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Exploring Render Mode

  • Jan 1, 2099
This chapter is from the book

This chapter is from the book

Adobe Dimension CC Classroom in a Book (2019 Release)Adobe Dimension CC Classroom in a Book (2019 Release)

Learn More Buy

This chapter is from the book

This chapter is from the book

Adobe Dimension CC Classroom in a Book (2019 Release)Adobe Dimension CC Classroom in a Book (2019 Release)

Learn More Buy

Render export formats

So far, you’ve been rendering into the PNG format. But you may have noted that you can also choose PSD as an output format. What are the advantages to rendering as a PSD file?

There is no difference in the quality of the rendered image between the two formats. The difference is that the PSD file will contain extra layers and masks that would make it easier to edit the 2D scene later if necessary. You’ll learn about this in more detail in a later lesson. But for now, open the lesson file named Lesson_04_end HIGH-Current View.psd and examine the Layers panel in Photoshop to view the extra data included in a PSD render.

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE RENDER SPEED

The time it takes for Dimension to render a scene can vary significantly from file to file and is influenced by a number of factors. I’ve ranked these factors from most significant (hardware) to least significant (memory).

Hardware

The speed of the CPU (central processing unit) on your computer has a big effect on render speed. Generally speaking, the faster your processor, the quicker rendering will complete. Modern CPUs with more cores and higher speeds will render fastest.

Materials

More than any other factor, the combination of materials used in a scene has a huge impact on the length of time it takes to render the scene. In general, translucent materials like glass, liquids, or gels render more slowly than other materials.

Reflections

Reflections on shiny surfaces slow rendering. This includes objects that are reflected on the shiny surfaces of other objects around them, as well as a ground plane with a Reflection Opacity greater than zero so that models reflect on it.

Focus

The Focus feature, which simulates depth of field—causing some objects to be blurred and others to be crisp—slows rendering times.

Canvas size

The total pixel dimensions of the canvas affects render speed. The more pixels, the slower the render time.

Number and complexity of models

Surprisingly, the complexity and number of models in the scene don’t have a very large effect on render speeds.

Memory

The amount of memory you have installed on your computer has little effect on rendering speeds.

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