Methylates (mono- and asymmetric dimethylation) the guanidino nitrogens of arginyl residues in several proteins involved in DNA packaging, transcription regulation, pre-mRNA splicing, and mRNA stability. Recruited to promoters upon gene activation together with histone acetyltransferases from EP300/P300 and p160 families, methylates histone H3 at 'Arg-17' (H3R17me) and activates transcription via chromatin remodeling. L-arginyl-[protein] + 2 S-adenosyl-L-methionine = 2 H(+) + N(omega),N(omega)-dimethyl-L-arginyl-[protein] + 2 S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine Homodimer. Belongs to the class I-like SAM-binding methyltransferase superfamily. Protein arginine N-methyltransferase family.