rendering

Original skill document

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Appropriate engine selection. Optimized settings. Production render passes.

When to Use

Final portfolio/cinematic renders
Look development validation
Render pass output for compositing
Game asset preview renders (Turntable)
Style validation (realistic vs stylized)

Engine Selection

Engine	Use When
Cycles	Final quality, realistic, portfolio
Eevee	Real-time preview, stylized, game look dev
Eevee Next	Improved real-time quality (Blender 4+)

Workflow

Camera Setup → Render Settings → Sample Tests → Full Render
    → Pass Output → Color Management → Delivery

Camera Setup

Naming: CAM_[Shot]_[Number]

Focal length: 35mm (environment), 85mm (hero detail), 24mm (wide horror)
Depth of field: subject distance focused
Composition: rule of thirds; leading lines
Turntable: empty parent rotating 360° for asset preview

Cycles Settings

Setting	Preview	Production
Samples	64–128	512–2048
Denoise	OpenImageDenoise	OpenImageDenoise
Max bounces	8	12
Caustics	Off (default)	On if glass/water hero

Eevee Settings

Setting	Value
Screen Space Reflections	On for metals
Ambient Occlusion	On
Bloom	Stylized/ emissive scenes
Shadow resolution	2048+
Contact Shadows	Ground contact

Render Passes

Pass	Use
Combined	Final composite
Diffuse Direct/Indirect	Relighting
Glossy	Reflection control
Normal	Compositing effects
AO	Contact shadow enhancement
Z (Depth)	DOF, fog in comp
Cryptomatte	Object masking
Emission	Screen glow effects

Color Management

View Transform: AgX (Blender 4+) or Filmic
Look: Medium Contrast (default) or High Contrast (dramatic)
Exposure: Adjust in compositor, not by blowing lights

Render Optimization

Use render region for test crops
Adaptive sampling (Cycles)
Disable unseen objects in render layers
GPU rendering default when available
Persistent data for animation sequences

Asset Turntable Template

1. CAM_Turntable at 3/4 height, 45° angle
2. Empty at asset origin → rotate animation 0–360° (120 frames)
3. 3-point lighting rig
4. Render 1280×1280 or project-specified resolution
5. Output PNG sequence or MP4

Reference Image Validation

When matching a photo/concept (../references/reference-image-match.md):

Setting	Reference match
Hero camera	Match reference angle before grading
AgX Look	Base Contrast default; High Contrast if reference is punchy
Exposure	0.15–0.45 typical; hull must read, not clip white
Preview playback	EEVEE, motion blur off, `taa_samples` 1–8
Final still	Render at hero `CAM_*` — compare to reference
Compare tool	`get_viewport_screenshot` or bpy render still

Run ../references/visual-match-checklist.md before delivery.

MCP Integration

Configure render engine settings via MCP
Setup camera via MCP
Trigger test render via MCP if supported
Query render settings validation
Set output paths via MCP

Constraints

MUST DO

Match render engine to project style
Screenshot or render compare when reference image was provided
Use denoising for Cycles production renders
Setup color management before final render
Render validation turntable for hero assets
Organize cameras in COL_Cameras

MUST NOT DO

Production render without sample test
Ignore color management (sRGB vs Linear)
Render at excessive resolution without purpose
Skip render passes when compositing planned
Use Cycles for real-time game preview needs

Reference Guide

Topic	Reference	Load When
Pass compositing	`references/render-passes.md`	Multi-pass output
NPR/stylized render	`references/npr-rendering.md`	Stylized-style projects
Reference image match	`../references/reference-image-match.md`	Photo/concept attached
Visual match validation	`../references/visual-match-checklist.md`	Before delivery