Rendering Modes

Once the drawing is complete or near completion, any textures have been applied, and any desired lighting has been added, select one of the standard views (see Using Standard Views), and use the Flyover, Walkthrough, Translate View, or Rotate View tools to orient the drawing. For presentation purposes, it is often easier to create sheet layer viewports and render the sheet layers, or render a selected area; both sheet layer viewports and render bitmaps can render in the background while drawing processes can continue.

The render modes translate the drawing in various ways to create an image with realistic details and effects. For example, a hidden line rendering is similar to the non-rendered (wireframe) image, but it hides the portion of the objects that would not normally be visible. An OpenGL rendering also has hidden lines, and colors and shading; it shows how the light sources interact with the object surfaces, and it can show any textures that were applied.

The View bar displays the Render Modes for quick access to the rendering commands. The View bar options display the Render Mode - Short (displaying a shortened version) or the Render Mode - Long (displaying the current render mode options and the current render mode). The Current Render Mode Options button opens the settings dialog box for the current render mode, if applicable.

viewbar_right.png 

The rendering speed depends on the rendering option selected and the number and complexity of objects in the file.

You can continue to work in an active design layer while it renders. Changes to the drawing automatically cancel the rendering in process and begin it again with the changes incorporated. An animated icon and progress bar at the bottom right of the drawing window indicate that rendering is queued or is in progress. When the Fullscreen Preview option is selected (see Custom Renderworks Options and Creating Renderworks Styles), this design layer rendering behavior provides a highly interactive environment for setting up renderings.

Save files in wireframe mode rather than in a rendered mode, so that files draw more quickly when opened. Rendered viewports are saved in a rendered state when Save viewport cache is selected in the Display tab of document preferences.

For smoother rendering of mesh objects, enable mesh smoothing for the entire file in the document preferences (see Document Preferences: Display Tab) or for selected meshes on the Render pane of the Object Info palette (see Applying a Texture to an Object).

To select a render mode:

Select View > Rendering, and then select the desired render mode.

To cancel a rendering before it is complete, press the Esc key.

Rendering Command
Description

Wireframe

A visual representation of the model is created using lines to represent object edges; see Wireframe Options to adjust settings for planar objects

wireframe.png 

OpenGL

Creates a good-quality, detailed rendering, with colors, shading, and textures; see OpenGL Options for details

OpenGL.png 

Fast Renderworks

Renders without anti-aliasing or ray tracing; low detail level

RW2.png 

Final Quality Renderworks

Renders with reflections, shadows, anti-aliasing, transparency, and a high level of detail

RW3.png 

Custom Renderworks

Renders with parameters set by the user

Artistic Renderworks

Renders with multiple sketch styles for a hand-drawn look

Render_art.png 

Hidden Line

Hides the edge lines of objects that are behind other objects, which gives a solid appearance; optionally displays surface hatches that give the appearance of textures (see Hidden Line Rendering with Surface Hatches)

HiddenLine.png 

Dashed Hidden Line

Edge lines of objects that are behind other objects display as dashed lines

DHiddenLine.png 

Unshaded Polygon

Displays objects as solids, and displays attributes such as colors

unshdpoly.png 

Shaded Polygon

An Unshaded Polygon rendering with shading added

shdpoly.png 

Shaded Polygon - No Lines

A Shaded Polygon rendering with no edge lines

shdpoly_nolines.png 

Final Shaded Polygon

A Hidden Line rendering on top of a Shaded Polygon - No Lines rendering; edges and curved surfaces are cleaner than those in a Shaded Polygon rendering

FinShdPoly.png 

A Vectorworks preference sets the preferred 3D render mode, applied whenever the drawing is switched from Top/Plan into a 3D view; see Vectorworks Preferences: 3D Tab.

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Wireframe Options

OpenGL Options

Custom Renderworks Options

Artistic Renderworks Options

Line Render Options

Creating an Interior Elevation With Convert Copy to Lines Command

Hidden Line Rendering with Surface Hatches

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