Creating a Raytrace View

To create a raytraced image in Chief Architect, begin with a render view. The camera position, orientation, and field of view of the render view determine the way the scene appears in the raytrace window. None of the other render settings, including your render preferences, are used for generating a raytrace view.

The lighting used in a raytrace view is also different than the lighting used in render views. In raytrace views, lights are not limited to the current room; instead, all the lights currently modeled in the plan are used, as long as the light has been turned "on" in its specification dialog and has been set to "Use in Raytracing."

Unlike a render view, a raytrace view has no limit on the number of lights that can be used to create a scene.

In a render view, select 3D> Raytrace Current Render View

to begin raytracing. The Raytrace Options dialog opens.

Raytrace Options Dialog

Raytrace Properties

Width/Height - The size, in pixels, of the image you are about to create. You can set these values to virtually anything you want, but images larger than 2000 x 2000 pixels cannot be viewed from within Chief Architect and must be saved directly to a .bmp file.

Retain Aspect Ratio - Check this box to maintain the width to height ratio of the original image and prevent the raytrace from being stretched or distorted.

Use Render Window Size - Check this box to set the raytrace to the size of the render window. If you change the size of the render window, subsequent raytraces are also the new size.

Save Raytrace to File - Save the raytrace image directly to a file while it raytraces. The only supported file format is the Windows Bitmap (.bmp) format. Saving as a file is the only way to produce a final image larger than the Chief Architect view window.

Raytrace Parameters

Radiosity - Radiosity is slower, but produces a much more realistic lighting model than standard raytracing. Without radiosity, the raytracer uses a lighting model similar to a render view, which uses a constant value for ambient lights. Unlike the constant Ambient Lighting model that assumes any object not directly exposed to a light is a pre-set brightness, Radiosity traces light as it bounces around a scene, capturing the subtle variations in shadows.

None - Uses an ambient lighting model similar to the render view.

Low Quality - This option should provide reasonable image quality for most images, though the results may appear `blotchy'. This is the fastest Radiosity option.

Medium Quality - This option should only be used for images where Low Radiosity is insufficient, as it is more time-consuming.

High Quality - Extremely time-consuming and only necessary for the most discerning tastes. High Radiosity often takes hours to render what takes minutes using Low Radiosity.

Time of Day - Similar to the Daytime/Nighttime setting in Render views, this allows you to choose whether to render a daytime or a nighttime image.

Anti-Aliasing - This setting determines what quality of "smooth edges" to create in your raytraced image. The High Quality setting is somewhat slower than the Normal quality setting. This is similar to the Smooth Edges option used in render views. See "Faster Rendering".

The Sunlight Contribution options are available when a Radiosity setting other than None is used, and allow the ability to have light coming directly from the sun, as well as light `scattered' through the clouds.

Direct Sunlight allows you to brighten the intensity of the light coming from the sun.

Diffuse Sunlight allows you to brighten the intensity of the light from the surrounding atmosphere. For a cloudy day, you might turn up the diffuse sunlight, and turn down the direct sunlight.

Use Soft Shadows - You can specify soft shadow settings for each light in the Adjust Lights dialog. See "Adjusting Lights". These settings only take effect if you enable Use Soft Shadows. Soft shadows may slow image generation.

Create Default Light - If you have no lights in your scene, the raytracer creates one for you if the scene is indoors and this box is checked.

Raytrace Configurations

A Raytrace Configuration is a group of raytrace settings. Configurations are saved with the plan and can be reused.

Select a configuration from the drop-down list.

Click the New button to create a new configuration.

Click the Delete button to delete the selected configuration from the list. This button is not available if there is only one configuration in the list.

The existing configurations are shown on the drop-down list. There must always be at least one configuration available. If none have been added, the program creates a Default Configuration.

To add a configuration

Click New. A configuration called "Copy of Default Configuration" appears in the list. When you add additional configurations, they are called "Copy of" and the name of the configuration that is currently selected.

Give this new configuration a short, descriptive name.

Make any desired changes to the Raytrace Options settings in this dialog.

Click Save to keep this configuration with the plan.

To reuse this configuration, select it from the drop-down list.