Realistic rendering

 

 

 

Links/Videos:

 

 

This command saves your scene in the image format.

This backup takes into account the materials and the coatings associated with the items as well as the shadows made by the lights.

 

Use:

 

Click the icon or select Visualization > Realistic Rendering... from the drop-down menu.

 

  1. Select the view to save.

  2. Validate the dialog.

  3. Specify a destination directory and a file name.

 

 

You can stop a backup in progress by using the Esc key.

 

 

 

Available Options:

 

 

  • View to calculate: the view to calculate is the current view.

 

  • Preset: Allows to quickly define all settings for the image calculation. Tree presets are delivered, and you can define and save your own settings .

 

  • View size: The current view dimensions are used. The width and height can't be changed.

 

  • Width / Height: Image size. The units used are pixels.

 

  • Background: This option, when on, allows you generate an image with a transparent background (the background color of the image will not hide the background of the page). Background can be:

    • white

    • Screen background: Actual screen background is used (degraded or background image)

    • black

    • environnement :  The background environment is displayed as background.

    • transparent: the image background is defined as transparent for all save formats which manage it (all except JPEG).

 

  • Antialiasing: this cursor allows to smooth the elements border.

 

  • Lighting accuracy: this cursor allows you to improve rendering quality by reducing the « noise » produced by extended lights and materials reflects. Improvement is similar to the one obtained by increasing antialiasing, but it is much faster. This setting is only on if the scene includes complex lighting that is likely to be adjusted (radiosity, sky light, extended lights).

 

Light accuracy with 10%

Light accuracy with 100%

 

  • Fast skylight: This parameter only calculates the indirect rays of the sky. This produces a smoothed rendering more quickly, but this calculation is approximate.

 

Example of an image computed in the scene with same settings

Fast skylight = YES

Fast skylight = NO (it takes about 2 more times)

 

  • Global Illumination: This option allows you to accurately simulate the ambient light reflected by the scene itself, and no longer only the direct light from luminous sources.

In a classic image calculation, an area that is not directly lit by light is black. In reality, this area receives light re emitted by the walls and scene objects. Global illumination takes this effect into account and avoids obtaining unlit areas.

This option is particularly useful for implementation and architecture images. (see images below).

 

  • Global illumination accuracy: This option allows you to improve global illumination calculation by taking in account scene little details. Generally, default value (15%) is enough.

 

  • Post-processing: This option allows to apply a treatment to the calculated image. To complete the list, you must first calculate the image with preview, in which the post-processing can be defined and saved. Then it is proposed for all other image calculation (as background task for example).

 

Preview without Tone mapping

 

Preview with Tone mapping and intensity correction

 

 

Without Global Illumination

 

With Global Illumination

 

 

  • Scale: allows you to generate a preview smaller than final image (for example 50% for a preview half smaller, which allows you to faster calculate the preview).

 

  • Right-clicking in the preview window allows you to save the calculated image in another format.

 

  • Display the rendering: Display a preview of the rendering.

 

 

  • Format: Select the extension of the backup file, BMP, PNG, JPEG, TIFF, Radiance HDR and OpenEXR.

 

  • Quality: Influences the overall quality of the image (set at 90 by default). Only available with the format .JPEG

 

  • Background job: This option allows you to calculate rendering by a Rendering server running as background job. You can continue to work with TopSolid.

The rendering server allows you to calculate photorealistic rendering by allowing the user to continue working with TopSolid. The rendering server is automatically launched when a image calculation is validated with «Background job» saved option.

When the rendering server is running, its icon is displayed in Windows task bar (near clock) . When moving your mouse cursor on this icon, the server status is displayed. Particularly, if this image is under calculation, its progress status is indicated.

 

When an image calculation finished, a tooltip is displayed on the rendering server icon .A click on this tooltip allows you to open this calculated image.

A right click on this icon allows you to suspend or resume calculation in progress and to configure the rendering server.

A double click on this icon allows you to display the in progress calculation list, to be able to reorder them or to cancel them. It also allows you to display calculated image history to be able to open them by double-click.

  

  • Open image: If this option is activated, the resulting image will open automatically when the backup is complete.

 

 

  • Recursion depth: Allows to set the shadow, the reflection and the refraction depths together.

For example, if several mirrors reflect one in the other, with a value of 1, the shadow will be reflect in only one mirror. With a value of 2, this reflection can also be reflected in another mirror. This setting is only for beamed shadows.

 

  • Ray cutoff: When a beam is reflected or refracted, part of its intensity is lost. When the intensity of a beam goes under the bottom value, this beam is no longer considered in the calculation of the image. This setting allows you to balance the duration and the accuracy of the calculation in scenes rich in reflection and/or refraction.

 

  • Caustics: A caustic is the envelope of light rays reflected or refracted by a curved surface or object, or the projection of that envelope of rays on another surface

Example of a caustic through a glass of water: