Test comparison Vray 2 and Vray 3

Firstly I must say I’m very disappointed with Vray 3. Here is a direct comparison between the two versions. The first one is made with sketchup 2016 and vray 2, and the second one is made with sketchup 2017 and vray 3. Dont look at the quality of the render itself . It is just a test.
What I did:
Created my model and rendering with su2016-Vray2, saved the model and opened it with su2017 that has vray3. Had only to add transparency manually to transparent materials (glass). All the rest of the settings I did not touch. The resulting render is far worse than the one made with vray2. Look at the detail of the keyboard!!
Can somebody explain to me what happened and how can I get at least the same looking render I did with vray 2?

Eventually I did experiment with the settings and lighting a bit with the vray 3 and still was not able to get the result I did with vray 2.

Thanks

you’re welcome!

It might have nothing to do with the SketchUp Model, but if you test something, it is best to set up a ‘Fair’ test. e.g. test a 2017 version model twice : once in 2017 and with Vray 3, then save as 2016 model and test the model in version 2016 with Vray 2, otherwise you’ll be comparing ‘apples and coconuts’
You might have more luck on the https://forums.chaosgroup.com/ Chaosgroup forum.
Perhaps they know what happened

Please post your file I will try to achieve the same result as vray 2.

Check this and see if it helps: Randomize Scene Material ID’s Tool


And don’t expect things to be totally same across major updates.

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Tried the default render settings and wasnt able to make it ok. The image always looked too dark in some detail, as if the contrast was too high. Post rendering photo editing didn’t help. Where it was most noticeable was the keyboard so I tested this on the keyboard alone, and here I noticed something weird. I realized that the problem were textured materials. After turning off Linear Workflow on these materials, it rendered as it should. Is this a known bug? Do all the materials with textures have to have linear workflow ticked off? Image of the tests attached.

As it’s stated in Color Mapping part of the manual for Vray 2:

Linear workflow - when this option is checked V-Ray will automatically apply the inverse of the Gamma correction that you have set in the Gamma field to all V-Ray Material materials in your scene. Note that this option is intended to be used only for quickly converting old scenes which are not set up with proper linear workflow in mind. This option is not a replacement for proper linear workflow.

So it’s for scenes even older than Vray 2. Thus %99 of the cases Linear Workflow must be OFF. It’s not a magical button/toggle to enable Linear Workflow (though i admit they give false impression with this feature name).


And as stated in new Vray 3 Manual: Migrating from Previous Versions:

V-Ray 2.0 was relying on the Linear workflow option (if enabled) to manage gamma of scene colors and textures. In V-Ray 3.4 this option is hidden and disabled. For backwards compatibility, a Linear workflow checkbox was added to the Layer Options of the V-Ray BRDF, Diffuse BRDF, Reflection and Refraction BRDF material layers. If a V-Ray 2 material is loaded in V-Ray 3, the checkbox is enabled to assure that the material renders the same way as before.

If a new material is created in V-Ray 3.4, the option is disabled.

Because of the above, copying textures or colors from V-Ray 2.0 to V-Ray 3.4 material (or the opposite) might lead to differences in the rendered result.

So it’s not a bug, it’s a feature being automated with newer updates and manual handling fading away slowly.

I understand it now, but still think it’s badly done. Since all sketchup users use 3dWarehouse for their models, it’s more than probable that there they would find lots of old versions of Vray or no Vray at all. How can a person know for which material I need to check and which I don’t? Test rendering every scene? Seems to me like a lot of wasted time - checking and not checking this checkbox… What if I need just a component from my old scene made with vray2? What happens to it? It’s incredible that this wasn’t automated in some way. Now I have to worry if a textured material from 3d Warehouse or from my older models is going to render ok or not. Don’t even get me started on editing these checkboxes one at a time from hundreds of materials in a scene.

I would actually prefer if every textured material had to have this checkbox unchecked. That would at least be simpler. This is just confusing. Bad bad bad…

Not all. And not all SketchUp users use Vray.

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Exactly my point!! It’s confusing. How do I know in witch model I need to check it and in which I don’t??

You didn’t get my point.

If it’s a big problem, make your own models or at least apply your own materials.

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Personally I have never knowingly used a 3dwarehouse model in anything without adjusting it/cleaning it and I have never even trialed any version of Vray.

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