I've been using Vue for a short while now, and I do Architectural renderings. I have found the same thing when exporting an ArchiCAD model to 3DS and importing the 3DS file into Vue. I've tried several other methods of export/import, and find the 3DS to work the best. However, I still get the 100 same numbered layers. unless I export with Layers & Materials rather than Objects & Materials. I get some anomalies with polygons while exporting using Layers & Materials, but I maintain my layer names.

My solution is to export using Objects & Materials and ignore the layers and make my modifications using the material editor. The best thing to do is carefully attach simple materials to all the objects in the Modeling App and use Vue for what it does best. Materals and Scene generation.

I also use proceedural textures as often as possible in order to increase the speed of the rendering. Texture maps seem to slow Vue down considerably by comparason. I have been working on some stucco materials using functions and colors. Try this one out. If you get the scale right, it can give a very realistic look with varigated colors that look like hand troweling. I encourage you to mix the colors to your liking.

I guess I can't upload a .mat file. I'll post it in the freebees. Sorry.