RPManager

RPManager
Manage multiple render passes from a single scene file in 3ds Max

This product is download only There are no shipping fees for this product.

RPManager is an extension for discreets 3dsmax 5.1, 3dsmax 6.0 sp1, 3dsmax7, 3dsmax8 and 3dsmax9 (32bit) which makes the task of managing multiple render passes from a single scene file efficient and user-error free.

RPManager Special Offer - First license @ US$200

RPManager is pleased to offer a discounted price for the first license purchased of the Full RPManager product. This is for a single node locked license.

The discounted price is US$200 and is available for the first license only. Additional licenses are available at the standard price.

To purchase this product at the discounted price, please enter the coupon code of 'rpmanager' during checkout.

3dsmax 5's two render presets and 3dsmax 6/7's render preset system and 3dsmax8/9's batch render system only begin to touch the solution for a rendering management system in heavy production environments. Settings generally needed for a complete pass - camera settings, object properties, object visibility, background setup, etc. - need to be manually organized and reset for each render pass.

In common pass-rendered productions, the user will typically either setup a single scene file and manually edit parameters/scene setup to output the desired passes - which is prone to user error - or break the scene out to multiple files - which makes editing a chore and prone to error as the files need to be synchronised after each edit, usually manually. Both these methods take up large amounts of time, especially at the end of a job where many small modifications are often required, and the difficulty and hassle of setup often means users tend to break a scene down into fewer passes than desired for final control in a post processing package.

RPManager overcomes this problem in two ways: firstly it allows unlimited render passes in your scene, and secondly it brings all relevant render parameters into the one interface, controlled and restored by the RPManager engine. The few less used (in a per pass sense) or user custom render parameters not included in the RPManager interface can be controlled through the BeforePass and AfterPass scripts - if you need something done per pass and it is not in the RPManager interface but it is scriptable, then RPManager can still control this on a per-pass basis.

3ds max is an extremely flexible and capable package, and RPManager has been designed to enhanced and complement existing workflows, helping to organize and automate the often taxing task of managing multiple passes. While it replaces much of the standard 3dsmax render dialog RPManager is designed to work with it not separately to it, essential for 3rd party renderers where access may only be through the default render dialog.

RPManager is not just for those managing complex multi-pass setups. If you have ever wanted more than just two render setup slots - the default production and draft - then RPManager can save you time. From still illustration setup - where separately rendered elements make photoshop work much easier - to complex photoreal scenes - where the extra control of breaking your scene into 10+ passes - RPManager has been designed to aid workflow. Multiple cameras rendered to individual passes with a single button click saves time for architectural users. Huge working scene files no longer have to be duplicated for separate pass setup saving disk space and loading time.

Licensing: RPManager requires a license key to operate. This license is tied to the hardwarelockID of a 3dsmax installation, or the computer name where flexlm is used for your 3dsmax licensing.

RPManager Major Features

RPManager's extensive feature list is the result of being developed in a production environment, and has a production-user-driven development path.

• Interactive and Integrated Pass Management system - single click restoration of complete pass setup.
• Unlimited Render Output setups (passes) per 3dsmax scene:
  Each pass supports individual
  · Output Path, Frame Range, Resolution, Options, etc.
  · Camera Assignment
  · Multipass Camera Effect settings
  · Renderer Parameters (including 3rd party renderers)
  · Network submission priorities
  · Render Effects
  · Atmospherics
  · Background Color, Background Map and enabled state, Ambient Light
  · Network Submission Priorities
• Visibility Set System - build and manage object visibility sets for use with RPManager, assigned on a per pass basis, with tools for quickly adding/removing/redefining visibility sets. Objects can be members of multiple sets.
• Object properties per pass, includes Capture Sets with Material Override per pass. Properties include all standard object/light/camera properties ie material, visible to camera, light multiplier, etc (82 default properties supported). as well as support for 3rd party object properties if maxscript access exists. Ability to enter manual properties to support advanced features like Custom Attribute values per pass (value and color supported - baseobject custom attributes).
• Render Parameter Warning System - Configurable, warns for:
  missing output path, duplicate output path, unusual frame ranges (Nth frame, single frames, <5 frames, skip existing on), mixed frame ranges, non-black or almost black background, animated background/ambient color, mixed output sizes, Visibility Set assignment potential problems, pass suspended, among others.
• 3rd-Party Renderer support - tested and has specific support for Brazil, Vray, MentalRay and FinalRender Stage1. Other renderers should work fine, but with no custom RPM renderer rollout (uses the main max render dialog for parameter editing).

• 3rd-Party Renderer, multiple pass parameter editing - where MXS access is available, this is a custom rollout exposing a number of the renderer's parameters to allow editing multiple passes renderer parameters simultaneously. Parameters not in this rollout can be edited in the standard rendering dialog on a pass by pass basis

• 3rd-Party Network Rendering Manager support - in addtion to Discreets Backburner you can submit jobs to Deadline (Frantic Films software), Rush (Seriss), or Smedge2 (Uberware).

• Before/After pass scripts - to take care of any custom or special parameters on a per-pass basis, or to perform any scripted function.

• Xrefs Scene settings per pass - includes material override for xref scenes and alternate paths per pass. Material override has proved to be extremely useful in production.
   
• Xrefs Scene Deferred Loading - xrefs are disabled in the working scene to speed opening and interactivity, and are enabled only by the netrendering server when the scene is opened to render, so the user need never wait for heavy xrefs to load.

• Preview override system for efficient preview renders with select rendering options disabled, ie camera multipass effect off, lower resolution frame, advanced lighting off, shadows off, AntiAliasing off, (optional) visual indicator of preview mode rendered in the image. Overrides for 3rd Party Renderers such as Brazil and Vray include GI disable, reduced GI rate, DOF disable, motionblur disable, AA rate, shadows disable, among others. Network or local render output can optionally use these settings for rendering preview sequences.

• Preview History: user configurable number of history items (rendered preview frames) and location for preview history. Preview frames can include optional info stamp - scene name, time/date, render time.

Additional Features

· Render Elements Per Pass. The full RE setup is stored and restored, and can be saved/restored for reusing setups. Includes a render element output path inspector. WHERE SUPPORTED BY RENDERER. If the renderer you are using does not support render elements, then RPM cannot make this available.

· Streamlined network submission of all passes - can be a single click for all passes.

· Auto Output Path generation with customisable output path construction.

· Optionally sets active time range to the passes output frame range for improved visual feedback.

· Output path inspector for viewing all output paths simultaneously, and editing of paths.

· RLA/RPF channels and output parameters storing/restoring per pass (recompiled rla.bmi, R5)

· Viewport/Render Scene Parameters restoration independant for streamlined workflow.

· External Ascii Data for editing output and some scene parameters external to 3dsmax and your scene, can be auto loaded on scene open.

· Network Manager controls for submitting to selected servers on a per pass basis, custom local server groups and the ability to import and use the Managers Global Groups.

· Scanline Radiosity setup per pass (ie lighttracer or radiosity state and settings)
· Default Raytracer settings per pass.

· Global Notes/Notes per pass for recording and describing setup - auto creation time stamped.

· Interface driven by tab system which allows multiple tab selections, tab presets, tab preset management tools, and the abiliity to lock the tab selection.

· Export/Import partial setup parameters (common parameters, pass names, render effects/atmospherics, some renderer parameters)

· Ramplay a rendered sequence or view current times rendered frame from an easily accessible RC menu.

· Basic integration with Iridas FrameCycler for loading rendered sequences from a RC menu.

· Copy rendered frames to a specified directory from within the interface, or easily 'Explore' the directory containing your frames from a RC menu saving directory navigation time.

· Always warns if non-full frame rendering is specified on render submit - region, selected etc - avoiding incorrect rendered images.

· Auto creation of directories as needed when paths manually typed in rather than using the image browser.

· Callback Script control to automatically add callbacks to network submissions on a per pass basis
- ie to do operations that only needs to be performed before a render by the render slave, such as having high resolution xref scenes swapped into the scene.

· Network Managers per pass, with stored list of managers for quick retrieval for studios with multiple or moving managers.

· Automatically build Digital Fusion/Combustion/AfterEffects 'seed' flows based on your passes.
· Quick Compositor for previewing your passes composited together and save time jumping from app to app.

· Integration with max Layers - use them as visibility or capture sets.

· Tabbed interface which allows multiple tabs to be selected an once, tab selection presets can be saved.

· Dockable.