Import Vray Proxies WITH MATERIALS - Vray 3.6 for SketchUp Tutorial

Learn to import Vray proxies into SketchUp models and how to import the materials associated with those proxies as well!

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Last week, we talked about how to use Vray proxies to use high polygon, realistic models in your renderings without slowing down your SketchUp models.
This week, I want to talk about how to save those proxies and import them into a separate SketchUp model.
To start off, 3D Warehouse model credit for this model goes to Daka Design, who has a great collection of render ready models on their page in the 3D warehouse. This model in particular is the Wire Frame Chair. I’ve linked to their page and to this model in the notes down below.
You can see when I do an interactive render of this chair, it looks really good without needing much tweaking. Now, let’s export this model as a proxy.
To do this, select your model, then go into the “Vray Objects” toolbar and select the option for “Export Proxy.” Select a location for this file, then pick a preview type. In my case, I’m going to leave this as “Refined Clustering,” and drag my faces in preview option down to something like 5000. Make sure the option for “Replace object with proxy” is selected, then click export.
Your chair has been replaced with a much more lightweight proxy model. If you were to click the interactive render button, you can see that the actual model still gets rendered within Vray.
Before we try to import our proxy into a different file, let’s take a look at our materials list. You’ll notice after you export your proxy, there’s a multiple material group contained in your materials list. If you click on this, you’ll note that it has materials included for all the materials that contained in your proxy.
We’re going to need to save a copy of this multi-material group. To do this, simply click on the save button at the bottom of the page and save this file to a location of your choosing.
Now, let’s open up another model and try to import our proxy. To do this, click the import proxy button in your Vray Objects menu. This will bring your proxy into your new model. However, if we were to run an interactive render, you’ll notice that your materials did not get brought in with the proxy model, which is why we had to save them from our other model.
We’re going to need to import our materials into this model so that it renders correctly. To do this, first we need to import the material group that we saved by clicking the “import VRMAT file” button at the bottom of the list. Navigate to the file you saved and click the “Open” button.
This will bring in the multi material group that you saved into Vray. Now, we need to apply it to our chair. When you first brought your chair in, it should have created a multi material group for the materials within your proxy, as well as materials for each individual material.

[arbhumikagupta]

Your tutorials are so worth watching and the best. Thank you so much for making videos on every detail.

[RazzTheKing]

I found out that first you have to import the multi material. And then you import the proxy. This way, the proxy recognizes the materials automatically.

[edst]

Hello Justin. I got V-ray 4.20.01 version, and when I create a proxy, vray doesn't create automatically the proxy multi-material, or at less, I can't find the option to create it. can you help me with that?

[regnar]

The issue with that method, would be you would have to repeat the steps each time you bring the proxy into a new file, the method I've found that works is drag n drop, once you create a proxy in Sketchup, save the Sketchup file give it a name with proxy at the end, open a new Sketchup file, open the folder where you've saved the file, drag n drop it into your new project.

Though the method you've discussed should work, I not had success going that rout

[salient]

Ok I am having some issues. When I create the proxy it doesn't make a bundled material file. So when I import the proxy I cannot replace materials.

[BethCoppard]

V-Ray 4 isn't creating the multi material, any idea why? It's very frustrating!

[TiggerLordTanner]

Hi there, when I make the proxie it does not make a "Proxy_MtMulti_Component" under my Materials list... Is there any workaround to this?

[Mattsana]

However when I download a model from 3D warehouse it does show and render the materials but when I enter material editor it's reference point is missing. I guess this affects it as I import it to my project cause it renders as all grey when I follow your steps. But your steps seem to work perfectly fine since it changes from made up colors to grey. Grey because the ref. location is missing I think.

[manukoshy]

hey, is there a way to edit the proxies once they are converted to a vrmesh? I've got a couple of proxies that i need to edit, and i just can't seem to be able to find out how. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

[sameh_A]

hi justin great job buy the way :i was asking about if there is any way to import vray materials from 3dsmax to sketchup cuse i have a big library of 3ds material and i want to get it fast to skp to help me fasting my render procces.

[quocminhpham]

How can I get material for proxy in vray 4.2, please help me :( !

[akshaysurve]

Can i make vray proxy of any material like a sofa set, household components or any interior component, same way as you have done it with exterior components like trees in previous video of vray proxy ?

[yasirsiddiqui]

After importing the saved material into the model you just need to copy the imported material and paste it over the material in the model (usually named as "model name_proxy material)

[yankshusband]

Hi, Justin! I've been using a licensed version of Vray 4. Sadly, I don't have access for Chaos Cosmos for Vray ready models. Would you happen to have a list of others similar pages like Daka Design that holds free Vray ready models? Thanks! :)

[MrCheesecake]

Great video thank you so much. Very helpful :)

I have a question though, once you import a proxy is there a way to restore the previous view i mean the trees for example? Can you delete the proxy later in case you want to edit the tree? Please let me know. Greetings from Perú!

[dkn]

Great video as usual.
Is there a way to revert or swap back the proxy to the original component geometry?

[jaglalu]

Thank u so much.. May God Bless you. Much Love from India

[srenblaabjerg]

I really like your tutorials and maybe this one in particular. The problem with this (as well as other similar videos) is, that you are too fast, and it's difficult to remember all the essentiual information contained, and there is not sufficient time to take notes, ask for specific clarification (if that were a possibility) etc.. My suggestion now is, to finish every future similar video with a simple screen outlining IN PLAIN ENGLISH, exactly what to do from one step to to the next untill you - hopefully successfully have worked your way through the whole process. It could go something like this:

1. Find a suitable multiface model (one with lots of faces and several materials) and download it into a new Sketchup file
2. Make a proxy of it and test, that the .vrmesh file, you just created is properly working. Then save this Sketchup file now containing the proxy.
3. Create a new Sketchup project (with a suitably lighted scene) and import this new Sketchup containing the proxy.
4. (Just to make the point) Try to render. As expected the materials are not the desired materials at all.
5. In the Asset editor locate the clustered pseudo material in the materials list created based on the .vrmesh information saved.
6. Now you will see a list of the real materials contained in this pseudo material.
7. Locate these materials in the main list of materials, and save each of them as new .vrmesh files (in the same location as the original .vrmesh file).
8. Now try to render the model again. Success?

Did I get something wrong maybe? What do you think

[Alee_is_well]

hey justin you made my life proxy as well. i mean easy.

[disconductorder]

yea its dissapointing that they could not have foresight to program materials in with geometry


It makes me think thea does it better