Note for Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) users: SketchUp 2017 is Intel-based. Vray 3.4 has no ARM drivers. On modern Macs, this combo runs inefficiently via Rosetta. Stick to Windows or a 2017-era Intel Mac.
SketchUp 2017 marked a period where the Extension Warehouse became integral to the user experience. It was a stable environment for plugins like RoundCorner, Artisan, and, of course, V-Ray. The API (Application Programming Interface) was robust, meaning crashes were rare, and the bridge between the modeling space and the rendering engine was solid.
Use a physical camera and set the Exposure Value (EV) between 12–13 for outdoors and 8–11 for interiors. Sketchup 2017 Vray 3.4
: Use "Progressive" mode with "Medium" quality and a resolution around 1280x720. Final Renders
: Enables users to export complete scenes (.vrscene) to be rendered in other V-Ray supported platforms like 3ds Max or Rhino. Note for Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) users: SketchUp 2017
: At least an Intel Core i3 or equivalent, though i7 or higher is preferred for faster render times.
V-Ray 3.4 brought with it an improved Material Library. Users suddenly had access to pre-made, high-quality materials like brushed metal, glass, and fabrics that were physically accurate. Stick to Windows or a 2017-era Intel Mac
Forget SketchUp’s default textures. Vray 3.4 uses a BRDF (Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function) material system.
While Trimble and Chaos Group have moved on to subscription-based models (SketchUp 2024 and Vray 6), a massive segment of the architectural and design community still swears by this specific version combo. Why? Because SketchUp 2017 was the last standalone perpetual license version, and Vray 3.4 represented a quantum leap in speed and usability.
Every year, Chaos Group releases Vray 6 and Vray 7. They promote GPU rendering, Chaos Scans, and real-time sync. But many professionals return to for three reasons: