Rendering Setups

Rendering, particularly of complex models, can be time consuming. Various rendering settings can have a major impact on rendering times. For initial working images, coarse settings can be used, to produce images quickly. For final images, however, you must remember to adjust the settings to improve the quality. The Rendering Setups dialog box streamlines these procedures.

MicroStation's Rendering Setup dialog box lets you create rendering setups and save them with the design file. You can create multiple setups that cover different rendering scenarios, such as:

• Working setup — with coarse settings, useful for initial rendering to check the placement of lights and materials.

• Check setup — with finer settings to give a near final quality image for last minute checking.

• Final setup — with all settings chosen to produce the final high quality, photo-realistic rendered image.

To load the settings relative to the current requirements you select the appropriate Setup Name, from an option menu.

Setup files also can be exported to an external file. This same setup file then can be imported into a new design file, and saved with it. Thus, you need to go through the initial setting up process once only.

To create a rendering settings setup

1. From the Settings menu's Rendering submenu, choose Setup.
   The Rendering Setup dialog box opens.


2. Using controls in the dialog box, define settings as required.


3. Click the Save As… button.
   The Save Setup As dialog box opens.


4. In the Name field, key in a filename.


5. Click the OK button.
   The dialog box closes and the new settings filename appears in the Setup Name option menu.



Using the above method, you can create several rendering setups. To change from one setup to the other you choose the required setup from the Setup Name option menu.

To export a rendering settings setup file

1. From the Setup Name option menu, choose the setup to export.


2. From the Rendering Setup dialog box's File menu, choose Export Setup File.
   The Export Setup File dialog box opens.


3. In the Files field, key in a name for the settings file.


4. Click the OK button.
   The file is saved to disk and the dialog box closes.

   Where a setup file is required for other design files, you must first export it, in this way, to an external file.

To import a rendering settings setup file

1. From the Rendering Setup dialog box's File menu, choose Import Setup File.
   The Import Setup File dialog box opens.


2. If necessary, select the directory where the required file is stored.


3. Select the required file from the list.


4. Click the OK button.
   The Import Setup File dialog box closes and the Import Setup As dialog box opens. This lets you name the rendering setup for the current design file.


5. Enter a name for the imported rendering setup.


6. Click the OK button.
   The dialog box closes and the imported settings are loaded with the chosen setup name displayed in the Setup Name option menu.