Blender Documentation: Last modified September 22 2003 S68
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# The RenderingButtons

This button field contains all the settings and commands that involve displaying and rendering. All of these data are part of the Scene block. They must thus be set separately for each Scene within a Blender file. Hotkey: F10.

In the header of the ButtonsWindow you get a SceneBrowse for that reason.

## Pics

Enter the name of the directory to which the rendered image must be written if the "ANIM" command is given and, when required, the first few letters of the file name. Blender automatically assigns files a number, frame 1 becoming 0001. In this example, pictures are written as the files /render/0001, /render/0002 etc. If you enter "/render/rt" in the button, the files will be called /render/rt0001, /render/rt0002... Blender creates the specified directories itself if they do not already exist. The small square button to the left of the TextBut is used to invoke a FileSelect. Use it to select the output directory, and possibly a file name, and press ENTER to assign this to the TextBut .

## Backbuf

Enter a name of a image file to be used as a background. Blender uses the rendered alpha to determine the extent to which this background is visible. A code can be processed into the file name, which allows an already rendered animation to be used as a background. Be sure that a '#' is placed at the end. This is replaced by the current (four-digit) frame number. For example: /render/work/rt.# becomes /render/work/rt.0101 at frame 101. The two small buttons to the left of the TextBut invoke an ImageSelect or a FileSelect Window. Specify the file and press ENTER to assign it to the TextBut.

## BackBuf

Activate the use of a background picture.

## Ftype

Use an "Ftype" file, to indicate that this file serves as an example for the type of graphics format in which Blender must save images. This method allows you to process 'color map' formats. The colormap data are read from the file and used to convert the available 24 or 32 bit graphics. If the option "RGBA" is specified, standard colour number '0' is used as the transparent colour. Blender reads and writes (Amiga) IFF, Targa, (SGI) Iris and CDi RLE colormap formats. Here, as well, the two small button to the left of the TextBut can be used to invoke an ImageSelect or a FileSelect window.

## Extensions

Filename extensions (*.xxx) will be added to the filename, needed mostly for Windows systems.

Each Scene can use another Scene as a "Set". This specifies that the two Scenes must be integrated when rendered. The current Lamps then have an effect on both Scenes. The render settings of the Set, such as the Camera, the layers and the World used, are replaced by those of the current Scene. Objects that are linked to both Scenes are only rendered once. A Set is displayed with light gray lines in the 3DWindow. Objects from a Set cannot be selected here.

## Window Location

These nine buttons visualise the standard position in which the Render Window appears on the screen. The setting in the example specifies that the Window must be at the top in the middle.

## DispView

The rendering can also be displayed in the 3Dwindow instead of in a separate window. This occurs, independent of the resolution, precisely within the render borders of Camera view. Use F11 to remove or recall this image.

## DispWin

The rendering occurs in a separate window. Use F11 to move this window to the foreground or background.

## Edge

In a post-render process an outline will be added to the objects in the rendering. Together with special prepared materials, this causes a cartoon-like picture.

## Eint:

Sets the intensity for the edge-rendering. Too high values causes outlining of single polygones.

## Shift

With the unified renderer the outlines are shifted a bit.

## All

Also consider transparent faces for edge-rendering with the unified renderer

## RENDER

Start the rendering. This is a 'blocking' process. A square mouse cursor indicates that Blender is busy. Hotkey: F12. Rendering can also take place in the 'background'. Use the command line for this:

            blender -b file.blend -f 100

This will render frame 100 and save the images to disk.

## OSA

OverSampling. This option turns anti-aliasing on, to achieve 'soft' edges and perfectly displayed Image textures. OSA rendering generally takes 1.5 to 2 times longer than normal rendering.

## 5, 8, 11, 16

Blender uses a Delta Accumulation rendering system with jittered sampling. These numbers are pre-sets that specify the number of samples; a higher value produces better edges, but slows down the rendering.

## MBLUR

This option mimics a natural (or long) shutter time by accumulating multiple frames.

- The number-button "Bf:" defines the length of the shutter time.

- The value of "Osa" (5,8,11,16) defines the number of accumulated images.

- Setting the "OSA" option makes each acumulated image having antialising.

## Xparts, Yparts

OSA rendering of large images, in particular, can take up a lot of memory. In addition to all the shadow buffers and texture maps and the faces themselves, this takes up 10 to 16 bytes per pixel. For a 2048x1024 picture, this requires a minimum of 32 Mb free memory. Use this option to subdivide the rendering into 'parts'. Each part is rendered independently and then the parts are combined. The "Xparts" are particularly important when rendering "Ztransp" faces.

## Sky

If a World has 'sky', this is filled in in the background. The alpha is not altered, but the transparent colours 'contaminate' the background colours, which makes the image less suitable for post-processing.

## Premul

'Sky' is never filled in. The alpha in the picture is delivered as "Premul": a white pixel with alpha value 0.5 becomes: (RGBA bytes) 128, 128, 128, 128. The colour values are thus multiplied by the alpha value in advance. Use "Premul" alpha for post-processing such as filtering or scaling. Remember to select the "RGBA" option before saving. When Blender reads RGBA files, "Premul" is considered the standard.

## Key

'Sky' is never filled in. The alpha and colour values remain unchanged. A white pixel with an alpha value of 0.5 becomes: (RGBA bytes) 255, 255, 255, 128. What this means is especially clear when rendering Halos: the complete transparency information is in the (hidden) alpha layer. Many drawing programs work better with "Key" alpha.

## Shadows

This turns shadow rendering on. Shadow can only be created by Spot Lamps.

## Panorama

Blender can render panoramas. To do this, a number of pictures are rendered, where the number in question corresponds with the value of "Xparts". For each 'part', the Camera is rotated in such a way that a continuous panorama is created. For the width of the panorama of the Camera Lens, adjust the "Xparts" and the "SizeX" for the picture. The total width of the picture, in pixels becomes: Xparts * SizeX. These are the settings for a 360 degree panorama: Xparts = 8, SizeX = 720, lens = 38.6.

## 100%, 75%, 50%, 25%

These pre-sets allow you to render smaller pictures. It also affects the size of 'shadow buffers'.

## Fields

Specifies that two separate fields are rendered. Each field is a complete picture. The two fields are merged together in such a way that a 'video frame' is created.

## Odd

This option indicates that the first field in a video frame begins on the first line. x (TogBut) With "Field" rendering, this switches the time difference between the two fields off (0.5 frame).

## Border

This allows you to render a small cut-out of the image. Specify a render 'border' with SHIFT+B in the 3DWindow (in Camera view of course). A cut-out is always inserted in a complete picture, including any "BackBuf" that may be present. Set the option "Crop" ON to turn this off.

## Gamma

Colours cannot be normally added together without consequences, for example when rendering anti-aliasing. This limitation is caused by the way light is displayed by the screen: the colour value 0.4 does not appear half as strong as 0.8 (in actuality it is nearly 0.56!). This can be solved by assigning the display-hardware an extremely high gamma correction: gamma 2.3 or even higher. This gives a really pale image with 'washed out' dark tints to which dithering must be applied. Blender renders everything internally already gamma-corrected. This produces a more stable anti-aliasing for the eye, i.e. anti-aliasing that does not 'swim'. To see this difference, render a "Shadeless" white plane with OSA - and with and without "Gamma". The only time this option should be set to OFF is when Blender is used for image composition.

## ANIM

Start rendering a sequence. This is a 'blocking' process. A square mouse cursor indicates that Blender is busy. Animations can also be rendered in the 'background'. Use the command line for this: blender -b file.blend -a.

## Do Sequence

Specifies that the current Sequence strips must be rendered. To prevent memory problems, the pictures of the complete Sequence system are released per rendering, except for the current frame.

## RenderDeamon

Indicates to the external network render utility that the current Scene must be rendered.

## Play

This starts an animation playback window. All files from the "Pics" directory are read and played.

## rt

For debugging purposes.

## Sta, End

The start and end frame of an ANIM rendering.

## SizeX, SizeY

The size of the rendering in pixels. The actual value is also determined by the percentage buttons (100%, 75%, etc.).

## AspX, AspY

The pixel relationship. The pixels in monitors and video cards are not usually exactly square. These numbers can be used to specify the relative dimension of a pixel.

These buttons specify the graphics file format in which images are saved.

## AVI raw

Uncompressed AVI files. AVI is a commonly used format on Windows plattforms.

## AVI jpeg

JPEG compessed AVI files.

## Frs/sec

Framerate for the AVI formats.

## Targa

This is a commonly used, RLE-compressed standard.

## TgaRaw

Raw Targa output as alternative for standard (RLE) Targa. Needed for some broken software.

## Iris

The standard for SGI software.

## JPEG

This lossy format can produce strong compression. Use "Quality" to indicate how much compression you want.

## Cosmo

Only for SGI: specifies that Cosmo hardware must be used to compress SGI Movies.

## HamX

A self-developed 8 bits RLE format. Creates extremely compact files that can be displayed quickly. To be used only for the "Play" option.

## Ftype

This switches the Ftype option ON. See the description of the "Ftype" TextBut.

## Movie

Only for SGI: Blender writes SGI movies.

## Quality

Specifies the quality of the JPEG compression. Also for Movies.

## MaxSize

For Movies: the average maximum size of each Movie frame in Kbytes. The compression factor can then vary per frame.

## Crop

Specifies that the "Border" rendering must not be inserted in the total image. For Sequences, this switches the automatic picture scaling off. If the pictures are enlarged, the outside edges are cut off.

## BW

After rendering, the picture is converted to black & white. If possible, the results are saved in an 8 bit file.

## RGB

The standard. This provides 24 bit graphics.

## RGBA

If possible (not for JPEG), the alpha layer is also saved. This provides 32 bit graphics.

## IRIZ

Only for Iris format graphics: the Zbuffer is added to the graphics as a 32 bit extra layer.

A number of presets: (In the future, this will be replaced by a user-defined script).

## PAL

The European video standard: 720 x 576 pixels, 54 x 51 aspect.

## Default

Like "PAL", but here the render settings are also set.

## Preview

For preview rendering: 320 x 256 pixels.

## PC

For standard PC graphics: 640 x 480 pixels.

## PAL 16:9

Wide-screen PAL.

## PANO

A standard Panorama setting.

## FULL

For large screens: 1280 x 1024 pixels.

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