Plugin for Octane Render

[DRAWINGTANK]

Hi Andrew I just discovered this software it looks amazing, unbiased, physically accurate real time render and only 99 euros WOW !

3DC & Octane would be a perfect combination with no need to export the models to render in another app.

Please take a look

http://www.refractivesoftware.com/features.html

Real-time User Interface

Octane Render provides a true WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) rendering environment that allows the user to focus on creating stunning images without bouncing back and forth between a modeling view and then waiting for a render to complete.

The viewport on the screen IS the final render. Any changes to the scene are instantly updated on the screen allowing the user to tweak any setting and know immediately how the result looks.

Full Spectral/Unbiased Quality

Octane Render is a fully physically based, unbiased render engine. It cuts no corners and all computations are done at the same accuracy as traditional CPU unbiased render engines.

Octane Render simulates light not as RGB colors but as an electromagnetic wave. Since it is based on the physics of light, it captures all light interactions in the scene just as in reality. It does it in minutes instead of hours as with traditional CPU based render engines.

Alternatively, users who want an even faster rendering experience can use Direct Lighting / Ambient Occlusion modes in Octane Render to produce traditional ray traced renders in seconds.

True GPU Based, Not Accelerated, Not Hybrid

Octane Render uses the untapped muscle of the modern GPU compared to traditional, CPU based engines.

With current GPU technology, Octane Render can produce final images 10 to 50 times faster than CPU unbiased render engines, or even more with multiple GPUs (depending on the GPU(s) used)

Octane Render is a true GPU based engine, not a hybrid CPU/GPU, nor a CPU based engine that was modified with GPU acceleration. Since a CPU adds a negligible speedup (1/10th to 1/50th) to the total rendering speed, having your CPU free for other tasks while rendering with Octane Render allows you to use your system for other tasks while rendering.

Octane Render was developed from the ground up to run on a GPU, making it much faster than traditional engines that have been updated with GPU acceleration.

First to Market, at a Realistic Price

Refractive Software was the first company to release a GPU based spectral / physically based render engine to the public, setting a new trend in the market and pioneering many new concepts in interactive physically based rendering.

We decided to adopt a pricing scheme that would enable everyone to switch to GPU based rendering and as a result Octane Render is one of the most affordable and popular interactive render engines on the market while keeping the lead in development.

Real-time, Accurate Materials

Fine-tuning materials in Octane render allows the user to focus on results without guessing on what the final appearance will be.

Adjust the bump depth and know that it's the right level without having to wait for a render to be sure.

Scale image textures, adjust the index or refraction, tweak the specularity: It's all updated in real-time which allows the user to quickly set-up their materials with confidence.

Since Octane Render utilizes physically correct reflection models (BRDFs), you know that the results are accurate and realistic.

Built-in Animation, The Easy Way

Octane Render has built-in turntable and daylight simulation animation with true physically correct motion blur.

Product designers or architects can render turntable animations or full daylight cycle animations at the click of a button straight from the Octane Render user interface.

No complicated animation keying, exporting, intermediate files, batch scripting, or other complex and time consuming processes are needed. Just configure your required duration, frame rate, options and hit the render button. Your scene stays in your GPU memory so no re-computation is required to render the next frame after the current one.

Alternatively, Full animations can be exported and rendered with Octane Render with plug-in scripts available for various 3D modeling/animation packages as explained in the next chapter..

Or Integrate, The Flexible Way

Octane Render (Commercial Version) includes free plugins for:

Autodesk 3D Studio Max

Autodesk Maya

Autodesk Softimage XSI

Blender

Maxon Cinema 4D, Sketchup and modo are in development and will be available soon.

Octane Render Plugins allow for complete integration for single frame or automatic animation rendering.

Further more, the workflow for the plugins allows you to edit your materials and lighting in Octane Render in real-time, instead of having to use the traditional and tedious workflow of editing materials in your host application plugin, and then export and await the results.

Once your scene is configured in Octane Render's User Interface, you can re-render a new frame or animation using the plugin, keeping your Octane Render settings intact.

Compatibility and Integration without plugins

Octane Render is not tied to just a few modeling packages but instead utilizes common scene formats.

This allows users from just about every modeling package to use Octane Render, even when no plugin is available, using the Wavefront OBJ file format and Collada**.

Octane Render is also available for the big three operating systems as well (MS Windows© XP/Vista/7, GNU/Linux© and Apple Mac OS X© 10.5 and 10.6) so that users don't need to worry about multi-boot environments just to enjoy the power of GPU based rendering.

One Octane Render license can also be shared between multiple Operating Systems running on the same machine.

Flexible Node Graph.

Since everything in Octane Render is represented by Nodes, complex scene and material settings are possible allowing advanced control of your scene.

The Nodes can also be bundled as "macros" which allows them to be shared between users or reused in other scenes.

However, Octane Render does not require the user to use the nodes, and allows for interacting with every aspect of the scene and materials simply by picking materials off the rendered image and fine tuning parameters in the node inspector window.

Lights

Just as in photography, the lighting of the scene is crucial. Whether it's using an HDRI file, mesh emitters** or a sun/sky system, lighting in Octane Render allows for complete control.

Adjust the position of the sun to perfectly place the shadows in a room, not by guessing, but by fine tuning the lighting in real-time with direct visual feedback. Control the daylight system with calendar and global position parameters also.

Rotate an HDRI file to position it to compliment your scene in seconds. Adjust the powers of lights and see the results immediately.

Real-time Tone Mapping

Tone mapping in Octane Render is also performed in real-time using the power of the GPU.

This allows for smooth tuning of the tone mapping settings of the final render. Adjust vignetting in real-time along with f-stop and other realistic camera controls.

The inclusion of over 50 camera response curves allows the user to quickly tone map the image with measured camera data and enjoy even more photo-realism in their renders.

[falcon76]

YES! +1 for me.

[AbnRanger]

This might be a great promotional item to use at Siggraph. Perhaps Andrew could get with the developer, where he could bundle it with a seat of 3D Coat...as they are both CUDA enabled. I'm thinking, as the price of Octane was on promotion recently for about $50, perhaps Andrew could work out an arrangement with them. I would consider offering 3DC at a $50 discount (as offered during the trial period), or having the choice of Octane Renderer included.

[Garrick]

All the other packages you quoted does have animation time lines.

What type of plug-in would you need?

Why not just export your Obj with texture maps and enjoy?

[falcon76]

All the other packages you quoted does have animation time lines.

What type of plug-in would you need?

Why not just export your Obj with texture maps and enjoy?

Hey man for sure we already do it!

But why not have something similar to the external editor for 2D? Have you tryed it? Don't you find useful? It should be nothing more than an exporter for the camera, the object and the maps....

[Garrick]

Hey man for sure we already do it!

But why not have something similar to the external editor for 2D? Have you tryed it? Don't you find useful? It should be nothing more than an exporter for the camera, the object and the maps....

Yes I own Octane and 3D Coat.

But I am a little confused here, does 3d Coat have a time line?

As for matching your camera no need to, doing this by hand would help you and the developer till he decides to add a time line to 3d coat.

Btw, you can already import meshes (obj) with textures.

[AbnRanger]

I think the angle that the OP meant was that Octane would be a heck of a compliment to 3DC, for stills...and if animation was needed, heck, you have all the major applications (there are some plugins/scripts available to render animations from them), and then Blender.

[DRAWINGTANK]

I think the angle that the OP meant was that Octane would be a heck of a compliment to 3DC, for stills...and if animation was needed, heck, you have all the major applications (there are some plugins/scripts available to render animations from them), and then Blender.

or better yet...... I feel inspired today

How about a " Real Time render " similar to Octane inside 3DC !

PS: has Andrew done any improvements on the render side of 3DC lately ?

[Taros]

or better yet...... I feel inspired today

How about a " Real Time render " similar to Octane inside 3DC !

PS: has Andrew done any improvements on the render side of 3DC lately ?

Very nice idea. It should be done as soon as 3DC is empty of all known bugs and have a status, that please 90% of the users.

Come on guys, 3DC is a texturing and sculpting solution, neither a renderer nor a modeling tool. This is my opinion.

If someone like to have a plugin or an interface to octane, why not code it by yourself or ask a programmer to do it. Everyone is free to produce his own add ons. What I want to say: There are sooo many tasks to do, right now and a renderer or such things is a thing that cannot be coded in some days. And why in 3DC? It is not just a renderer, you need a good metarial editor and so on. No guys, I think 3DC don't needs an own renderer, it needs improvements in the current functionality.

[AbnRanger]

Very nice idea. It should be done as soon as 3DC is empty of all known bugs and have a status, that please 90% of the users.

Come on guys, 3DC is a texturing and sculpting solution, neither a renderer nor a modeling tool. This is my opinion.

If someone like to have a plugin or an interface to octane, why not code it by yourself or ask a programmer to do it. Everyone is free to produce his own add ons. What I want to say: There are sooo many tasks to do, right now and a renderer or such things is a thing that cannot be coded in some days. And why in 3DC? It is not just a renderer, you need a good metarial editor and so on. No guys, I think 3DC don't needs an own renderer, it needs improvements in the current functionality.

+1...Octane is a great companion to 3DC if you need more from the built in render in 3DC...and by the way, it is realtime (Andrew added that several months ago). Refining what he already has in the toolset is what I would rather see.

[DRAWINGTANK]

+1...Octane is a great companion to 3DC if you need more from the built in render in 3DC...and by the way, it is realtime (Andrew added that several months ago). Refining what he already has in the toolset is what I would rather see.

thats what I meant... "refine" 3DC'a render towards Octane level at some point

[3DArtist]

3DC's internal renderer does a pretty good job right now. There are a few things I would still like to see of course (import\export light setups please!). And now that the camera shortcuts work, it should be easier for multi-pass rendering inside 3DC (depth, spec, object id, diffuse).

Now if there was a plugin for Octane that allowed for tight integration with 3DC, I would be sad. Because I don't own Octane.

[Digital777]

I also agree, the built in render system is good but it would be great to see updates to that still like suggested. For rendering i would like to see a better use of preset systems built in also so you can easily save and re-use materials, lighting, layers and render setting etc and use as needed. I often see that the best renders are done by multiple layers composited after rather than just a single render so a way to quickly render certain settings to process after would be great.

A Octane plugin sounds like a good idea although maybe that would be for them to do unless you mean a render plugin built into 3DC directly. I would prefer some plugins/exporters for the free rendering apps like Sunflow and YafaRay though which apps like blender use. I know that blender has plugins that can use these directly from the app so maybe 3DC could do that also if they allow for that.

[Taros]

Octane is as good as big your video card ram is. If your are rendering very big objects with a lot of textures, your ram gets full very fast and octane crashes if you have not enough memory. I had tested this some times on my GeForce 8800GTS.

You need one of the newer cards like the nVidia 400 series. And there are not enough people, who use it currently. Additionally: octane can be used for nVidia-only users, that makes the party smaller too.

[jay27]

+1, i'm dreaming about this as well

[Tony Nemo]

Since 3DC exports OBJs and Octane uses OBJs, setting up a scene in Octane should be a snap. An 'exporter' like that used in many other apps may be possible with a 3DC supported script.