Rendering Animations

Realsoft Graphics Oy		Rendering Animations
	Chapter 9. Animations

Depending on your output requirements, there are many possible ways to render a scene. Realsoft 3D supports a variety of rendering options, including field rendering and motion blur, in addition to the various types of rendering that can be achieved, such as ray tracing, scanline, and outline.

Field rendering

Field rendering is activated from the Animation Settings window by clicking the Field Rendering check box in the Field R tab.

When the 'Field Rendering' option is checked, you get a field controller in the animation window that controls the current field.

Click the check box in the Animation Settings window

In some cases you may have to control how the fields are rendered and how they are interlaced with each other. The animation settings window contains two controls for this.

Field rendering activated, the Field control appears in the animation window

The first option, 'Shift latter field up', defines whether the latter samples are taken above or below the samples in the former field.

The second check box can be used for defining how the samples are combined.

Even and odd fields on the left. The combined frame on the right.

Motion blur

Motion blur is a rendering effect that makes objects appear to be moving rapidly through the camera's field of view. If you have ever taken a photograph of a moving car at highway speed, you have probably seen the effect.

Animation Controls

Motion Blur is activated from the animation settings window by clicking the check box.

The 'Samples' field allows you to define the number of samples per frame (or field). The higher the value, the better the quality of the motion blur.

Motion blur activated

When motion blur is activated, a new control for samples is added to the animation window.

Using this field, you can go to and render any of the samples in the current frame.

The Sample field shows the current motion sample

When both motion blur and field rendering are activated, each intermediate image is addressed as follows:

Minute/Second/Frame/Field/Sample

In other words, every field consists of one or more samples. Every frame consists of one or two fields.

Rendering Settings

When rendering motion blur animations, it is best to use Stochastic anti-aliasing (defined in the rendering settings) with the antialiasing level set to its minimum value. Stochastic antialiasing operates over time and antialiases frames well even when using the lowest antialiasing level.

Use Stochastic anti-aliasing method with motion blur

Typically 9 is a reasonable amount of motion samples when rendering animation. Because of the stochastic antialiasing method, the rendering time is, fortunately, not 9 times longer but much less depending on the scene.

A motion blurred image showing a red spinning fan. The fan casts blurred shadows on the floor.

Previewing motion blur using OpenGL

You can use OpenGL to preview field rendering and motion blur animations. To achieve that, make sure OpenGL is enabled on and activate the View Property Window / Render Tab/ Animation Preview / Combine Sub Frames option before starting the preview playback.

OpenGL rendered moving texture mapped sphere


Texture Morphing		Skeletons