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New in 4.0 
 
 


The new features in AccuRender 4 for AutoCAD 2002-2008 including Architectural Desktop (Mechanical Desktop is no longer supported) include:

Enhanced Image Quality

Speed

Animation

Enhanced user interface

New materials

New tools

Enhanced user interface
Dockable panels stay open and update while other commands run. Panels include:

  • Content Manager
  • Material Manager
  • Light Manager
  • Environment Manager
  • Camera Manager
  • Plant Manager
  • RPC Manager
  • Rendering controls
  • WalkAbout navigation

Right-click to show or hide tabs. Tear off tabs to their own windows or place onto other panels.

Control content display on the AccuRender tab in the AutoCAD Options dialog box.

Drag and drop materials and objects
Content Browser with drag-and-drop support from libraries to:

  • Assign materials to layers, colors, and objects.
  • Add bitmaps to materials.
  • Insert lights, RPC objects, plants, clipping planes, and objects.

Architectural Desktop support
Drag materials onto layers of Architectural Desktop sub-objects without special configuration of Architectural Desktop or special display configurations.

Windows Explorer integration
In Windows Explorer you can:

  • Access materials and objects.
  • Double-click materials to edit them.
  • Organize AccuRender folders.

Environment Manager
The Environment Manager allows:

  • Quick access to environment settings.
  • Multiple environments.
  • Environment templates.
  • Reflected environment.
  • HDRI environment.

Reflected environment
Specify an environment that only reflects in objects, but is separate from the visible background. Use a separate environment to enhance metals and glass without changing the visible background. Reflected environment settings are available through the Environment Manager.

Materials and plants saved in file
Materials and plants are saved in the DWG file, so if the drawing is sent to another user, it will render properly. In combination with AutoCAD's E-transmit utility, you can send a whole package to another person.

Create materials directly from bitmaps

  • In Windows Explorer, right-click bitmaps and choose Create AccuRender Material.
  • Drag bitmaps over the AccuRender libraries to create materials.
  • Use multiple bitmaps for batch conversion.
  • Drag bitmaps onto objects to apply decals.

Camera object

  • Cameras take the place of saved scenes.
  • Cameras manage views.
  • Cameras contain environment settings.
  • Camera Manager controls multiple cameras.
  • Integrated graphical camera controls in AutoCAD model space for view manipulation.

AutoCAD Property Manager integration

AutoCAD Properties window can access AccuRender object properties including:

  • Lights
  • Plants
  • RPC
  • Cameras

Special rendering and WalkAbout layouts

WalkAbout and Raytrace layouts are now integrated into AutoCAD.

Global illumination light dome

The light dome object creates a complete environment of lights to implement a new global illumination scheme.

 

HDRI (High-dynamic range image) environment

HDRI images can be used as light sources. 


Support for Piranesi EPix

Save images in the EPIX format for the Piranesi paint program.

 

Photometric and non-photometric raytracer

AccuRender 4 lets you specify either photometric or non-photometric rendering method.

Photometric
Since it captures subtle differences in light and can render realistic scenes over a broad range of lighting conditions, photometric render mode works well for interior and exterior architectural scenes. Lights are calculated using real-world units such as watts, and exposure adjustment of the image is possible.

Non-photometric
For studio light scenes like product shots, automobiles, or booth structures with a smaller range of lighting or unrealistic effects, non-photometric raytracing mode tends to work well.

Mouse control in WalkAbout window

In addition the the standard navigation controls, use your mouse to navigate around the WalkAbout view.

Floor Elevations Manager

Add floors and specify a floor name, floor height, and default height for lights and cameras. When inserting AccuRender objects and content, you can specify floor names.

From the AccuRender menu specify floor heights to assist in inserting objects.

Run command on completion of rendering

You can now specify a command to run at the end of rendering. AccuRender can play a sound to alert you to the end of rendering. This allows you do task after rendering like sending an email or copying the file to another location.

Sun and parallel light soft shadows

Both the sun and parallel lights sources can cast soft shadows.  Set the amount of shadow through the properties of each light. 

Softness controls the angle of the shadows,  Jitter controls the amount of noise to blur out the shadows, and Samples controls how many rays are cast to sample the shadow.

Improved soft shadows, blurry transparency, and blurry reflection

Increased samples and jitter give better control and quality.

Foliage density per plant

Specify foliage density by plant to increase rendering efficiency. Reduce the foliage on plants that are in the distance or are grouped with others.

Polygonal groundcover

The groundcover area can be defined with a polygon as well as rectangles and triangles.

Missing material/decal bitmap report

Missing material and decal bitmaps are reported on the command line.

Free introductory set of Abscissa models

A set of introductory blocks are included for insertion from the Content Manager.

The Farm, a network rendering manager
Using several networked machines to render a large or complicated image can dramatically reduce rendering times.

The Farm is a small program that runs on one computer on your network. Its job is to collect jobs submitted by users on the network and distribute the rendering job to the available rendering systems (Slaves, computers with AutoCAD and AccuRender) on the network.

All of the information required to process a rendering is stored in a folder on a network shared drive. Finished renders are output to another shared folder and can be e-mailed to a specified address if required.

Batch Manager
Batch Manager provides new functions and integration. New commands to change environments, load cameras, change layer states (AutoCAD 2004 and above), and run batch jobs.

Integrated coMOTION animations

Create animations with the integrated coMOTION animation editor. Animate movement paths for objects, camera paths, moving decals and backgrounds, sun studies, and more.

Post-render, real-time glare, haze, glow, and depth of field

Post-processing effects (glare, haze, glow, and depth of field) can be applied after the image is rendered. The effects are controlled either in the post-processing section of the Rendering Manager or added using the AccuRender Image Viewer.

  

Save photometric images

Save photometric information to images file. Edit the file later to apply brightness, shadow darkness, contrast and depth of field without re-rendering.

 

  

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