This tab of the Render Settings holds the common options for rendering.
Image File Output
File Name Prefix - this is a Maya specific field which allows you to add prefixes to the file name of the rendered image. For example scene name, layer name, camera name etc.
Image Format - allows you to specify the file format in which the image(s) will be saved
Don't save image - when this option is enabled the final image will not be saved automatically . This option is ignored during batch rendering
Output alpha channel to a separate file - when checked the alpha channel of the rendered image will be saved to a separate file.
Image format options - allows you to specify options for the currently selected Image Format. See the Image format options section for more details.
Render element separator - when rendering an image with render elements each render element will be saved in a separate file (except when saving in either .vrimg or .exr files) with the name of the render element added to the original file name . This option allows you to chose the separator that is going to be used between the file name and the name of the render element.
Animation - enables or disables the rendering of animation
Render animation only in batch mode - when this option is selected the animation will be rendered only when rendering in batchmode.
Start Frame - specifies the first frame of the animation
End Frame - specifies the last frame of the animation
By Frame - The increment between the frames you want to render. The default value is 1
Frame Padding - The number of digits in frame number extensions. For example, if the file name is set top name, and Frame Padding is 3, Maya names rendered image files name.001, name002 and so on.
Run from current time to animation start - V-Ray will render all frames starting from the animation start to the current frame
Run from animation end to current time - V-Ray will render all frames from the current frame to the end of the animations
Baking engine - allows you to select the baking engine.
None - nothing will be exported
Texture Baking - a texture will be backed for the selected object
Spherical harmonics - spherical harmonics will be exported. The options for the export can be brough out by clicking on the button.
Bake channel - select the baking channel
Edge padding(dilation) - the number of pixels to expand around geometry
Batch render camera - allows you to select tha camera that is going to be used for batch rendering
Spherical harmonics options - brings out the options for the Spherical harmonics.
Image format options
This dialog allows you to choose additional options for the selected output image format.
PNG options
Compression level - allows you to choose compression level for the resulting file. Lower values mean less compression and larger file size. Higher values mean better compression and smaller file sizes. Note that PNG files use a lossless compression, so the resulting image quality is not affected.
Bits per channel - the number of bits for each of the PNG channels (red, green, blue, alpha).
OpenEXR options
Compression type - allows you to choose the compression type for the output file.
Bits per channel - allows you to choose between 16-bit (half float) and 32-bit (full float) precision.
Extra attributes - allows you to specify additional attributes for the OpenEXR file. These are of the format attr1=val1;attr2=attr2;... where the values can be either integer or floating-point numbers, of lists of numbers in brackets representing vectors, matrices etc. For example
int_attr=53;float_attr=3.14;vec4_attr=(1, 2, 3, 4)
JPEG options
Quality - allows you to choose the desired JPEG output quality. Lower values represent smaller file size and worse quality; higher values represent larger file size and better image quality.
Resolution
Presets - allows you to select from several resolution presets
Maintain Height/Width Ratio - when checked changing either the Width or the Height will automatically change the other parameter in order to keep the resolution ratio
Width - specifies the width of the rendered image in pixels
Height - specifies the height of the rendered image in pixels
Device Aspect Ratio - allows you to set a Device aspec ration
Pixel Aspect Ratio - specifies the pixel aspect ratio
Convert image to sRGB for RenderView - when checked V-Ray will automatically convert the image to the sRGB color space in the preview window
Use V-Ray VFB - when this option is checked V-Ray will render the image in the V-Ray VFB
- this button brings out the V-Ray VFB.
MEL/Python callbacks
This part of the V-Ray Common settings allows you to attach different MEL scripts that will be executed at certain points during the rendering process.
Pre Render MEL - the specific MEL script will be exectued before the rendering takes place.
Post Render MEL - the specific MEL script will be executed after the rendering takes place.
Pre Render Layer MEL - the specific MEL script will be executed before rendering each Render Layer.
Post Render Layer MEL - the specific MEL script will be executed after rendering each Render Layer.
Pre Render Frame MEL - the specific MEL script will be executed before rendering each Frame.
Post Render Frame MEL - the specific MEL script will be executed after rendering each Frame.
RT Image Ready MEL - the specific MEL script is executed when V-Ray RT completes an image (either by reaching the maximum allowed render time, or the specified number of samples per pixel).
Post Translate Python Script - the specific Python script is executed after the Maya scene is translated for V-Ray, but before any rendering occurs. See the the V-Ray Scene Access page for more details.