3D max - Improve your Renders (catmull-rom)

[Stormy]

Here is a quick tutorial on how to improve your render quality within 3d Studio Max. Its super easy to do and I have also included a few images to show you the different.

All we are going to do is change the anti-aliasing filter max uses to render images which just crisps up the image and helps to define the details you have worked hard on getting into your textures. It helps you to improve the presentation of your work and really shows off what you have done.

anti-aliasing is the technique of minimizing the distortion artifacts known as aliasing when representing a high-resolution signal at a lower resolution.

The technique really helps with textured models but the effects will not be seen so much on untextured work.



Step 1 - Open up the Render Scene Dialog
Step 2 - Click on the Renderer Tab
Step 3 - Now change the default anti-aliasing filter from Area to Catmull-Rom
Step 4 - Render

Here are two before and after examples of using the Catmull-Rom filter over Area.

[Talon]

Good stuff, dude. I think this one escapes a lot of people.

As an aside, if you've already sharpened your textures and the render's looking a little noisy, it might be worth using Blackman instead (same filter, no edge enhancement).

Oh, and all your renders say CatNull rather than Catmull :P

[SlappyBag]

Nices, helpful stuff there.

[fabiodan]

very good, although a very pronounced effect. if you put a regular render (with area filter) on a photoshop layer on the catmull-rom render and tweak with the opacity control you can overcome this in case you want to attenuate the effect.

[tkaza]

Well known render setting, but good idea to put it here.

[meltdown]

you didn't untick "apply" in image and object motion blur?

[Stormy]

I would assume they would only work in animation when we had some movement going on. Have a test see what happens.

[chris89]

Really nice for stills (especially archviz!) but watch out when you use it for compositing work with other low quality samples.

[Psyk0]

If you change the settings for area to 1.0 you should get similar result, i always use catmull anyway .

[[hP]]

Yup, catmul is always nice for renders. Area is quicker to render but it gives you lesser quality.

thanks for this quick note on rendering