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Command-Line Rendering Switches 211
file using any text editor. For this example, let’s say
you have three scenes, in various stages, and you
want each rendered using different sett ings.
1. Open your text editor.
2. On the first line, enter the following text. This
example assumes that the scene is far from
finished, but that you want to test a chunk of
animation.
“c:\progr a m fi les\autodesk\3dsm ax9\
3d sma x cmd” -o=“c:\pr o gram fi les\aut odesk \
3dsm ax9\renderoutput\scene1.jpg”
-w=320 -h=240 -frame=1-33 “c:\program
files\autodesk\3dsmax9\scenes\scene1.max”
The second scene is almost ready, but you need
to test the look of some materials and do a
video color check:
“c:\progr a m fi les\autodesk\3dsm ax9\
3d sma x cmd” -o=“c:\pr o gram fi les\aut odesk \
3dsm ax9\renderoutput\scene2.jpg”
-w=640 -h =480 -force2Sided=true
-vide o C olorChe ck=true “c:\program
files\autodesk\3dsmax9\scenes\scene2.max”
The last scene is complete, and you want to
render a higher-resolution image using sett ings
you ’ve saved in a TXT file that you always use
for final renderings:
“c:\progr a m fi les\autodesk\3dsm ax9\
3dsm axcmd” @c:\fina lrender.tx t
-o=“ c:\program files\au tod e sk\3dsm ax 9\
renderoutput\scene3.jpg” “ c:\prog r am
files\autodesk\3dsmax9\scenes\scene3.max”
3. After entering these three command lines, save
your file as a BAT fi le.
4. From the Windows Start > Run dialog, browse
to the BAT file and click Open.
5. Click OK to start rendering.
See also
Command-Line Rendering Switches (page 3–211)
Command-Li ne R ender ing
Switches
In order to use command-line rendering, you
should be familiar with DOS and understand the
structure of command line s.
Command-Li ne S witches
You can use the following switches af ter
3dsm axcmd on the command line of a command
prompt window, or as entrie s in a text file. The
followingtablesshowswitchesandtheireffects.
Note: Switches are not case sensit ive.
At Verbos ity level 5, the output message from
command-line rendering includes both a
timestamp and a date stamp. The t imestamp is
separated from the main message by a semicolon,
and the elapsed time message is separated from
the Frame Completed message by a semicolon.
This lets you pipe the message to a file, and then
open it in a spreadsheet program with appropriate
columns by setting the delimiter character.
Separators
Many switches are displayed in the following
charts with trailing colons, such as -w: or -h:.
The use of a colon separator is optional, and can
be replaced with a space or an equal sign (=).
Therefore, command lines such as:
“c:\progr a m fi les\autodesk\3dsm ax 9\
3dsmaxcm d” -outputName:“c:\progr am
f il es\au todesk\3d smax9\ren d e routput\
myImag e.jpg” -w:640 -h:480 “ c:\prog r a m
files\autodesk\3dsmax9\scenes\myscene.max”
“c:\progr a m fi les\autodesk\3dsm ax 9\
3dsmaxcm d” -outputName “ c:\program
f il es\au todesk\3d smax9\ren d e routput\
myImage.jpg” -w 640 -h 480 “ c:\progr a m
files\autodesk\3dsmax9\scenes\myscene.max”