To
select a renderer to see the Maya Vector tab,
see
Select a renderer. Render Settings that
apply to all renderers are in the
Render Settings: Common tab.
For information on the
render settings, see
Maya Vector renderer.
Image Format Options
- Frame Rate (SWF
and SVG only)
-
The
frame rate of the Flash Player file or SVG file (measured
in frames per second).
- Flash Version (SWF
only)
-
The version
of the rendered Flash Player file: Flash 3,
Flash 4, or Flash 5. The rendered Flash Player file plays
back in any version of the Flash Player (and
import into any version of the Flash authoring application) that
is equal to or greater than the Flash Version.
NoteWhen Flash
Version is Flash 4, and Fill Style is Area
Gradient or Mesh Gradient,
the rendered animation contains a dummy frame at its beginning.
(This is to compensate for a limitation in the Flash 4 authoring
application.) After importing your animation into the Flash 4 authoring
application, delete this extra frame.
- Open in Browser (SWF only)
-
Displays
the vector image or animation in your default browser after it is
rendered (using Render > Render Current Frame, Render
> Batch Render, or mayaVectorRender).
NoteYou must have the
Flash browser plug-in installed on your system in order to display
the rendered image or animation.
- Combine Fills and Edges (SWF
only)
-
When Combine
Fills and Edges is on, outlines and fills
for a surface are a single object. If you import the file into the
Flash authoring application, you cannot separate the outlines and
fills unless you break apart the object. However, the size of the
rendered file is smaller than when Combine Fills and Edges is
off.
When Combine
Fills and Edges is off, outlines and
fills for a surface are separate objects. If you import the file
into the Flash authoring application, you can separate the outlines
and fills without breaking apart the object. However, the size of
the rendered file is larger than when Combine Fills and Edges is
on.
- Svg Animation (SVG only)
-
If Svg
Animation is Native, Maya creates one SVG file containing
the frames of your animation and the scripting that drives it.
If Svg
Animation is HTML Script, Maya creates an SVG file containing
the frames of your animation and an HTML file containing the JavaScript
that drives it.
If your animation is
long (approximately 40 frames or more), file size increases when
Svg Animation is Native.
- Compress (SVG
only)
-
Compresses the
rendered SVG file, significantly reducing its file size.
If you plan to publish
the SVG file directly to the web, you may want to turn on Compress.
If you plan to import the SVG file into another application and
edit it, turn off Compress. You cannot edit a
compressed SVG file.
Appearance Options
- Curve Tolerance
-
A value from 0 to 15 that determines how object outlines
are represented with either curved lines or a series of straight
line segments.
When Curve
Tolerance is 0, object outlines are represented by a
series of straight line segments (one segment for each polygon edge).
This produces an outline that exactly matches the outline of polygons,
but also produces larger file sizes.
When Curve
Tolerance is 15, object outlines are represented by curved
lines. This produces an outline that may appear slightly distorted compared
to the original object’s outline, but also produces smaller file
sizes.
You may need to adjust
the Curve Tolerance setting on
a scene by scene basis to produce the best compromise between outline
accuracy and file size. Begin by setting Curve Tolerance to
7.5 (the default). If the rendered file size is too large, try increasing Curve
Tolerance. If object outlines appear distorted, or the
animation appears jumpy where there are curved outlines, try decreasing Curve
Tolerance.
NoteAdjusting the Curve
Tolerance value may have no apparent effect on file size
when another setting (for example, Fill Style) is the dominant factor
affecting file size.
- Secondary Curve Fitting
-
Provides more control over the conversion
of line segments into curves by adding a second pass. Typically
this results in more linear segments converted to curves. While
this option increases render time, it can help produce better results
and smaller files.
- Detail Level Preset, Detail
Level
-
Determines the level of detail in the rendered image.
A High Detail Level (30) produces
a more detailed image and a more accurate render than a Low Detail
Level (10), but takes longer to render and increases file size.
(When the Detail Level is Low, small
polygons are combined with adjacent polygons.)
You may need to adjust
the Detail Level on a scene by
scene basis to produce the best compromise between image quality
and file size. Begin by setting Detail Level to Low,
and increase it as necessary to produce acceptable image quality.
Set Detail
Level to Automatic to allow Maya to choose
the appropriate level of detail for your scene.
Set Detail
Level to Custom and use the numeric field
or slider to set the Detail Level to any value between
1 and 50. (Setting Detail Level to 0 is the same
as choosing the Automatic preset.)
Note
- Doubling the Detail Level value
produces twice as much detail in the rendered image.
- Setting Detail Level less
than 4 is not recommended.
Fill Options
- Fill Objects
-
Surfaces are shaded based on the Fill
Style. To render surfaces as unfilled outlines, turn
off Fill Objects and turn on Include
Edges.
- Fill Style
-
The
style of shading used to fill surfaces in the rendered image.
For all fill styles (except Single
Color) the fill color is based on surface material color
and lighting from point lights only; all other types of lights are
ignored. If your scene does not contain point lights, a default
point light (located at the camera) is automatically created during rendering
(and removed after rendering).
NoteSurface fills are
re-calculated for each frame and may appear to change, shift or
jump during an animation.
- Single Color
-
Fills each surface with one solid color based
on the surface material color.
Single
Color can produce nice cartoon-like results, especially
when your model is composed of separate surfaces that each have
a different colored material.
NoteThe Single
Color fill color is actually based on the surface material
color and an ambient light (located at the camera) that is automatically created
during rendering (and removed after rendering). Therefore, the fill
color may not exactly match the surface material color. The fill
color should not change during an animation.
TipFor better definition
of surface edges, turn on Edges.
- Two Color
-
Fills
each surface with two solid colors based on the surface material
color and on scene lighting.
Two
Color produces results that look slightly more 3D than Single
Color, but also produces larger file sizes.
TipFor geometric objects
that consist of many flat planes (for example, a cube), Two
Color may produce unnatural looking results (that is,
each flat surface is filled with two solid colors). For such objects Average
Color is usually more appropriate.
- Four Color
-
Fills
each surface with four solid colors based on the surface material
color and on scene lighting.
Four
Color produces results that look even more 3D than Two
Color or Single Color, but also produces
much larger file sizes.
TipFor geometric objects
that consist of many flat planes (for example, a cube), Four
Color may produce unnatural looking results (that is,
each flat surface is filled with four solid colors). For such objects Average
Color is usually more appropriate.
- Full Color
-
Fills
each polygon on a surface with one solid color based on the surface
material color and on scene lighting.
Full
Color produces realistic 3D results, but also produces
very large file sizes. (The greater the number of polygons in your
model, the greater the file size.)
TipIf you want to produce
a high level of detail, and file size is not an issue, Mesh
Gradient usually produces better results than Full
Color.
NoteFull
Color is the highest quality fill style available when
rendering to AI and EPS formats.
- Average Color
-
Fills each surface with one solid color based
on the surface material color and on scene lighting.
TipFor objects that
are divided into surfaces with hard edges,
Average
Color often produces the best combination of 3D effect
and modest file size, especially when the object is animated.
For smooth, organic objects
that have few surfaces defined by hard edges, Average
Color does not usually produce results that are any better
than Single Color.
- Area Gradient (SWF
and SVG only)
-
Fills
each surface with one radial gradient based on the surface material
color and on scene lighting.
Area
Gradient can produce nice 3D effects with a small increase
in file size.
Tip
- For scenes that contain faceted objects
(objects composed of many distinctly defined surfaces), Area
Gradient produces very good results.
- For scenes that contain a combination
of flat and smooth surfaces, Area Gradient produces
a nice balance of fills. The smooth surfaces are filled with gradients,
and the flat surfaces are filled with a more even color.
- For scenes that contain only smooth surfaces, Area
Gradient may produce an overwhelming number of gradient
fills.
NoteThis option is only
available when File Format is SWF or SVG.
- Mesh Gradient (SWF and
SVG only)
-
Fills
each polygon on a surface with a linear gradient based on the surface
material color and on scene lighting.
Mesh
Gradient produces very realistic 3D results, but also
produces very large file sizes. (The greater the number of polygons
in your model, the greater the file size.)
Mesh
Gradient is the highest quality fill style available
when rendering to SWF and SVG formats.
NoteIn certain rare situations
shading may be incorrect when Fill Style is Mesh
Gradient. For example, a plane having a ramp texture
applied to it may render with an area of solid color. Try adjusting
the texture very slightly and re-rendering.
- Show Back Faces
-
Surfaces with normals facing away from the camera
are rendered as if they were facing the camera. When Show
Back Faces is off, surfaces with normals facing away
from the camera are not rendered.
NoteSurfaces with normals
facing away from the camera may not be visible, even if Show
Back Faces is on, if another surface is between it and
the camera.
TipTurning off Show
Back Faces may decrease rendering times and file size.
- Shadows (SWF
and bitmap formats only)
-
Object
shadows are rendered (based only on shadow-casting point lights
in your scene). Shadows can greatly enhance the 3D effect. However,
shadows also increase file size and significantly increase render
time.
When Shadows is
turned on, shadows are rendered for all objects. You cannot render shadows
only on certain objects (for example, by turning off Casts
Shadows or Receive Shadows for
an object).
Shadows are only rendered
if there is a shadow-casting point light in your scene (that is,
a point light that has Use Depth Map Shadows or Use Ray
Trace Shadows turned on).
Note
- You cannot set the shadow color.
- Shadows are not cast onto surfaces with
transparent materials.
- Highlights (SWF
and bitmap formats only)
-
Specular
highlights are rendered (based only on point lights in your scene
and on surface material shininess). (When Fill Style is Single Color,
specular highlights are based on the position of
point lights in your scene. Changing the intensity or color of point
lights does not change the appearance of highlights.)
Regions of surfaces that
are close to being perpendicular to a point light are filled with
a number of concentric solid color regions (based on surface material Specular
Color and on the Highlight Level value)
that are lighter than the rest of the surface.
For this material... |
Surface shininess is based only on... |
Anisotropic |
Roughness |
Blinn |
Eccentricity |
Phong |
Cosine Power |
Phong E |
Roughness |
Note
- This option is only available when Fill
Style is Single Color, Average
Color or Area Gradient.
- Highlights are
only rendered if there is a point light in your scene that has Emit
Specular turned on.
- If a surface material’s Specular
Color is mapped with a texture, the color of the highlight
is based on the texture’s Default Color.
If a surface material’s Specular Color is
mapped with a utility node, the color of the highlight is white.
- Highlight Level (SWF and
bitmap formats only)
-
The number of concentric solid
color regions used to represent specular highlights. The valid range
is 1 to 8. The default value is 4.
NoteThis option is only
available when Highlights is on.
- Reflections (SWF
and bitmap formats only)
-
Surface reflections are
rendered (based on the surface material Reflectivity).
- Reflection Depth (SWF and
bitmap formats only)
-
The maximum number of times a surface can inter-reflect
with other surfaces. The valid range is 1 to 4. The default value
is 2.
NoteThis option is only
available when Reflections is on.
Edge Options
- Include Edges
-
Surface edges and silhouettes are rendered as outlines.
TipTo render surfaces
as unfilled outlines, turn off Fill Objects and
turn on Include Edges.
- Edge Weight Preset, Edge
Weight
-
The thickness of surface outlines (measured in points).
NoteWhen File
Format is SWF, changes in Edge Weight less
than 1 Point are not noticeable unless you zoom into the outline.
- Edge Style
-
When Edge
Style is Outlines, surface edges and silhouettes
are rendered as outlines. (Use Detail Edges to
also render sharp polygon edges as outlines.)
When Edge
Style is Entire Mesh, all polygon edges
are rendered as outlines. Entire Mesh produces
very large file sizes. (The greater the number of polygons in your
model, the greater the file size.)
- Edge Color
-
The
color of surface outlines.
- Hidden Edges
-
Surface edges that are behind another surface are
visible in the rendered image. (This may make certain objects look
transparent or make models appear as wireframes.)
Hidden
Edges increases rendered file size because of the extra
vector information.
TipIf you are rendering
a model with many polygons, avoid turning on Hidden
Edges and setting Edge Style to Entire
Mesh; too many lines will likely appear in the rendered
image.
- Edge Detail
-
Sharp edges between polygons are rendered as outlines.
The Min Edge Angle controls which polygon
edges are rendered as outlines.
Edge
Detail can help define the shape of a 3D object, especially
when the object is composed of few surfaces, but also produces larger
file sizes.
NoteThis option is only
available when Edge Style is Outlines.
- Outlines at Intersections
-
When
you turn this attribute on, an outline appears along the point where
two objects intersect. Use the Edge Priority setting
to resolve edge outline conflicts (when depth does not automatically
do so). This attribute is also located in the Render
Settings, Maya Vector tab, in the Edge
Options section.
- Min Edge Angle
-
Determines which polygon edges are rendered as
outlines when Edge Detail is on. Min
Edge Angle is the minimum angle (measured in degrees)
that two adjacent polygons’ normals must have in order for their
common edge to be rendered as an outline.
Decreasing the Min
Edge Angle produces larger file sizes because of the
extra vector information in the rendered file.
NoteThis option is only
available when Edge Style is Outlines.
Render Optimizations
The Render Optimization setting
specifies how the Vector renderer optimizes the current frame to
reduce file sizes. You can select one of the following types of
optimizations:
- Safe
-
Removes
redundant geometry in areas of high detail, especially geometry
that is only visible by zooming in on the area. Redundant edges
occur on the at the intersection of the visible and invisible areas
of the scene, and are always safe to remove.
- Good
-
Removes
redundant geometry in areas of high detail, and removes sub-pixel
geometry that is not visible unless zooming into a high detail area.
- Aggressive
-
Removes
redundant geometry, sub-pixel geometry, and geometry that is slightly
above the single pixel level, in high detail areas. This setting
reduces file size by up to 30%.
NoteUsing Aggressive optimization
makes it possible to visibly detect the missing geometry without
zooming in on the area. It may also result in inconsistent geometry
(like unclosed shapes).