Who wants to try nXtRender Batch?

[Albert D Hart]

This is the first preview of the new nXtRender Batch.

You should only try this if you are adventuresome, and willing to make your way through some undocumented stuff. and not get mad at Rich and I if some things are not working properly.

If you want to try this, you can download it from here:

http://www.mediafire.com/file/em8aq6v0535r8j0/nXtRender_AC_Batch_MB...

And just install it.

This is Beta Test Add-on to nXt and AutoCAD at this point. Later it will be integrated into the nXt install. It should work with most recent versions of nXt. And it should work for AutoCAD 2010-2014 (We haven't tested every possible combination yet)

After downloading, you will get a .ZIP file with a message like this:

Click on the message to install it.

New Ribbon

After installation, a new Ribbon should appear in AutoCAD

Racecar

The Race car loads the nXt sidebar menu (the same as typing in nXt).

Help Button

The ? loads an about box:

(The 'Synch Options' button on the bottom will import some settings made while rendering, but not material changes (yet) from the nXtRender Batch Renderer)

Render Button

The green button will extract your current model and save it to the disk for use with the Batch Rendering process.

After Extract, the Batch Renderer will load as a separate process with this dialog:

You can set the render size, number of passes, etc.

And then start rendering.

I will add more documentation here later, but for now you may need to just try some things out.

[Peter Milner]

So what's the difference between nXtRender Batch and nXtStudio?

You need to be careful with limiting nXtRenderbatch to only work with the ribbon as the majority of AutoCAD users do not use the ribbon interface, particularly if they are experienced users.

[Miguel Tano Adanes]

Me too I don't use ribbon, because I work with two monitors in order to have the bigger working space on one display and some commands toolbars on the other.

[akinlolu olugboji]

The ribbon is the reason why alot of people are still using Microsoft Office 2000. I just gotten round to 2007. Using Autocad since R14, makes the ribbon transition difficult for me, with so much pressure, one tends to go with what one is used to. Even with AR4, I kept using the AR3 interface. When left with no choice one had to adapt to Nxt interface, and even that was gradual, imagine jumping to that from AR3?  NxtRender Batch needs to be in a toolbox, which can be docked or floating.

The difference between Nxt Studio and nxtRender Batch would be the additional fillters of the batch and the studio I believe with time is meant to be somewhat universal cutting across a lot of platforms.

[Albert D Hart]

"You need to be careful with limiting nXtRenderbatch to only work with the ribbon as the majority of AutoCAD users do not use the ribbon interface, particularly if they are experienced users."

Rich and I are learning more about AutoCAD and its users. I guess I thought that everyone had to update AutoCAD every year, and pay for the new version. But it sound like lots of people are still using older versions.

We will work out a way to make the nXtRender Batch icons appear somewhere else in orlder versions.

Do AutoCAD 2013 users always have a ribbon, or is it optional.

One reason we went with the Ribbon is that we would like to put nXtRender on the AutoDesk App Exchange in hopes of finding more users. The version on the Exchange has to use the Ribbon. But we will probably have one version for the App Exchanges, and another version for older AutoCAD versions.

[Peter Milner]

The ribbon is optional. It's useful for people who are new to AutoCAD or only use it occasionally. But for experienced users it is slow and cumbersome so they usually revert to the "calssic" layout.

If you want to put nXtRender on the AutoDesk App Exchange you may need to make it work for both, otherwise you will severely reduce your potential market size.

Many people have opted out of the AutoCAD subscription program because the last few updates have offered very little in the way of new or improved features to users outside of the engineering profession.

The AutoDesk forum is always a good place to see what useers are happy/unhappy with.

[Roy Hirshkowitz]

nXtStudio is simplified, forward-looking, and experimental.  There's a new material model which includes things like emission of light.  Single engine only.  No decals, many object props. moved into the Material Editor (to bring the thing more in-line with industry standards.)  It's free and will likely be in that state for at least another year.

nXtRender Batch is a commercial product developed by RenderPlus.  It's the way most nXt-based rendering occurs in the Sketchup platform.  They're trying to decide if it makes sense to bring it to the AutoCAD world.

[Albert D Hart]

nXtRender Batch will be an optional install and add-on to nXtRender for the next several months as we evaluate it. nXtRender will continue to operate the same way as nXt if you do not want to use the nXtRender Batch stuff.

For normal rendering, there is no advantage to using nXtRender Batch - unless you want to free up AutoCAD during the rendering process. (You can start a Batch Rendering, then continue to use AutoCAD to get another rendering ready, since the rendering is running out of process). Or unless you find a use for any of the postprocessing stuff.

[Garret Diduck]

There still seems to be too much overlap in the products for me for right now. Using the Farm allows me to free up resources to start other renderings and the Image Editor allows me to postprocess the images. Am I still missing something here that nxtRender Batch offers over the current process?

I guess I'm confused as to what company is producing what software now since everyone has moved to the same forum, named the software the same and are replying in the same posts! Yet everyone seems to be moving in their own direction.

[Albert D Hart]

I can see how this can get confusing.

nXtRender is the new name for AccuRender nXt. We decided to rename to build up a brand awareness for it. We felt that nXtRender made more sense as a product name.

There is just one rendering Engine - (actually 3 or 4) - nXt - and Roy is the only one working on it.

Rich and I are trying to add some non-rendering features -such as the Background Wizard - and since they already worked in nXtRender Batch - we uploaded it to let people test it. Unless you want to try one of the new features, there is no reason to look at it. (But we do appreciate the people who are helping us shake the bugs out of it)

nXtRender Batch uses the same rendering engine as nXtRender in AutoCAD (the red car).

This Forum is still just for nXtRender AC for AutoCAD. The other platforms all have their own forum.

We will try to make things easier to understand and hopefully things will make sense eventually. (And hopefully Rich and I can add some new, non-rendering features which will be of value)

[Decio Baptistucci]

I can't use NxtRenderBatch till now, even I try to open the software the PC freeze, when I tipe NXT into the comand prompt, all go right, but if I tipe NXT_BATCH_RENDER, I have a error message, see file upload. 

[akinlolu olugboji]

Are you using the latest build of nxt?

[Decio Baptistucci]

Yes I M using build 321.