Batch Camera Render

272 votes
Version: 
1.18
Date Updated: 
08/03/2022
Author Name: 
Sergo Pogosyan

This script aims to replace standard 3dsmax's Batch Render and imitates Houdini Output Node workflow. Using it you can specify rendering parameters - frame size, frame number, output path - directly to camera object, so every camera in scene 'knows' what it intended to render. Additional functionality is Lighting Assignment - you can specify which light will be turn on or off for selected camera during the rendering.

1.18:

  • Support for 3ds max 2023 Update fixed

1.17:

  • Corona and Vray Sun inside Daylight System fixed (thanks to busseynova for reporting)

1.16:

  • CoronaSun supported inside Daylight System

1.15:

  • Don't Save Render Elements Checkbox (Thanks to antomor)
  • Limited support for camera objects in xref scene files (Only root objects in first level xrefs. Cameras in nested xrefs not supported)

1.13 Bugfix:

  • Deadline submission should work now

1.12 New Feature:

  • Deadline support.
    Very basic imlementation, it allows you to submit your jobs on a deadline server. Enter deadline repository address and check "Use Deadline" checkbox. Other checkbox doesn't matter in this case ("Net render", "Show Submit Dialog").
    Probably it requires Deadline 3ds max Submitter installed. I didn't have a chance to check it on a clean machine.

1.11 Features and fixes:

  • State sets support added
  • "projectname" keyword added which resolves to project's folder name
  • other fixes and improvements

1.10.3b Fixes:

  • Crash when vray ir/lcache maps are set to auto-save
  • Region render was not set properly during the rendering

This is major update of the script, so it may not be as stable as before. Backup scenes or cameras at least before running this version. More information can be found here - 1.10b Multiple presets for each camera

Previous updates:

1.10.2b Fixes:

  • Problems with render elements paths
  • Copy/paste of render region settings
  • Properly convert render region values when change resolution

New features:

  • Multiple presets for each camera
  • New keyword %presetname% to support multiple presets
  • Distributed rendering checkbox added to vray common settings
  • Bugfix - Net render not starting after cancelling during local rendering.
  • Improved performance with scenes with lots of cameras
  • Added support of Vray RT as a production renderer
  • Added support of using MFRender script to render scenes through BatchCamera script.
  • Bugfix - Error was popping up sometimes during drag-n-drop
  • Bugfix - Render elements didn't render in certain conditions
  • Bugfix - Pre-render/post-render scripts didn't work on network rendering
  • Bugfix - Select All and Toggle All buttons didn't work properly

Here are some details: http://usakhelo.github.io/batchcam/batchcam-1.9.20.html

Script's website - http://usakhelo.github.io/batchcam/

Github - https://github.com/usakhelo/batchcam

2015 Updates

  • Region render parameter can be specified for each camera
  • Set Viewport button sets viewport camera and resolution and aspect as well
  • It is possible now to specify backburner servers and server groups for silent rendering submit (code editing required)
  • Vray Elements fixed for Vray 3 and Vray output saving with VFB color correction
  • Cancelling of rendering of multiple cameras at once,
  • Hierarchical ini files

2013 Updates

  • Drag-n-drop of cameras in list
  • Camera list window size can be changed (script restart required)
  • When committing region render it is possible to switch to view render without restarting the render
  • Keyword syntax can be used in Scene State names - thanks to Stefan Runevik for suggestion

2011 Updates

  • Preview button added - renders only current frame without saving anything - no images, no vray maps, no scripts running, no elements.
  • Ortho mode added to Vray rollout - it turns any camera to orthographic, including Vray Physical camera.
  • Copy/Paste from one camera to one/several cameras - use new buttons at the top of the window.
  • Submit Scripts section - you can assign script files that will run on each render submit. Per Submit script runs once per render submit and Per Camera script runs for each camera before submit. All these scripts run on local machine, not on render server.
  • Last Rendered Location field - here is stored last render file location. Very useful for locating last-time rendered images.
Additional Info: 

Installation:

Run this script with Maxscript -> Run Script command from any folder on your hard drive, then go to the *'Customize User Interface' -> 'Toolbars'*, browse to category 'Sergo Pogosyan' and add 'Render scene cameras...' button to the toolbar or to the menu.

Usage:

When you start this script it iterate over all cameras in scene and list them in the dialog box. To each of these cameras you can assign frame resolution, number of frames to render including nonsequential frames, output file location and lighting setup. All these properties can be changed for one or several selected cameras. Output file location is split to folder path and file name, so you can specify new folder for all selected cameras in scene. 'Lighting assignement' section contains three list: Solo light list contains lights that will be only lights turned on during the rendering, 'Forced On' and 'Forced Off' lights are turned on or off respectively during the rendering. After all these setting will be set up (if some properties is not set value from the Render Setup will be used), check the camera(s) in the list and hit Render button. Check Net Render checkbox to submit network render job.

Supported lights: All bundled 3ds max lights, all Vray Lights
Supported cameras: All bundled 3ds max cameras, Vray PhysicalCamera

Version Requirement: 
3ds max 2008-202x
AttachmentSize
batchcamerarender_1.17.ms245.88 KB
batchcamerarender_1.18.ms245.92 KB

Comments

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Dariusz's picture

Can it use camera name?

Hey

Can this script use camera name and prefix? - it can. Amazing piece of code!!! THANK YOU!

Regards
Dariusz

happydaydreamer's picture

State set

Maybe I misunderstand you, but the scene states and state sets are two different things.
Try to make two different scene states (not state sets) and see if that works.

Best regards,
Morten

pixelab's picture

I made some tests and I

I made some tests and I can't, so I guess it's linked to my file. Will retry more and let you know

sergo's picture

Can you reproduce the error?

I could not model the case to make that string in the script to fail. Is the crash random or it happens all the time?

pixelab's picture

unknnow system exception

I got this error, and it points to line 1123 when I try to submit 10 render to backburner

1123 render_servers = batchManager.GetServers()

Also, the "custom keyword and name" is a bit confusing, is there where you put backbuner job name ? syntax is like file names ? %cmameraname% will work ?

To get the alpha with the render, should I use max render elements, or will it work with VRAy ?

You should do a FAQ on your site, and a donate button :)

mali's picture

Thanks!

Oh man, I feel silly now. I never thought of doing it like that :D Thanks a lot for the tip!

sergo's picture

need to check state sets

@Angrymodeler, @koltscho - I need some time to learn how to use state sets. If they work in the way old-style scene states work then it will be possible to add them.

@mali - 1) If I understand correctly you can just select all the presets and change the path for all of them.
2) FOV parameter adding is possible, but requires some time. Let's see if any more people request it.

Gracepoint's picture

Waiting for 3Ds max 2017

Waiting for 3Ds max 2017 version.

mali's picture

A couple questions

1) Would it be possible to change the output for all cameras at once? For example, I have 15 cameras and want to save all renders in one folder, tomorrow after doing some revisions I want to save them all in another folder. So I have to do this 15 times each day (First world problems, I know :D

2) Would it be possible to add vray camera type and FOV override (found in the render settings) per camera? For example, I have 15 regular views and 1 panorama view which I set to spherical type with 360 FOV.

Thanks!

koltscho's picture

scene states - Max 2017

Hi Sergo,
great script. But I have a problem. I am using max 2017 and I can't set my scene states. When I click the scene state rollout I don't see any states (doesn't work in max 2017 batch render either). I know your version requirement says: 3ds max 2008-2016. 32-bit and 64-bit. But can you tell if there is going to be a version for max 2017?

AttachmentSize
states_error.jpg 140.34 KB

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