Elias bypassed version 3.0—it was notorious for breaking compatibility with older DynaMesh data—and went straight for 3.6. This was the era of 'Gi Algorithms' like Brute Force becoming the standard. The era where V-Ray became smart.
and a significantly faster ray-tracing core that streamlined production for large-scale studios. : A foundational era that popularized (Real-Time) for interactive GPU-based previews. V-Ray 1.5 & Older vray all versions list
For users, understanding the version history is vital; while V-Ray 2.0 scenes are still readable in modern versions, features like the VRayMtl have evolved significantly, often requiring manual updating of legacy scenes to take advantage of the speed and fidelity offered in V-Ray 6 and 7. Elias bypassed version 3