Scene Render Outputs are a 2D "snapshot" image of a 3D scene. Since the render is called from a configurator, it shows the 3D scene for a specific configured product with it's unique settings and field values. This image can be used alone or included within other outputs, like a Word Output.
For example, if your boat configurator has a 3D boat scene associated with it, then you can include one or more render outputs of the scene in your quote document. This helps your customer confirm their configurator settings, and gather support for the order with attractive and easy-to-understand visuals of the product.
Theory
- Each scene can have one or more viewpoints.
A viewpoint, like a light, is an object in the scene. It is an invisible position in the 3D space of the scene which defines a way of looking at the scene contents. Think of it like a position in space where a photographer would stand to view the scene. - Each configurator that uses this scene can have one or more scene render outputs.
A scene render output is a recipe to create a 2D image from the viewpoint within the 3D scene. Think of it like the picture taken by that photographer standing at that viewpoint. One viewpoint can have one or more scene render outputs using it. For example, from one viewpoint you may create both a high-resolution output and a thumbnail output.
Outputs run after your user has clicked submit as part of the workflow. The configured product they created has been stored within a quote, which is going through a workflow. Your user has closed the window, and is no longer looking at the 3D scene. The Scene render uses the settings they made in the configurator to run the scene rules again, on the server, to recreate the scene. An image is taken of the scene and stored as an output file.
Scene Render Output Properties
Along with the standard properties shared by most outputs, Scene Render Outputs also have the following:
| Property | Notes |
|---|---|
| Name | The programming name your customers do not see, but you can use in your Snap rules, as shown below. |
| Scene | The 3D Scene which contains the viewpoint you've set up and want to look through to render this image. |
| Render Pass | Usually left blank. |
| Viewpoint | The name of a viewpoint in the scene listed above which you would like to use. |
| Frame Camera |
Set to true to frame the viewpoint (ensure all visible meshes in the scene are included in the viewpoint) before the render is taken. This is useful for configurable products that change in size. Set to false to leave the viewpoint's position and rotation untouched. |
| Frame Padding | How much space should separate the edge of any mesh in the render, and the edge of the image? Default is 1%. |
| Allow Empty |
If the render fails to capture an image, should the render report an error, and the workflow branch accordingly? Set to false (default) if you would like to know when errors occur, so your workflow can handle them. Set to true if your capture may sometimes be blank, and you want your build to simply continue without it. For example, if a certain option was not selected, a viewpoint showing details of that option will have no meshes in view. A true value here will prevent any render errors from being logged. |
|
Width, Height |
Enter the size of the output image, in pixels.
|
Creating a Scene Render Output
If a scene has a viewpoint, then a scene render output can be created in the configurator linked to this scene.
First, ensure your 3D Scene has at least one viewpoint. Translate and rotate the viewpoint, and adjust its properties, so it captures a good image of your scene. For example, this scene has three viewpoints.
- Open the configurator related to this scene in the admin tool.
- In the configurator explorer tree, select an existing output build or add a new one.
- Click the add + symbol next to the output build, and choose "Scene Render". This will add a new Scene Render output to your Build.
- Name your Scene Render output (for example, "Perspective Output").
- In the scene render output properties screen, select the Scene you wish to take a render of, and the viewpoint in the scene you want to look through.
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Don't forget your tags.
As with all outputs, enter one or more tags into the "Tag" field, so the file is visible to the correct users. Specifying no tags makes the attachment invisible to all users except for a Company Administrator. -
Order your outputs.
Ensure this output is shown in the design tree above any other outputs that will use it, so it gets generated before those other outputs need it. You can reorder outputs within the build by dragging them up and down in the design tree.
Creating Multiple Scene Render Passes
You're not limited to taking just one "snapshot" of your scene. Show it off! Create as many output renders as you need.
- Take a long shot of the entire object, and maybe some close-up detail shots of areas of interest.
- Create an isometric view, along with a top-down or elevation view.
Two techniques are available:
- Create multiple scene render outputs. While clearly separating each render, this is less efficient. The server loads the 3D Scene once for each output, so in the example below the same scene is loaded three times over. This can slow your output speed.
- Create one scene render, with multiple passes within it. This is the suggested technique: the server only loads the scene once for the scene render and all the passes beneath it. This can make your output speed faster.
Which technique is best? Usually, we suggest creating one scene render, with multiple passes within it.
- For speed,
create just one render with multiple passes. The server has to compose the scene only once, so taking many renders from different viewpoints occurs faster and more efficiently. - For flexibility,
create multiple renders. Your build rule can contain logic to enable or disable any of the builds below it, but cannot enable or disable individual passes within a build.
Calling your Scene Render Output
Like all outputs, this scene render is only performed when its build is performed by a build rule in your workflow. For example, to create all the builds in the "Sales" build of the configurator above, the workflow would have a Build state block that includes "Configurator build type... Sales".
Using your Scene Render Output in other Outputs
Once an image has been created through this Scene Render output, you can use that image in subsequent output rules which accept images, like Word, Excel, or Zip outputs. For example, consider a configurator build which
- First generates a scene render output
- Then generates a Word output (here called "BOM")
- And within that Word output rule, the scene render can be used as an image through the "set image" Snap block.
In this example, if the Word output document has an image field (here, named "wItemImage"), then it can be filled with the scene render output that was previously generated (here, called "Scene Render").
If you have multiple passes in one render, use the scene render Export instead:
Customizing your Scene for a Scene Render Output
The scene you build on your customer's web browser for them to explore interactively may look different from the scene you build on the server to be captured by renders. For example, you may want to show dimension lines in the image render for documentation, but hide those lines in the interactive on-screen version. Create just one scene for both purposes, and use scene logic to show or hide elements, depending on where the scene is used.
Control the visibility of scene elements in a scene rule, as you normally do, but use the get block to determine...
- isRender (boolean): if this scene is being composed for a render on the server, instead of being composed for interactive use by the user on the workstation.
- renderPass (text): the name of the specific server-side render pass being executed.
For example, the scene rule below will call the scene function "TurnOffDimension" only if the scene is being rendered, and if the name of the renderPass is "Ortho".