What is Alternative Rendering? #
Alternative Rendering is a feature provided by The View Keeper that allows you to render a sequence of views. Ideal for camera records with different saved settings. As mentioned in the previous section, the settings saved by camera records are scene settings, and by default, Blender does not allow you to change these settings during an animation render. This means that the default rendering system in Blender does not update when the scene settings are changed during rendering between frames.
However, since The View Keeper enables you to modify system settings, it also offers an Alternative Rendering system that updates Blender with these changes as the animation progresses from frame to frame. Here’s how Alternative Rendering enhances your workflow:
Key Features of Alternative Rendering #
- Multiple Resolutions:
- Example: You can render a 1:1 square image from Camera Record 1 on one frame and a 16:9 landscape image from Camera Record 2 on the next. The Alternative Rendering system updates Blender with the new resolution between frames automatically.
- Varied File Formats:
- Example: Render a PNG image from Camera Record 1 in the first frame, a JPEG from Camera Record 2 in the second frame, and a TIFF from Camera Record 3 in the third. This allows for diverse output formats within a single animation sequence.
- Different File Locations:
- Example: Render Camera Record 1 to Folder 1, Camera Record 2 to Folder 2, and so on. This helps organize your renders efficiently without manual intervention.
Benefits of Alternative Rendering #
- Flexibility: Manage various rendering requirements within a single animation without duplicating cameras or manually adjusting settings for each render.
- Efficiency: Save time by automating the process of changing resolutions, formats, and output locations during rendering.
- Organization: Keep your project files neatly organized by directing different renders to specific folders automatically.
Important Considerations #
- Image Rendering Only: Currently, Alternative Rendering is designed for image formats and does not support video formats like the MPEG format.
- Viewport Rendering: Similar to default rendering, Alternative Rendering allows you to render the viewport. You can choose your preferred render type from the settings before rendering.
- Background Processing: Alternative Rendering are processed in the background, so you probably won’t see progress in a pop-up window during rendering like the defult Blender rendering system. Instead, check the specified file destinations to access your renders.
Example Scenario Of AlterAlternative Rendering #
Imagine you are creating an animation that needs to be shared on multiple platforms, each requiring different resolutions and formats:
- Frame 1-4: Camera Record 1
Render a square image sequence (1:1) for Instagram and save to folder 1 - Frame 5-8: Camera Record 2
Render a landscape image sequence (16:9) for YouTube and save to folder 2 - Frame 9-12: Camera Record 3
Render a vertical image (9:16) for TikTok and save to folder 3
With Alternative Rendering, you can set up each camera record with the desired settings and keyframe the timeframe to make the switch. The View Keeper will automatically update Blender’s settings during rendering, eliminating the need to manually adjust resolutions or formats for each frame.
