formZ | Render Options | Image

Owned by Systems Next Limit (Unlicensed)
Last updated: 06 Feb, 2020 by ben (Unlicensed)
3 min read


Image Tab

The options in this tab control the output image format, image tone mapping, and the creation of optional render channels.


General
  • Scale: Scales pixel dimensions of output image by the factor shown here. Useful for creating quick draft renderings at lower resolutions.
  • Render Area Rect: When formZ's Render Area Rectangle is enabled, controls whether the image subregion is rendered at true size (Actual Size) or is blown up to fill the full image frame (Enlarge).

  • Text Overlay: Enables informational text to be superimposed upon the output render. Click on the edit icon to define. For more detail about the available macros, please see Overlay Text.

  • Image Format: The image file format that the Maxwell render will be saved in. The image file format and bits-per-channel (BPC) are selected from the pull-down menus to the right. Not all BPC options are available to all image formats.
Tonemapping

All tonemapping parameters are non-destructive, and can be interactively adjusted during or after rendering in Maxwell.

  • Color Space: Specifies the color space for the rendered image. Available color spaces include sRGB, Adobe RGB 1998, Apple RGB, NTSC, and many others.
  • Temperature: The image White Point (lower K values yield a "cooler" image; higher values "warmer"). See Camera white balance.
  • Burn: Parameter to control the highlights in a render. Lower burn values will decrease the intensity of the highlights to avoid “burned out” areas in the image. In most cases this parameter should be left at default. Lowering it too much may produce unnatural looking images.
  • Monitor Gamma: Maxwell Render internally uses a gamma of 2.2 to convert from spectral space to the RGB color space. This parameter is used to control the gamma conversion. Lower gamma values darken the image, while higher values lighten the image. Note that you can control this parameter interactively while rendering in Maxwell.
  • Sharpness: Enables antialiasing. If an image exhibits moire effects around fine repetitive lines, try enabling with a low the sharpness value.
Channels

These options are used for advanced image compositing. See Channels.

Disabling all options except for ‘Render’ will result in faster renderings.

  • Custom Alphas: Enable all Custom Alpha Channels that have been defined. Click on the edit icon to define.

Custom Alpha Channels

Custom Alpha Channels allows for creating an unlimited number of mask channels for each rendering. Each channel can include a combination of layers, individual objects, and/or materials. Channels defined here may also be used to define regions for Extra Sampling. See Render Options.

Example: In the screen capture above, three additional channels will be created for each rendering. "Custom A" will include all objects on layers Window Frames, Railing, and Concrete, as well as the independent objects Exterior Light 1 and Exterior Light 2, and any objects that have been assigned the material Water.