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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brodie's picture

Can you change the priority before submitting to Deadline?

It seems to just use the last priority used when you sent a job. Not being able to adjust that before submitting is a bit of an issue for me.

sergo's picture

Good job finding the solution

Good job finding the solution @locb, thanks!

I attached slightly updated version 1.18, it should work with 2023 + Update.

locb's picture

Solution.

I found solution.
You need to open script in text editor and remove big text block from line 5 to line 24. ( all line from /* to */).
And it work like charm.

AttachmentSize
screenshot_2022-08-01_113507.jpg 128.06 KB
krajek1985's picture

Problem in max 2023

I have the same problem as a user locb

"Only my script doesn't work in Max 2023?
Script not load after restart 3d max.
On toolbar i see missing:Sergo Pogosyan...
All other scripts work normal"

locb's picture

Max 2023

Only my script doesn't work in Max 2023?
Script not load after restart 3d max.
On toolbar i see missing:Sergo Pogosyan...
All other scripts work normal

7man's picture

Thanks alot and Need a syntax

Hi,
Great time saver script.
I use %cameraname% but also love to use like %foldername% :)

%foldername%_%cameraname%.jpg
IkeaChair_cam01.jpg

where the max file is inside the IkeaChair folder.

Pankuczy's picture

Memory Frame Buffer OFF + Orthographic

I've noticed a minor bug:
When rendering with Vray Memory Frame Buffer turned off while having orthographic projection for camera turned on in render setup the result is some random zoom out/in and even wrong camera being rendered.
I know it's a very specific setup but it's better to call it anyway. :)
Best regards!

Pankuczy's picture

Locked viewport override problem

Hi,
I love this script, I've been using it for a long time.
I've noticed a small problem though and was wondering if you could add this feature.
So, when you have some viewport locked in Render Setup, then the script renders from that view no matter which camera it's supposed to render.
If you could add a viewport lock check and override that would be awesome. :)
I've attached an image in case it's not clear what I'm refering to.

[EDIT]
I see that there is already that kind of state check and it works properly but only if you start batch rendering while the active/current viewport (with highlighted borders) is the one that is set as locked in Max's Render Setup dialog box. For example: There are four viewports, and in Render Setup the viewport No.2 is set as locked, then starting rendering in Batch Camera Render with any of the other viewports being current (viewports No. 1, 3 or 4) causes this error to occur.
It may be a 3DS Max problem, rather than something wrong with the script.
Tested on 3DS Max 2021.

Best regards!

AttachmentSize
bcr_view_lock.jpg 21.45 KB
locb's picture

%trynum%

Please move the " Render Try Counter %trunum% ", to the Render Output tab.
I use %trunum% all the time, and I often have to manually change its value, and it is in an awkward place (deep inside the "Option" rollout).
I tried moving it myself by moving lines of code inside the script, but it only broke the script.
Maybe it will be useful not only for me.
Or tell me how to transfer it yourself.

sergo's picture

Sorry for late replies

@dead_lyric:
Please make sure you don't have "separate files" checkbox enabled in your Render Setup dialog, Vray section.

@tikox90,
Thanks for kind words!

@simplychenable,
Do you mean Deadline priority setting for each camera? Or for each submission? You could set deadline priority in standard Deadline Submitter dialog in 3ds max and this script will use the same priority. That's kind of a quick workaround.

@Managing Scene,
What do you mean by tyPreview batch? It's animation preview tool as far as I can tell.

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