Exporting render options

Almost all the render parameters can be passed to the render as command line options as well. It is mandatory that the plug-in provides a command line text field to let the user add additional render options. In this way, it is not needed to update the plug-in each time a new parameter is added, and in addition other useful flags can be passed to the render.

Paths

Paths are specified through the setPath() function:

void Cmaxwell::setPath(
                         const char* type,     // path type
                         const char* path,     // path name
                         byte& outputBitDepth  // Bit depth per plane
                      (

outputBitDepth specifies the bits depth per plane (8,16,32). This parameter is passed by reference so if the current format does not support the given depth, the SDK tries to change it automatically.
type must be one of the following values: "RENDER", "ALPHA", "SHADOW", "OBJECT", "MATERIAL", "MOTION", "Z", "ROUGHNESS", "FRESNEL".

Example:

byte depth = 32;
byte ok;
ok = setPath ("RENDER", "C:\\maxwell\\house.exr", 32);  //Correct, EXR format supports 32 bbp.
ok = setPath ("RENDER", "C:\\maxwell\\house.jpg", 16);  //Incorrect, JPG does support 16 bbp so it will be changed to 8 bpp internally.

Additional paths used for searching textures and other dependencies can be specified through:

byte addSearchingPath( const char *pPath );

Render parameters

Global settings of Maxwell Render are set using the function:

byte Cmaxwell::setRenderParameter(
                                   const char* parameterName, // parameter name
                                   dword size, // parameter size
                                   void* parameterData // parameter data
                                 );

Parameters description

Paths

Name	Type	Default	Description
MXI FULLNAME	char		Path of the MXI output file
"DO NOT SAVE MXI FILE"	byte	0	0: Save the MXI file 1: Do not save MXI file
"DO NOT SAVE IMAGE FILE"	byte	0	0: Save the image file 1: Do not save image file
SAVE LIGHTS IN SEPARATE FILES	byte	0	0: Save all the lights embedded it the same 1: Embed all in the same file if the format supports it

Render parameters

Name	Type	Default	Description
STOP TIME	dword	120	Maximum render time in minutes
SAMPLING LEVEL	float	25	Maximum sampling level
NUM THREADS	dword	0	0:(Automatic) Number of threads
ID CPU	dword		Seed used in the render
USE MULTILIGHT	byte	0	Enable MultiLight
DO MOTION BLUR	byte	1	Motion blur on/off
DO DISPLACEMENT	byte	1	Displacement on/off
DO DISPERSION	byte	1	Dispersion on/off

Simulens

Name	Type	Default	Description
DO VIGNETTING	byte	1	Vignetting on/off
VIGNETTING	real	1	Vignetting value
DO SCATTERING LENS	byte	1	Scattering on/off
SCATTERING LENS	real	1	Scattering value

Channels

Name	Type	Default	Description
DO IDOBJECT CHANNEL	byte	0	Do Object ID channel
DO IDMATERIAL CHANNEL	byte	0	Do Material ID channel
DO SHADOW PASS CHANNEL	byte	0	Do Shadow pass channel
DO RENDER CHANNEL	byte	1	Do render channel
DO ALPHA CHANNEL	byte	0	Do alpha channel
OPAQUE ALPHA	byte	0	Do alpha opaque
DO MOTION CHANNEL	byte	0	Do motion channel
DO ROUGHNESS CHANNEL	byte	0	Do roughness channel
DO FRESNEL CHANNEL	byte	0	Do fresnel channel
DO ZBUFFER CHANNEL	byte	0	Do Zbuffer channel
ZBUFFER RANGE	2*real / -a, +b		Set the zbuffer range using two values (a) and (b) which are negative and positive distances (-a, +b) from a reference location centered on the focalpoints.
EMBED CHANNELS	byte	0	Save channels in separate files. 1: Embed them in the same image if the format supports it

Layers

Name	Type	Default	Description
DO DIRECT LAYER	byte	1	Calculate direct layer
DO INDIRECT LAYER	byte	1	Calculate indirect layer
DO DIRECT REFLECTION CAUSTIC LAYER	byte	1	Calculate direct reflection caustic layer
DO DIRECT REFRACTION CAUSTIC LAYER	byte	1	Calculate direct refraction caustic layer
DO INDIRECT REFLECTION CAUSTIC LAYER	byte	1	Calculate indirect reflection caustic layer
DO INDIRECT REFRACTION CAUSTIC LAYER	byte	1	Calculate indirect refraction caustic layer

Tonemapping

Tonemapping used for converting from 32 bits high dynamic range to depths displayable by screen devices (typically 8 bits) is set through the function:

byte Cmaxwell::setToneMapping(
                               real monitorGamma, // monitor gamma (2.2)
                               real burn // burn (0.5)
                             );