Vray All Versions List

The Complete V-Ray All Versions List: From 2000s Innovation to 2025’s Neural Graphics

V-Ray is more than just a render engine; it is the backbone of architectural visualization, VFX, and product design for over two decades. Developed by Chaos (formerly Chaos Group), V-Ray has evolved from a simple GI engine into a hybrid CPU/GPU/Cloud behemoth.

For professionals tracking compatibility, legacy project recovery, or plugin updates, understanding the full list of V-Ray versions is essential.

Below is the definitive chronological list of V-Ray versions across its primary platforms: 3ds Max, Maya, SketchUp, Rhino, Revit, Houdini, Unreal, and Cinema 4D.

V-Ray 7 (2024/2025)

The current bleeding edge.

Focus: Material workflows and real-time.
Top Features: VRay Material Library expansion, improved V-Ray Profiler (to see exactly what is slowing your scene down), and native Scatter integration (replacing the old proxy workflows).
The Future: Tighter integration with Chaos Vantage (real-time raytracing).

The Golden Age: Stability & DMC (2010–2015)

3.2 VRay 1.x Series (2004–2007)

| Version | Date | Notes | |---------|------|-------| | 1.09.03 | 2004 | Bugfix for 3ds Max 7 compatibility. | | 1.45.70 | 2005 | Added VRayPhysicalCamera. | | 1.46.06 | 2005 | Initial VRayMtl translucency. | | 1.47.03 | 2006 | VRayProxy (proxy objects for high poly models). | | 1.48.03 | 2006 | 64-bit support on Windows. | | 1.49.01 | 2007 | Final 1.x; VRaySphereFade, true 64-bit. vray all versions list

The Complete V-Ray All Versions List: From 1.0 to Present

V-Ray 5 (2020–2021)

Unified release window: June 2020 (3ds Max) to March 2021 (Cinema 4D).
Key Features:
- V-Ray Composite – Full layered compositing within the VFB (adjustments, LUTs, background layers).
- Light Mix – Change light intensity/color interactively after rendering. Massive game-changer for archviz.
- V-Ray Material Browser – Built-in library of 500+ physically based materials.
- Coat & Sheen layers in the main material (fabric and clearcoat).
- Acoustic textures (for Unreal/real-time).
- V-Ray Vision (real-time viewport for Rhino/SketchUp).
Notable builds: V-Ray 5.00.03 (first stable universal build), V-Ray 5.20.00 (added support for Apple M1 chips).

References

Chaos Group: V-Ray History
Wikipedia: V-Ray

V-Ray, developed by Chaos, has evolved from a niche ray-tracer into the industry standard for high-end photorealistic rendering. Since its inception in 1997, the software has undergone numerous major transformations, each introducing groundbreaking technologies like global illumination and AI-powered denoising. V-Ray Major Version History

The following list tracks the primary milestones in V-Ray's development across its core platforms, including Autodesk 3ds Max, Maya, and SketchUp.

V-Ray Version History

V-Ray was first released in 2000 by Chaos Group, a Bulgarian company. Since then, it has undergone numerous updates, improvements, and feature additions. Here's a list of all major versions of V-Ray: The Complete V-Ray All Versions List: From 2000s

1. V-Ray 1.x (2000-2004)

V-Ray 1.0 (2000): The first version of V-Ray, released for 3ds Max 4 and 3ds Max 5.
V-Ray 1.1 (2002): Added support for Maya and improved performance.
V-Ray 1.2 (2003): Introduced support for Softimage|XSI and Linux.

2. V-Ray 2.x (2005-2010)

V-Ray 2.0 (2005): A major update with a new rendering core, added support for Cinema 4D, and improved performance.
V-Ray 2.1 (2007): Introduced support for SketchUp and Rhino.
V-Ray 2.2 (2008): Added support for Maya 2008 and 3ds Max 2008.

3. V-Ray 3.x (2011-2016)

V-Ray 3.0 (2011): A significant update with a new rendering engine, V-Ray RT, and support for GPU rendering.
V-Ray 3.1 (2012): Introduced support for Maya 2012 and 3ds Max 2012.
V-Ray 3.2 (2013): Added support for Maya 2013 and 3ds Max 2013.
V-Ray 3.3 (2014): Introduced support for Nuke and improved performance.
V-Ray 3.4 (2015): Added support for Maya 2015 and 3ds Max 2015.

4. V-Ray 4.x (2017-present)

V-Ray 4.0 (2017): A major update with a new rendering engine, V-Ray Next, and improved performance.
V-Ray 4.1 (2018): Introduced support for Maya 2018 and 3ds Max 2018.
V-Ray 4.2 (2019): Added support for Maya 2019 and 3ds Max 2019.
V-Ray 5.0 (2020): The latest version, featuring improved performance, new features, and support for the latest 3D software.

Platforms and Supported Software

V-Ray has been developed to work with various 3D software and platforms, including:

3ds Max
Maya
Cinema 4D
SketchUp
Rhino
Softimage|XSI
Nuke
Linux, Windows, and macOS

Key Features and Improvements

Some notable features and improvements across V-Ray versions include: V-Ray 7 (2024/2025) The current bleeding edge

GPU rendering
Real-time rendering (V-Ray RT)
V-Ray Next rendering engine
Improved performance and scalability
Support for various 3D software and platforms
New materials, textures, and shaders
Advanced lighting and illumination tools

Title: A Comprehensive Chronicle of the V-Ray Rendering Engine: Version History and Technological Evolution

Abstract This paper provides a detailed historical overview of the V-Ray rendering engine, developed by Chaos (formerly Chaos Group). Since its inception in 1997, V-Ray has evolved from a proprietary studio tool into one of the industry standards for photorealistic rendering. This document chronicles the major releases—from the early alpha versions to the modern Unified V-Ray architecture—highlighting the technological milestones, renderer types, and key features introduced in each iteration.