File Output (tab)

View

Establishes the view used for image calculation. All viewpoints, pre-defined camera track animations, or variants (if camera was active on its creation) can be selected from the drop-down menu. If a track is chosen, all contained viewpoints are rendered automatically.

Variant

Simplifies batch rendering of variant sets by combining viewpoints with variant sets and rendering out images for each combination.

1. Select viewpoints with the View option.
2. In Variants, set the variants.

The render session is now made based on the combination of viewpoints with the selected variants. Each output image is named for easy identification. For example, with variants as the naming priority:

• Three viewpoints: 45 degree front view, Side view, 45 degree rear view.

  ( [Front_R_45] [Side_R] [Rear_R_45] )

• Three variant trim levels of the car

  ( [GranTorismo] [Coupe] [StationWagon] )

Resulting rendered image file names:

• GranTorismo_Front_R_45.png
• GranTorismo_Side_R.png
• GranTorismo_Rear_R_45.png
• Coupe_Front_R_45.png
• Coupe_Side_R.png
• Coupe_Rear_R_45.png
• StationWagon_Front_R_45.png
• StationWagon_Side_R.png
• StationWagon_Rear_R_45.png

Filename

Sets the image file name and path where the rendered image file is stored.

Use Time Stamp

Appends a time stamp to the filename.

Image Size Presets

Offers presets for industry standard resolutions, such as PAL, NTSC, HD 720, HD 1080, and 4K. for unique image sizes, used the Custom option and enter the size in Image Size.

Image Size

Automatically fills in the corresponding number of pixel for horizontal and vertical resolution, if a preset was set in Image Size Presets. Enter a custom resolution when a preset image size has not been selected.

Printing Size

Sets width and height of the resulting print in centimeters.

Resolution

Sets the printing resolution in dots per inch.

Region Render

Restricts rendering to the rectangular region specified by the following coordinates:

• Use Current Render Window Region - Sets the upper left and lower right corner, according to the rectangle selected in the Render Window. If the button is activated, upper left and lower right corners are updated automatically including any change of the region.

• Upper Left Corner - Defines the X and Y coordinate for the upper left corner of the region frame.

• Lower Right Corner - Defines the X and Y coordinate for the lower right corner of the region frame.

Render Mode

Sets the illumination mode applied for rendering the image to a file. The following render modes are available:

• Precomputed - This mode does not compute direct reflections, nor does it compute refraction or any other sophisticated visual effects.

• Precomputed + Reflections - This mode is comparable to VRED OpenGL rendering mode. It uses pre-computed Ambient Occlusion and indirect illumination for rendering and calculates specular reflections and refractions and correct shadows from light sources.

• Precomputed + Shadows - This mode uses pre-computed image-based lighting and indirect illumination, without using pre-computed Ambient Occlusion values. Instead, it calculates shadows based on the active environment.

• Precomputed + IBL - This mode uses pre-computed indirect illumination and samples the environment.

• Full Global Illumination - This mode doesn’t use any pre-computed values. It accurately samples everything, using a physically-based approach. Other features, like Photon Mapping, require the render mode to be set to Full Global Illumination.

  Important:

  This value automatically changes the Still Frame illumination mode in the Raytracing Quality tab.

Render Quality

Sets the number of image samples used for rendering or use one of the following presets:

• Draft
• Preview
• Production
• Production Interior

Supersampling

Activates/deactivates supersampling for the rendering. The default setting is On.

Background Color

Sets the background color when rendering a file in Raytracing render mode.

Tonemap HDR

Applies tone mapping to the high dynamic image rendering. As a result, a 32-bit rendering looks the same in the compositing tool as set in VRED. However, the values of the image are compressed by the chosen tone mapper to values from 0 through 1. In doing so, the dynamic range is lost. Therefore, effects like glow are hard to calculate in the compositing tool afterwards.

Export Alpha Channel

Enables the export of additional information regarding transparent areas within the image for use in post-production processes. This requires the target file format to support alpha channels. The alpha channel is activated for rendering. If the file type supports alpha channels, the alpha channel is embedded into the resulting image. The background color is seen through transparent objects.

Premultiply Alpha

Renders the alpha channel pre-multiplied. This option is only available when Export Alpha Channel is enabled.

Export TIFF/PSD in HDR Format

Sets the exported render file type as TIFF/PSD in HDR format.

Export EXR in 16 Bit Float Format

Sets the exported render file type as EXR in 16 bit format.

Export Multi Layer EXR/PSD for Render Passes

Sets the exported render file type as EXR/PSD for the render pass.

ICC Profile

VRED supports the storage of ICC color profiles within the project data to ensure color management consistency during the entire workflow and between devices. Storing ICC color profiles guarantees the colors visible on the workstation are the same as on any other computer. The default setting is Current Settings, but you can select any of the following:

• sRGB IEC 61966-21
• Adobe RGB 98
• Monitor ICC Profile
• Image ICC Profile

This feature embeds certain scene settings in the rendered output. Later, you can import the rendering (its metadata) into VRED, using File > Import Scene Data > Rendering Meta Data. The settings saved within the image upon creation are applied to the currently loaded scene, for example, the camera settings adopt.

All

Embeds all the following metadata.

Render Settings

Embeds the current render settings as metadata to the rendered image, for example, image resolution, image samples, pixel filter, and Raytracing quality settings.

Camera

Embeds the settings of the currently active camera as metadata.

Scenegraph

Contains the following options:

• Node Visibilities - Embeds the visibility states of all Scenegraph nodes as metadata.

• Switch Node States - Embeds all switch node choice states as metadata.

Materials

Contains the following options:

• Switch Material States - Embeds all switch material choice states as metadata.

Embedding Meta Data into Rendered Images

Saving and restoring node visibilities and switch node states relies on a consistent node naming scheme within the Scenegraph hierarchy. The same applies to switch materials within the materials hierarchy, within the Material Editor’s list view. As the metadata does not contain information on nodes/materials that are added or renamed since the rendering, their states remain unchanged when importing the rendering metadata. Also, if there are inconsistencies, some states may not be reconstructed. All nodes and materials, whose state could not be reconstructed, will be displayed in the Import Results dialog after the import has finished.

• Consistency of visibility states - In the metadata, you can identify a node by its node path, which is a concatenation of the names of its ancestors and itself. If all nodes with the same node path have the same visibility, the node path is considered consistent and it is stored with this visibility on metadata export. If nodes with the same node path have different visibilities, this node path is considered to be inconsistent and it is not considered during export. The visibility state of those inconsistent nodes cannot be reconstructed on import and remains unchanged.

  To ensure all visibilities are exported and reconstructable upon import, either ensure all nodes with the same path have the same visibility, or create an unambiguous node path by renaming the respective nodes.

• Consistency of switch states - In the metadata, the state of a switch node/material is defined by the name of the node/material selected by the choice (called choice name in the following). The choice is considered to be consistent, if the choice names of all switches with the same node/material path are identical.

  To ensure all switch states are exported and reconstructable upon import, either ensure all switches with the same path have the same choice, or rename the respective switches.

  When importing switch states, if the switch has several children called choice name, a state of a switch in the scene cannot be restored. In this case, the switch is displayed in the Import Results dialog with its proposed choice name.

  The scene-contained switches should not have multiple choices with the same name.

Only available in Raytracing mode.

Rendering renderpasses enables you to creates the beauty image from multiple layers in a compositing tool, while having the ability to make adjustments to surface colors, lighting, or applying other effects.

Export Renderpasses

Activates rendering with renderpasses. All activated renderpasses are rendered and saved at a time.

Combined Channels (tab)

When rendering renderpasses with Combined Channels, use the following formula for compositing the Beauty image = Translucency + Diffuse IBL + Diffuse Indirect + Diffuse Light + Glossy IBL + Glossy Indirect + Glossy Light + Specular Reflection + Transparency Color + Incandescence + Background Color + (optional: Fog + Frontplate + (1-frontplate.a) * (beauty + (1-beauty.a) * Backplate). For combined channels, VRED can also write precomposed PSD files with renderpasses. To do this, Render Settings > "Export TIFF/PSD in HDR Format" and "Export Multi Layer EXR/PSD for Render Passes" must be selected, and Tonemap HDR disabled.

• Color Channels - Contains the following buffer options:

  • Beauty - Produces a default rendered image. Use it as a comparison image against the final image. The beauty image can be composed from either the Combined channels or Separate channels.

    

  • Diffuse IBL - Produces an image of the diffuse illumination of the active environment multiplied by the material's diffuse color.

    

  • Diffuse Light - Produces an image of the diffuse direct illumination of all light sources in the scene multiplied by the material's diffuse color, such as from a lightbulb.

    

  • Diffuse Indirect - Produces an image of the diffuse indirect illumination multiplied by the material's diffuse color.

    

  • Incandescence - Separates all self-illuninating parts of an image from the rest. Use for adding a glow around light sources when compositing.

  • Background Color - Produces a full color image of the background with the opaque geometry black and transparent grey.

    

  • Specular Reflection - Only generates the specular (perfect mirror) reflections from materials like chrome, multiplied by the material's specular color.

    

  • Glossy IBL - Produces an image of the glossy reflections from the active environment in the scene, multiplied by the material's glossy color.

    

  • Glossy Light - Produces an image of the glossy reflections from all light sources in the scene, multiplied by the material's glossy color.

    

  • Glossy Indirect - Produces an image of glossy reflections from surrounding objects.

    

  • Translucency - Produces an image of the translucency and subsurface scattering contributions from the materials, using those options.

  • Transparency Color - Produces an image of all transparent surfaces and colors behind the surfaces, including glass refractions.

    

• Image Processing - Contains the following options:

  • Fog - Produces an image of the fog image processing effect.
  • Frontplates - Produces an image of the frontplate image processing effect, but needs to be added using alpha blending.
  • Lens Flares - Produces an image of the lens flare image processing effect.
  • Backplates - Produces an image of the backplate image processing effect, but needs to be added using alpha blending and the combination of all passes needs to be alpha blended on top of it.

• Auxiliary Channels - Used to add some additional effects to the final image when using compositing tools. Use it for basic lighting or combinations of different renders based on the depth buffer of the albedo and camera normal buffers as input for some denoising applications. These buffers are not necessary to recreate the beauty image from the renderpasses. Auxiliary Channels contains the following buffer options:

  • Albedo - Enables the denoising to run independent from VRED. It is the surface color and an unshadowed uniform white illumination and produces an image texture without shadows or highlights.

    

  • Normal - Produces a colorful image of all 3D shading normals visible in world space. Use it for relighting a scene.

    

  • Mask - Corresponds to the alpha channel of the beauty image. This can be used to render the renderpasses without alpha and then add the alpha with the Mask pass in compositing.

  • Material ID - Use to generate color masks for compositing programs. This pass needs to be adjusted in advance in the material settings of the respective geometry.

    

  • Cryptomatte Object

  • Depth - Produces an image that isolates the scene's depth information. It creates a black and white gradient, based on the distance the objects are from the camera and the camera's near and far plane values. Whites are close to the camera and black is very far.

  • Occlusion - Produces a greyscale image that simulates the self-shadowing in the scene.

    

  • Camera Normal - Produces an image showing the 3D shading normals in camera space.

    

  • Position - Produces an image showing the 3D positions in world space.

    

  • View Vector - Produces an image showing the 3D view vector in world space, same as the positional normal.

    

  • Cryptomatte Material

Separated Channels (tab)

When rendering renderpasses with Separated Channels, use the following formula for compositing the Beauty image = Translucency Color * (IBL Translucency + Lights Translucency + Indirect Translucency) + Diffuse Color * (IBL Diffuse + Lights Diffuse + Indirect Diffuse) + Glossy Color * (IBL Glossy + Lights Glossy + Indirect Glossy) + Specular Color * Indirect Specular + Transparency Color + Incandescence + Background Color + (optional: Frontplates + Lens Flares). Separated Channels offer more freedom in adjusting the pure Diffuse/Glossy colors in the compositing process, because lighting and surface colors are separate. For a successful composite with the separated passes, you also need the combined passes. Use this for more freedom and the ability to change the color of a model after rendering.

• Material Channels - Contains the following options:

  • Diffuse Color - Produces an image showing the material's diffuse color.
  • Glossy Color - Produces an image showing the material's glossy color.
  • Specular Color - Produces an image showing the material's specular color.
  • Incandescence - Produces an image that separates all self-illuninating parts of an image from the rest. Use for adding a glow around light sources when compositing.
  • Translucency Color - Produces an image showing the material's translucency color when using Subsurface Scattered's Thin Walled Translucency option.
  • Transparency Color - Produces an image of all transparent surfaces and colors behind the surfaces, including glass refractions.
  • Background Color - Produces a full color image of the background with the opaque geometry black and transparent grey.

• Illumination Channels - Contains the following options:

  • IBL Diffuse - Produces an image showing the diffuse direct illumination of the active environment.

  • Lights Diffuse - Produces an image showing the diffuse direct illumination of all light sources in the scene.

  • Indirect Diffuse - Produces an image showing the diffuse indirect illumination.

  • IBL Glossy - Produces an image showing the glossy reflections from the active environment.

  • Lights Glossy - Produces an image showing the glossy reflections from all light sources in the scene.

  • Indirect Glossy - Produces an image showing the glossy reflections from surrounding objects.

  • IBL Translucency - Produces an image showing the translucency or subsurface scattering contribution from the active environment.

  • Light Translucency - Produces an image showing the translucency or subsurface scattering contribution from light sources in the scene.

  • Indirect Translucency - Produces an image showing the translucency or subsurface scattering contribution from reflections of other surfaces.

  • Indirect Specular - Produces an image showing the specular (perfect mirror) reflections from materials like chrome.

    Note:

    To reconstruct the beauty pass image, using the other renderpasses, it is necessary to render to EXR/HDR/Floating Point TIFF image format, without Tonemap HDR activated. Because Tonemapping changes the linearity of values, render with Tonemapping after the renderpasses are combined to the final image. To reconstruct the beauty pass, layer the Diffuse IBL/Light/Indirect, Glossy IBL/Light /Indirect, Specular Reflection, Translucency, and Incandescence Passes, using a linear add operation in your compositing tool.

• Image Processing - Contains the following options:

  • Fog - Produces an image of the fog image processing effect.
  • Frontplates - Produces an image of the frontplate image processing effect.
  • Lens Flares - Produces an image of the lens flare image processing effect.
  • Backplates - Produces an image of the backplate image processing effect.

Render Animation

Makes animation-related settings accessible, when activated. It provides the possibility to render an animation clip or only a part of it.

Type

Sets the type of animation. Choose from Clip and Timeline.

Animation Clip

Enables you to select a clip. This option is only accessible when no camera track animation or variant is selected within the above Image section's View drop-down. A predefined clip can be selected here.

Format

Determines the file output for the rendered animation. Choose from:

• Image - Generates a picture for every frame.
• Movie - Provides the output within a single AVI movie file. Video file compression settings (Frames per Second) are available in a later step, after initializing the render process.

Use Clip Range

Enables the rendering of the whole clip. To render only a sequence from the selected clip, deselect it and define the first and last image of the sequence in Start Frame/Stop Frame. Frame Step (only available when the Images format is selected) helps when not every frame of an animation sequence should be generated. With a Frame Step setting of 3, for example, VRED renders every third image of the sequence. The default value, 1, generates one image per frame.

Start Frame

Sets the first frame of the animation.

End Frame

Sets the last frame of the animation.

Frame Step

Skips the set value of frames, when rendering out an animation, to reduce the render time when testing a rendered sequence. The result will be at a lower frame rate.

Frames per Second

Defines the frame rate for the output movie. This option is available when the Movie format is selected.

Use the Variant Sets section to easily render multiple versions of a model in VRED. Render a red car in a garage, yellow car in a garage, and red car in park, in one render job. Material and environment variant sets can be set by checking what's wanted and unchecking what's not.

Ungrouped Variant Sets

When ungrouped variant sets are dragged from the Variant Sets module to the Variant Sets section of Render Settings, they will be grouped under the same parent node, named ungrouped. This treats all ungrouped nodes as if they belong to one group to simplify deleting, dragging and dropping, and selecting/deselecting.

• Render Variant Sets - Enables variant sets to be added to the render job. Right-click to access a context menu with the following options:

  • Active - Adds checks to all selected variant sets (materials, geometry, and environments) in the Variant Sets section and adds their information to the Render Summary at the bottom of the module.

  • Delete - Deletes entire folders of variant sets from the Variant Sets section.

  • Clear - Clears all variant sets from the Variant Sets section and removes all information from the Render Summary below. To add them back, use Add all from Variant Set Module.

  • Add all from Variant Set Module - Adds all variant sets in the current scene to the Variant Sets section. Check a variant set to render it. To select everything in a folder, check the folder. To deselect everything in a folder, uncheck the folder.

    

  • Save configuration - Saves the configurations as an XML file. This is useful to keep along side your VPB files to get the same rendering results another time.

  • Load configuration - Reloads the XML configuration file for design reviews, so you have the same results as before.

• Use View From Variant Sets - Ignores the viewpoint set in the Render Settings module and uses what was set in the view tab of the Variant Sets module.

  

  At the bottom of this section, the naming scheme and an example file name are displayed. The naming of the rendered files uses a combination of the variant set names to form the final file name. A unique indentifier can be added to the beginning, but only at the time when selecting the render job save location.

Known Limitations with Rendering Variant Sets

Please be aware of the following limitations when rendering variant sets:

• Only one viewpoint will be used for variant sets containing multiple viewpoints within the Viewpoints variant type. If a default is set and added to a variant set, it will be triggered, regardless of its position in the list. If no default is set, the first variant listed will be triggered.

• Any animation in a variant set will be triggered.

• Features such as Next, Previous, and Loop have yet to be correctly supported. Please avoid using them for rendering variant sets. These variant sets will be triggered and scenes will change in line with the next/previous state.

• Variant names should be short to avoid extra long file names that might go beyond the character limits of your OS.

• When combining variant set rendering with animation rendering in the same job, Render Animation must be enabled in Render Settings > File Output > Animation. Select the relevant clip or enter the relevant times within the timeline. The variant set animation will not render, if this is not done. For multiple animations, we recommend they be added to their own render jobs.

Only available in Raytracing mode.

The creation of pictures can be distributed to other computers connected to the network (cluster).

Enable Cluster

Enables the cluster.

Hostnames

Defines the clustering nodes. Hostnames and IPs can be used to access the nodes.