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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MrDorian's picture

Deadline

Hello guys! First of all, thank you for the script!

Quick question, when I send cameras to deadline, each camera picks one random node in deadline, is there a way to select how many nodes I can use for rendering?

This might be a deadline question, but maybe someone here knows and can help me.

Cheers!

sergo's picture

Hi Thinktank, What I think I

Hi Thinktank,
What I think I can do is to add a special line where you put little maxscripts and that way you can control anything per camera, any vray or camera setting.
It's been on my list for quite some time but I kept getting distracted.

Actually there's already a way to do it - via per-camera maxscripts section. You just need to save your commands into script file. It's not very convenient but still can help if you really need it.

THINKTANK's picture

Vray Next

I can confirm the script works with Vray Next, i continue to add several hundred cameras to deadline with no problems!

Would be great to add camera override settings in Batch camera so I could set the camera to render as a spherical image for example - currently trying to do this does not work for me.

Another thing would be great to control multiple physical camera settings in terms of Focal Length, is this possible? I seriously think this is the best script available for controlling large quantities of cameras, honestly would be lost without it and Chaos Group / Autodesk should buy it up!!!

THINKTANK's picture

Vray Next

Hi Sergo! I have not tested or installed Vray next yet but I wondered if Batch render will work / support Vray next?

thanks!
A

sergo's picture

Possible support of Corona lights soon

I'll try to add support for Corona lights soon

Waseem3D's picture

Does this tool work for exr files?

Does this tool work for saving exr files?

TSchmiesing's picture

Hi Sergo, I love your script

Hi Sergo,

I love your script but haven't been able to use it when working with Corona. Are the errors I am receiving on my side or should I not be using the script when using Corona? h

ttps://pasteboard.co/I3hopO8.jpg

amir3dsmax's picture

solution for your problem

i have solution for your problem . you can email me if you want .

sergo's picture

Hi Thinktank, This should be

Hi Thinktank,

This should be fixed I agree. I'm not sure when. I was thinking about setting up Patreon or something, but I'm not sure about that either.

THINKTANK's picture

Camera Batch

Hi Sergo, I hope you are well?

I use your script daily and is very useful for me, I am willing to donate some money to you if you can potentially fix something for me?

I have 150+ cameras that are being sent to Deadline, for some reason every time it sends a camera to Deadline it will 'save', this is very annoying and takes agessss to send all camera jobs. is there a way to stop the save every time it sends a job?

thank you!
A

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