Render Scene

Displays the Render Scene dialog, which lets you set the parameters for rendering.

The purpose of modeling with 3D Studio MAX is to create still images or animations. You do this by rendering your scene.

Rendering shades the scene’s geometry using the lighting you’ve set up, the materials you’ve applied, and environment settings, such as background and atmosphere.

Rendering is multi-threaded and multi-processed on multiple-processor configurations. A two-processor Windows NT system can render in nearly half the time a single-processor system can.

Rendering can also take place on multiple systems by using a network. See the online network rendering documentation.

Reference

The Render Scene dialog has two rollouts. The first, Common Parameters, contains the controls that apply to all 3D Studio MAX renderings. The second contains the controls specific to the current renderer. This rollout can be titled MAX Default Scanline A-Buffer, VUE File Renderer, or have the name of a third-party renderer provided separately from 3D StudioMAX (documentation for third-party renderers is also provided separately).

Note: You choose which renderer to use, along with many other rendering parameter options, in the Rendering panel of the Preferences dialog. Each rendering configuration (Production or Draft) can have its own renderer.

When you click Render, a Rendering progress dialog shows the parameters being used and a progress bar. The Rendering dialog has a Pause button to the left of the Cancel button. When you click Pause, the rendering pauses, and the button’s label changes to Resume. Click Resume to continue with the rendering.

Missing Mapping Coordinates

If the renderer finds a parametric object that requires mapping, it automatically sets its Generate Mapping Coordinates toggle before rendering the scene. The toggle remains set after the rendering is done.

In the following cases, however, 3D StudioMAX is unable to automatically supply mapping coordinates:

• Some third-party (plug-in) objects won’t work.
• Non-parametric objects, such as imported meshes, don’t have built-in coordinates and require you to add a UVW Map modifier.
• In these cases, 3D StudioMAX displays a dialog saying it is unable to render the scene. This dialog lists the objects the renderer couldn’t map.

Note: If a material has Show Map in Viewport set when that material is assigned to an object, this sets the object’s Generate Mapping Coordinates toggle, if it was not previously set. (The state of Show Map in Viewport is saved with each material.)

Rendering Configurations

There are two different rendering configurations you can use: production or draft. By default, Production is the active configuration and Draft has the same parameters as production. At any time, you can choose the active configuration and then use the Render Scene dialog to change that configuration’s parameters.

For example, while Production is active you can set up the Renderer for network rendering with a specific video resolution, a range of frames, an output file, and so on. You can then switch to Draft, and set the draft configuration to be single-frame rendering at a smaller resolution with no file output. This lets you test the rendering using the Draft parameters, then switch to Production parameters for the final output.

The Quick Render flyout lets you choose either the Draft or Production configuration.

Render Scene Controls

In addition to the common and renderer rollouts, the bottom of the Render Scene dialog has the following controls:

Production/Draft: Specifies the production renderer or the draft renderer. (Default: Production).

Copy Draft Parameters: Copies the parameter settings from the current renderer (draft or production) to the other one. An alert asks if you are sure you want to do so.

Note: The only settings unaffected by Copy Draft Parameters are the Output Size preset buttons. For example, you can have Production set for OmniMAX 360x360 and Draft set to Custom 320x240, but if you change one of the buttons to a custom setting, such as Custom 1000x1200, that specific button is the same for both the Production and Draft settings.

Viewport List: Displays the names of the four viewports currently visible, letting you choose which viewport to render from within the Render Scene dialog. (Default: the name of the active viewport).

How To

To render a still image

1. Activate the viewport to render.
2. Click Render Scene.

The Render Scene dialog appears.

3. Make sure Single is selected in the Time Output area.
4. Set the output image size, and set other rendering parameters or use the defaults.
5. Click Render.

By default, the rendering appears in a window.

To render a view without using the dialog, click Quick Render or Render Last.

To render an animation

1. Activate the viewport to render.
2. Click Render Scene.

The Render Scene dialog appears.

3. Choose a time range in the Time Ouptut area.
4. Set the output image size, and set other rendering parameters or use the defaults.
5. Click Files.
6. In the file dialog, specify a name and a type for the animation file, and then click OK.

The Save File toggle turns on.

7. Click Render.

Warning: If you set a time range but don't specify a file to save to, the animation is rendered only to the window. If you intended to save the animation or view it at full playback speed, this can be a time-consuming mistake.

Once you have rendered the animation this way, you can render it again without using the dialog by clicking Quick Render (but not Render Last, which doesn't save to a file).