final rendered result.
- VPR render regions have been implemented. Multiple regions can now be selected while the VPR is running
- V-Ray Denoiser can now be updated with new settings without re-rendering the image
- Implemented the V-Ray File Path Editor. This is an editor that allows for file path management of textures, proxies and light files.
- Sun animations are now supported by V-Ray. Light study animations can now be easily set up and rendered
- Implemented a way for assigning object ID in SketchUp. The IDs can then be used for shading purposes or for render element object masking
- V-Ray UV Tools implemented. The set of tools can be found in the right-click context menu of SketchUp with a group or component definition selected.
- V-Ray/SketchUp Material binding improved. The internal method for binding/synchronization of materials has been updated
- Implemented V-Ray Environment Fog volumetric effect. It scatters light and can simulate realistic fog and light rays effect
- Highlight Burn value added to the Raytrace/Optimization parameters
- Shading Rate and Bucket Size parameters have been moved outside the Optimizations roll-out for easier access
User Interface
- The V-Ray Toolbar icons have been updated and re-arranged
- The toolbar icons now scale properly on a 4K (high resolution) displays
- View Port Rendering (VPR) icons have been added: Start VPR, Draw a Render Region in the Viewport
- Implemented V-Ray Color Picker. The new color picker allows for specifying colors precisely in both Screen(sRGB) and Rendering color space.
- Implemented V-Ray Proxy export window.
- Added Engine switch widget in the Basic Settings Renderer rollout. It changes between the V-Ray CPU engine and the new GPU (CUDA/Hybrid) solution
- Added Device Select menu in the Basic Settings Renderer rollout
- Added intensity and color controls for easy access in the Light List of the Asset Editor
- Improved V-Ray proxy UI
- Improved V-Ray Fur UI
- Improved V-Ray Clipper UI
- Implemented VRScene UI
- Implemented VRScan material UI
- Implement V-Ray Temperature UI
- Implement Noise B texture UI
- Implemented Gradient texture UI
- Improved UI for all the existing Materials and Material Layers
- Procedural textures renamed to better illustrate their behavior
- Updated icons in the texture creation list. The new icons are much more visual and easy to remember
- The Texture creation list has been re-arranged in categories
- Improved UI for all the existing Textures
- Implemented 3D World texture placement UI and functionality
- Implemented 3D Object texture placement UI and functionality
- Updated 2D texture placement UI
- Updated Environment texture placement UI. The Ground Projection options allow for flattening the bottom side of the environment sphere
- Added a quick toggle to enable Denoiser in the Basic Settings Renderer section
- Implemented file specific output image options. Image file specific options are now accessible and can be changed.
- Implemented File Path Editor widow and UI
- Implemented Color Picker widow and UI
- Implemented Volumetric Environment and Environment Fog UI
- Parameter tooltips improved
- Quick material preset icons updated
- Asset Editor footer icons updated
- All settings button icons updated
After installation, you will find more detailed info about the changes in the ‘VRayForSketchUpReleaseNotes’ and the ‘changelog’ files:
./Chaos Group/V-Ray/V-Ray for SketchUp/extension/VRayForSketchUpReleaseNotes.html
./Chaos Group/V-Ray/V-Ray for SketchUp/extension/changelog.txt
More information about the update as well as the V-Ray 3.6 for SketchUp overview video can be found here:
More information about the VRscans technology supported in V-Ray 3.6 for SketchUp can be found here:
Best regards,
Konstantin