Hardware Render Buffer global settings

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Rendering

Hardware Render Buffer global settings

Image Output Files

File name

The base name for all hardware rendered image files. The default file name is im.

Extension

The format of the extension(s) added to the base name for all rendered image files. Options with ext include the Image Format in the extension. The default setting is name.001.

Start Frame, End Frame

The first and last frame to render. The default value for Start Frame is 1. The default value for End Frame is 10.

By Frame

The increment between frames you want to render. For instance, if By Frame is set to 1, the Hardware Render Buffer renders frames 1, 2, 3, and so on. If set to 2, it renders 1, 3, 5, and so on. The default value is 1.

Image Format

The format for saving hardware rendered image files. The default setting is Maya IFF.

Resolution

The resolution of hardware rendered image files. Click the Select button to select a preset image resolution.

Alpha Source

The type of alpha information saved with the hardware rendered images. Alpha information represents the opacity of each pixel, and is used for compositing images using compositor software. (Alpha information is also referred to as alpha channel, mask, matte, or alpha buffer.) If you do not plan to composite hardware rendered images, set Alpha Source Off. The default setting is Off.

Write ZDepth

If Write ZDepth is on, the hardware rendered contains depth information (the distance of objects from the camera). Write ZDepth is off by default.

Tip

Depth information is sometimes necessary when compositing images (for example, compositing hardware rendered particles that pass behind a software rendered transparent object). If you do not plan to composite hardware rendered images, or do not require depth information for compositing, turn off Write ZDepth.

Alpha Source table

Off

Alpha information is not included in hardware rendered images.

Hardware Alpha

Assigns each pixel an alpha value based on its opacity, regardless of its brightness or color. The more opaque a pixel is, the more opaque it appears in the image’s alpha channel.

Setting Alpha Source to Hardware Alpha only has an effect if your computer has a hardware alpha buffer. If it does not have a hardware alpha buffer and you set Alpha Source to Hardware Alpha, the alpha channel of hardware rendered images is fully opaque.

Luminance

Assigns each pixel an alpha value based on its brightness. The brighter a pixel is, the more opaque it appears in the image’s alpha channel.

Red Channel

Assigns each pixel an alpha value equal to the value of its RGB red component. The higher a pixel’s red value is, the more opaque it appears in the image’s alpha channel.

Green Channel

Assigns each pixel an alpha value equal to the value of its RGB green component. The higher a pixel’s green value is, the more opaque it appears in the image’s alpha channel.

Blue Channel

Assigns each pixel an alpha value equal to the value of its RGB blue component. The higher a pixel’s blue value is, the more opaque it appears in the image’s alpha channel.

Clamp

Assigns each rendered pixel an alpha value of 1 (fully opaque), and each unrendered pixel an alpha value of 0 (fully transparent).

Inverse Clamp

Assigns each rendered pixel an alpha value of 0 (fully transparent), and each unrendered pixel an alpha value of 1 (fully opaque).

Render Modes

Lighting Mode

Controls how objects are lit during hardware rendering. The default setting is Default Light.

Default Light

A default directional light illuminates the scene in the direction that the camera faces.

All Lights

The lights in the scene (up to a maximum of eight lights) illuminate the scene.

Selected Lights

The lights in the scene that you’ve selected (for example, in the Outliner) illuminate the scene.

Draw Style

Controls how objects are hardware rendered. (If Geometry Mask is on, Draw Style has no effect.) The default setting is Smooth Shaded.

Points

NURBS surfaces are rendered as points evenly spaced along surface, polygonal surfaces are rendered as points (corresponding to vertices), and particles are rendered as points.

Wireframe

Surfaces are rendered in wireframe.

Flat Shaded

Surfaces are rendered as flat shaded polygons.

Smooth Shaded

Surfaces are rendered as smooth shaded polygons using a Phong material.

Texturing

If on, textures are hardware rendered. Texturing is on by default.

Line Smoothing

If on, sharp, jagged edges on surfaces and streaks on Streak or MultiStreak particles are softened. Line Smoothing is off by default.

Full Image Resolution

If on and Resolution is greater than the monitor’s resolution (the hardware rendered images cannot fit on the screen), the Hardware Render Buffer divides the image into tiles, renders each tile separately, then assembles the tiles together when it saves the image to disk. If you are rendering an animation, the Hardware Render Buffer displays each tile as it renders it.

If off and Resolution is greater than the monitor’s resolution, the Hardware Render Buffer only renders the part of the image displayed on the monitor.

Geometry Mask

When off, surfaces are hardware rendered. When on, Maya masks out all geometry by setting the mask values to 0. Pixels of the rendered image belonging to any geometry have a zero opacity in the image’s alpha channel. Geometry Mask is off by default.

Display Shadows

Turn this on to display shadows from directional and spot lights for geometry (NURBS, polygons, subdivision surfaces) and particles (points, multipoints, and spheres only). This is available only when All Lights or Selected Lights are specified in the Lighting Mode drop-down list.

Note

These hardware shadows can be calculated and displayed on graphics cards with drivers that support the ARB_multitexture and EXT_texture_env_combine OpenGL extensions (such as graphic cards with Nvidia®GeForce®or Quadro GPU, or ATI Radeon 8800).

Multi-Pass Render Options

Multi Pass Rendering

If off, the Hardware Render Buffer renders each frame using one pass. If on, the Hardware Render Buffer renders each frame using more than one pass (based on the Render Passes setting, next). This softens or blurs particles with a MultiStreak or MultiPoint Render Type. Multi Pass Rendering is off by default.

Render Passes

The number of passes the Hardware Render Buffer uses to render each frame. The more passes per frame, the greater the softening or blurring of particles with a MultiStreak or MultiPoint Render Type (and a longer rendering time). Render Passes is only available if Multi Pass Rendering is on. The default setting is 3.

Tip

If the Motion Blur value is greater than 0, set the Render Passes value to at least the Motion Blur value minus 1. For example, if the Motion Blur value is 4, set the Render Passes value to at least 3.

Anti-Alias Polygons

If on, sharp, jagged surface edges are softened (anti-aliased) during hardware rendering. This option only works if Multi Pass Rendering is on and the computer hardware supports anti-aliasing. Anti-Alias Polygons is off by default.

Edge Smoothing

Controls how much sharp, jagged surface edges are softened (anti-aliased) during hardware rendering when Anti-Alias Polygons is on. The higher the value, the softer the edges.

Set Edge Smoothing to 1 for clear, smooth edges. If Edge Smoothing is too large (for example, 5), surface edges are excessively blurred. An Edge Smoothing value of 0 has the same effect as turning off Anti-Alias Polygons. The default value is 1.

Motion Blur

Controls how much objects are motion blurred. The higher the Motion Blur value, the greater the motion blur effect. A Motion Blur value of 0 means no motion blur. A value of 0.5 means the shutter is open for half the frame duration. The default value is 0.

Tip

If the Motion Blur value is greater than 0, set the Render Passes value to at least the Motion Blur value minus 1. (For example, if the Motion Blur value is 4, set the Render Passes value to at least 3.)

Display Options

Controls which icons are hardware rendered, and the background color for hardware rendered images.

Grid

If on, the grid is hardware rendered. Grid is off by default.

Camera Icons

If on, any camera icons visible in the Hardware Render Buffer are rendered. Camera Icons is off by default.

Light Icons

If on, any light icons visible in the Hardware Render Buffer are rendered. Light Icons is off by default.

Emitter Icons

If on, any emitter icons visible in the Hardware Render Buffer are rendered. Emitter Icons is off by default.

Field Icons

If on, any field icons visible in the Hardware Render Buffer are rendered. Field Icons is off by default.

Collision Icons

If on, any collision icons visible in the Hardware Render Buffer are rendered. Collision Icons is off by default.

Transform Icons

If on, any transform icons (from the translate, rotate, or scale tools) visible in the Hardware Render Buffer are rendered. Transform Icons is off by default.

Background Color

The background color for hardware rendered images. The default color is black.

Tip

If you plan to composite hardware rendered images, set the Background Color to black.

Tip Depth information is sometimes necessary when compositing images (for example, compositing hardware rendered particles that pass behind a software rendered transparent object). If you do not plan to composite hardware rendered images, or do not require depth information for compositing, turn off Write ZDepth.

Off	Alpha information is not included in hardware rendered images.
Hardware Alpha	Assigns each pixel an alpha value based on its opacity, regardless of its brightness or color. The more opaque a pixel is, the more opaque it appears in the image’s alpha channel. Setting Alpha Source to Hardware Alpha only has an effect if your computer has a hardware alpha buffer. If it does not have a hardware alpha buffer and you set Alpha Source to Hardware Alpha, the alpha channel of hardware rendered images is fully opaque.
Luminance	Assigns each pixel an alpha value based on its brightness. The brighter a pixel is, the more opaque it appears in the image’s alpha channel.
Red Channel	Assigns each pixel an alpha value equal to the value of its RGB red component. The higher a pixel’s red value is, the more opaque it appears in the image’s alpha channel.
Green Channel	Assigns each pixel an alpha value equal to the value of its RGB green component. The higher a pixel’s green value is, the more opaque it appears in the image’s alpha channel.
Blue Channel	Assigns each pixel an alpha value equal to the value of its RGB blue component. The higher a pixel’s blue value is, the more opaque it appears in the image’s alpha channel.
Clamp	Assigns each rendered pixel an alpha value of 1 (fully opaque), and each unrendered pixel an alpha value of 0 (fully transparent).
Inverse Clamp	Assigns each rendered pixel an alpha value of 0 (fully transparent), and each unrendered pixel an alpha value of 1 (fully opaque).

Note These hardware shadows can be calculated and displayed on graphics cards with drivers that support the ARB_multitexture and EXT_texture_env_combine OpenGL extensions (such as graphic cards with Nvidia®GeForce®or Quadro GPU, or ATI Radeon 8800).

Tip If the Motion Blur value is greater than 0, set the Render Passes value to at least the Motion Blur value minus 1. For example, if the Motion Blur value is 4, set the Render Passes value to at least 3.

Tip If the Motion Blur value is greater than 0, set the Render Passes value to at least the Motion Blur value minus 1. (For example, if the Motion Blur value is 4, set the Render Passes value to at least 3.)

Tip If you plan to composite hardware rendered images, set the Background Color to black.

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