3ds Max 2012 Bible - Kelly L. Murdock [281]
Caution
Be aware that the Scale options can discolor some objects. •
Output Dithering options can enable or disable dithering of colors. The options include True Color for 24-bit images and Paletted for 8-bit images.
The Field Order options let you select which field is rendered first. Some video devices use even first, and others use odd first. Check your specific device to see which setting is correct.
The Super Black Threshold setting is the level below which black is displayed as Super Black.
The Angle Separation value sets the angle between the Hotspot and Falloff cones of a light. If the Hotspot angle equals the Falloff angle, then alias artifacts will appear.
The Don't Anti-alias Against Background option should be enabled if you plan on using a rendered object as part of a composite image. The Filter Background option includes the background image in the anti-aliasing calculations. The Use Environment Alpha option combines the background image's alpha channel with the scene object's alpha channel.
The Default Ambient Light Color is the darkest color for rendered shadows in the scene. Selecting a color other than black brightens the shadows.
You can set the Output File Sequencing option to list the frames in order if the Nth Serial Numbering option is enabled. If the Nth Serial Numbering option is disabled, the sequence uses the actual frame numbers.
In the Render Termination Alert section, you can elect to have a beep triggered when a rendering job is finished. The Frequency value changes the pitch of the sound, and the Duration value changes its length. You can also choose to load and play a different sound. The Choose Sound button opens a File dialog box where you can select the sound file to play.
You also can specify whether error messages are displayed and which messages are added to the log file. Log files by default are written to the renderassets folder, but you select a different path.
The GBuffer Layers value is the maximum number of graphics buffers to allow during rendering. This value can range between 1 and 1000. The value you can use depends on the memory of your system.
The Multi-threading option enables the renderer to complete different rendering tasks as separate threads. Threads use the available processor cycles more efficiently by subdividing tasks. This option should be enabled, especially if you're rendering on a multiprocessor computer.
Using the Rendered Frame Window
The Rendered Frame Window is a temporary window that holds any rendered images. Often when developing a scene, you want to test-render an image to view certain materials or transparency not visible in the viewports. The Rendered Frame Window, shown in Figure 23.9, enables you to view these test renderings without saving any data to the network or hard drive.
This buffer opens when you select the Rendered Frame Window option and click the Render button in the Render Scene dialog box. You can also view images from a local hard drive or a network drive in the Rendered Frame Window using the File⇒View Image File menu command.
To zoom in on the buffer, hold down the Ctrl key and click the window. Right-click while holding down the Ctrl key to zoom out. The Shift key enables you to pan the buffer image. You can also use the mouse wheel (if you have a scrolling mouse) to zoom and pan within the frame buffer.
Tip
You can zoom and pan the image while it is rendering. •
FIGURE 23.9
The Rendered Frame Window displays rendered images without saving them to a file.
Using the Render Types
From the top of the Rendered Frame Window, the Area to Render drop-down list enables you to render subsections of the scene. The default setting is View. After you pick a selection from the list, click the Render button to begin the rendering. The available Render Types are described in Table 23.1.