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122 Chapter 17: Rendering
override material, this button displays the material
name.
Expor t to .mi File group
These controls let you save the translated scene in
amentalrayMI file (page 3–972).
Note: ExportingtoanMIfileisnotavailablewhen
you render to texture (page 3–144).
Export on Render—When on, saves the translated
file to an MI file. Turn off to avoid saving the
translated scene. Save is available only when you
have clicked Files to specify an MI file. Default=off.
Un-compr essed—When on, the MI file is not
compressed. Whenoff,thefileissavedina
compressed format. Default=on.
Incrementa l ( Single File)—When on, an animation
is rendered as a single MI file that contains a
definition of the first frame and descriptors of the
incremental changes from frame to frame. When
off, each f r ame is rendered a s a sep arate MI file.
Default=off.
When you render an animation, turning on
Incremental can save a considerable a mount of
disk space.
•
... [browse]—Click to display a file selector
dialog, which lets you specify a name for the MI
file, and the folder where it is saved.
•
File name—When you have used the Files
button to specify an MI file, this field displays
its name and path.
Render Passes group
Controls in this group let you create a rendering
out of multiple passes that render portions a
scene. This can be a useful way to render large
scenes or scenes that have complex effects. It can
alsobeawaytodividethelaboronacomposited
(“merged”) rendering. See the “Procedures”
section, above, for more information.
Note: You c annot render to p asses when you render
to texture (page 3–144).
Save—When on, saves the image cur rently b eing
rendered (prior to merging) inside the specified
PAS S file.
•
... [browse]—Click to display a file selector
dialog, which lets you specify a name for the
PASS file and the folder where it is saved.
•
File name—When you have specified a PASS
file, the name field displays its name and path.
If you are rendering a time segment (that is,
an animation), the PASS files are created with
sequence numbers appended to the main file name
(for example, test0000.pass, test0001.pass, and so
on).
Merge—When on, the PASS files specified in the
list will be merged i nto the final rendering.
•
List of PASS f iles—ListsthePASSfilesthatwill
be merged into the final rendering (possibly
including the pass that is currently bei ng
rendered and saved).
•
Add—Click to add a PASS file to the list.
If you choose a PASS file with a sequence
number appended to its name, 3ds Max asks if
youwanttousetheindividualfileortheentire
sequence.
•
Delete—Click to delete the highlighted PASS
file from the list.
Merge Shader—Lets you choose the shader used
to merge the PASS files. Clicking the s hader
button displays a Material/Map Browser s o you
can choose the shader (w hen a shader is chosen,
itsnameappearsonthebutton).Whenthetoggle
ison,thisshaderisusedformerging.
Impor tant: No merge shaders are provided with
3dsMax. Thisoptionisprovidedforuserswhoplan
to write a custom merge shader appropriate to their
particular compositing project.