Introduction
“Real-Time Rendering” (also called RTR) is a module that lets you navigate your projects in 3D in real-time with much higher quality than standard 3D navigation. RTR provides realistic graphic quality without the waiting time of traditional rendering, making it a great option for showing projects to your clients.
In RTR, you can navigate the interior of a project in real-time; if you have a second monitor, you can continue to work within the program on one monitor while your client sees a realistic 3D representation of your room on the second monitor.
RTR does not substitute the standard virtual navigation window you already use in DomuS3D. You should continue to use standard virtual navigation during the design and editing phases of your project.
You cannot make changes to your project directly within RTR as it is visualization module that lets you display, explore, and, most importantly, see your project in high quality, inspecting materials and lighting in detail.
From the 2022 version, the visualization of room scenes with Real-Time Rendering has been optimized and improved. Graphic quality has been further improved to guarantee an even more realistic visualization, thanks to the support of Ray Tracing, an option available for latest generation Nvidia RTX graphics cards (see the full hardware requirements here).
It is possible to access the feature from the Real-Time Rendering command available in the Navigation Tab of the Main Ribbon:
Once you click on the command, you can choose from the following:
- Start/Update: launches the real-time rendering window or updates it if it’s already open;
- Export scene: export the project in an RTR Scene Package file: this is a file with a compressed format that can be opened and navigated at any future time, either in the Real-Time Rendering window in DomuS3D or using the stand-alone player.
- Export scene and player: exports the project in an RTR Player Package file: this is a self-extracting executable format, containing both the project scene and the player to be able to navigate within it. This file can be executed even without the presence of DomuS3D and therefore it’s possible to send it to a client so they can visualize a project easily on their own computer.
- Options: this opens the RTR options window where it is possible to set parameters for navigating the scene in the most appropriate way compatible with the performance of the computer you are using. This will be discussed further below.
Here is an example image of what the scene looks like when the RTR window is launched:
If the scene appears dark, you can adjust the exposure value (see below).
If you are using a second monitor, we recommend moving the RTR window to the second monitor and turning it towards your client so that they can view the project without seeing the technical interface of the program.
You can also work on the project “behind the scenes” while your client views the project in RTR, giving you a chance to apply changes and explore alternatives with the client.
Moving around the RTR scene
You can navigate the scene by using your mouse, just like in the standard 3D navigation window, or by using the quick keys A-W-S-D (left, forward, back, right).
Customizing the Scene
Once the Real-Time Rendering window is open, the user can choose among different visualization modes and can customize available parameters so that the application is optimally supported by the computer on which it is running.
It is possible to set:
- Scene Quality: it is possible to choose between Low, Medium, and High; the high quality is only supported by Nvidia RTX 2060 graphics cards or higher.
- Language
- Settings: it is possible to adjust exposure and brightness of the scene.
- Light settings: allows for the individual management of lights inserted into the project.
It is also possible to save the current image of the Real-time Rendering navigation window with the Capture command.
The RTR window normally remains synchronized with the rest of the project, so when the user makes a change in DomuS3D, it is immediately visible in the RTR window, as well. It is possible to deactivate automatic synchronization, which allows users to more quickly make multiple edits, and then apply them all at once to the RTR window.
Options
Clicking on the “Real-Time Rendering Options” button in the Virtual Navigation tab of the Ribbon opens the settings for RTR.
The Save Image button will take a snapshot of the current view of your project and open the image in a new window. You can edit and save the image.
The Save Panorama button will generate a 360° panoramic image of your room scene. You cannot generate a stereoscopic panorama from RTR.
Activating the Automatic Exposure box will turn on the automatic exposure feature which will balance and optimize the lighting in the scene. We recommend leaving automatic exposure on at all times unless you want to save a 360 panorama. When generating a panorama, it is best to manually regulate the exposure (the program will automatically disable the automatic exposure feature).
The Update Real-Time Rendering button reloads the scene in the RTR window to ensure that all changes have been updated.
The Synchronize Changes box turns on/off the real-time syncing of the project with RTR. Disabling this option lets you work on the project and make changes to it without them being seen in RTR. Once you are done making changes, you have to manually update the scene.
The Synchronize Navigation box turns on/off the possibility to sync movement between the standard virtual navigation window and the RTR window.
Contrast: adjusts contrast of the scene.
Lights: adjusts brightness of the scene (the luminosity of the lights present).
Temperature: adjusts the temperature (in Kelvin) of the lights present in the scene, giving the scene a warmer or cooler look (red=warm, blue=cool)
We recommend adjusting these settings in your project to see how they adjust the scene, allowing you to explore how to achieve the best result for your project. The Restore button will return all values to their default.
The Synchronize button will update the preview image shown in the Options window to reflect any changes made. We recommend updating this preview image before saving an image or a panorama to ensure that the scene you see in the preview will be the same as the image you are generating.
Watch the quick video tutorial on RTR for DomuS3D 2022 here!
Lastly, we remind users that to use Real-Time Rendering it is strongly recommended to have a medium to medium-high performing computer that is able to support the application and guarantee adequate graphics performance.
This article is valid for the 2022 version or later.