9.5.2

710 • CHAPTER 13
RENDERING • RENDER SETTINGS • 711
Render HUD
Enable this option to include the HUD in the rendered picture or animation. This can be useful for
including information in the rendering such as the frame time. To learn how to use the HUD, look up
‘HUD’ in the index.
Cache Shadow Maps
CINEMA 4D must calculate a shadow map for each light in the scene that casts a soft shadow. A
shadow map determines where shadows will be rendered.
The shadow map calculations can add to the render time considerably depending on the complexity of
the scene. In many cases, you can speed up rendering by enabling the Cache Shadow Maps option.
If the Cache Shadow Maps option is enabled, the shadow maps will be saved the rst time when you
render. The shadow maps will be saved in an ‘Illum’ folder under the name ‘**.c4d.smap’. You’ll nd
the ‘Illum’ folder in the scene’s folder. The ‘Illum’ folder will be created automatically if there isn’t
one already.
If the option is still enabled and you then render the scene from another angle or render a camera
animation, CINEMA 4D will reuse the saved shadow maps. This saves rendering time.
If the option is disabled, CINEMA 4D will recalculate the shadow maps each time you render.
The Cache Shadow Maps option works intelligently. For example, suppose there are three lights in
your scene that are casting soft shadows. You then change the parameters for one of these lights.
CINEMA 4D will recalculate the shadow map for that light to ensure a correct result and will reuse the
cached shadow maps for the two other lights to save rendering time.
The Cache Shadow Maps option should only be used when the light and all
the objects that are illuminated by it are not moving. The option is primarily
intended for use with camera animations.
The Cache Shadow Maps option is mostly useful when the shadow maps take a long time to calculate.
You can tell how long the shadow maps take to calculate by looking at the status bar while CINEMA 4D
renders the scene — the text ‘Rendering Shadow Maps’ will appear in the status bar while CINEMA 4D
is calculating the shadow maps.