RENDER — Render

Shades the current 3D view into a PNG image with lights, shadows and ambient occlusion.

• Command: RENDER · Global name: _RENDER · Alias: RR
• Ribbon: View › Render

Shades the current 3D view into a photorealistic PNG image, with lighting, shadows, ambient occlusion, reflections and textures, like AutoCAD's RENDER.

Usage

1. Enter RENDER (or RR).

Specify the PNG file <…> or [Size/Background/Ground] (…×… image):

2. Specify the output PNG file (Enter uses render.png), or first choose an option: - Size: image width and height in pixels, 1920,1080 (also 1920x1080). Default 1920 × 1080. > Image size in pixels (width,height) <…,…>: - Background: Sky (gradient from horizon to zenith, the default), Light (very light grey) or Dark. > Background [Sky/Light/Dark] <current>: - Ground: an infinite ground below the scene (at its lowest Z) that receives shadows and fades into the horizon in the distance. Off by default. > Ground below the scene, with shadows? [Yes/No] <…>:

The options are remembered during the session.

Notes

• It renders the current 3D view: the same direction, target and framing as the window (zoom and pan included) and, if the view is in perspective (PERSPECTIVE = 1), in perspective with the same lens. If the image has a different aspect ratio than the window, at least everything visible in the window is shown.
• It lights with the defined lights (POINTLIGHT, SPOTLIGHT, DISTANTLIGHT) and the SUN; with none, a default light from the viewer.
• CPU ray tracing (BVH accelerated) with 4 rays per pixel (antialiasing): shadows, ambient occlusion, specular highlights and mirror reflections on glossy materials (water and glass reflect the sky). Everything is computed per pixel, so shadows and textures also show inside large faces.
• The material (MATBROWSER) tints each face and, if it has a diffuse map (image), applies it as a texture with a planar box projection (by face orientation) and the material's scale.
• There is no transparency or refraction: glass looks like a tinted mirror.
• It sets the Realistic visual style in the window (the GPU 3D viewer shows the shaded scene live, without shadows or reflections: those are only in the image).

See also

RENDERWIN · MATBROWSER · SUN · VSCURRENT