possible to output all rendering parameters into the iptc or exiff or ... ?

[MikeeMax]

Hi,
I'm often facing the situation where I look at a test image I produce, and i can't remember the settings I used any more. Saving a file each time I do a test is a too heavy workflow. Is there a way to save as many render settings info as possible into an external file, or even into the image iptc or exiff ?


Thanks

[rivoli]

in a render preset file? have you tried that one?

[MikeeMax]

Thanks
no i didn't. because i rather wanted the settings to be linked with the output image, even embedded would be better.
Actually i would like to be able to customize that file, especially the sun exact position rotation, intensity, and other parameters.
perhaps i need a script...

[rivoli]

ok, I see what you mean now. as you say, doing it with scene states and render presets it's even more hassle then saving test scenes. I'd like to know if you come up with something

[MikeeMax]

i found something interesting. i think this script with some slight modifications could do the job.
http://www.preset.de/3dsMAX/jpegExif/
it saves the vray camera settings into the JPEG as exif metadata

if someone wants to give it a try.
i know vb and some python, but i dont have a clue in maxscript....

[plastic_]

it would be easily possible with this program:

http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/

a callback-script could run a post-render action, parsing the output filename, and storing render or camera settings as exif data into the bitmap.

i'm not sure though how it would work when the user saves out a bitmap from the VFB. i'm not aware of a way to catch such an action with maxscript.

[MikeeMax]

Thanks for answering..

the link you gave gives the exact example of what I'm looking for.
as a simpler thing, if I could just capture vray sun position and setting, camera position and settings, and render settings, and produce an external text file with the name of the rendered image. that would be nice enough.

I also found this
http://www.exiv2.org/example4.html
I'll continue my quest and let you know if I find something suitable.

[plastic_]

it's fairly easy to script something up...
i'll give it a try...i could use a similar thing, not for exif but for icc profile embedding.

the hard part is deciding with settings to include...

as far as i see, there are 270 render settings, exposed by maxscript...that may be overkill for exif data.

a vray phsyical camera has this settings:

  .targeted : boolean
  .film_width : worldUnits
  .focal_length : worldUnits
  .zoom_factor : float
  .horizontal_offset : float
  .vertical_offset : float
  .distortion : float
  .distortion_type : integer
  .f_number : float
  .target_distance : worldUnits
  .lens_shift : float
  .lens_shift_auto : boolean
  .lens_horShift : float
  .specify_focus : boolean
  .focus_distance : worldUnits
  .dof_display_thresh : float
  .exposure : boolean
  .vignetting : boolean
  .vignetting_amount : float
  .type : integer
  .shutter_speed : float
  .shutter_angle : float
  .shutter_offset : float
  .latency : float
  .ISO : float
  .systemLightingUnits : boolean
  .whiteBalance : RGB color
  .whiteBalance_preset : integer
  .use_blades : boolean
  .blades_number : integer
  .blades_rotation : float
  .center_bias : float
  .anisotropy : float
  .use_dof : boolean
  .use_moblur : boolean
  .subdivs : integer
  .clip_on : boolean
  .clip_near : worldUnits
  .clip_far : worldUnits
  .environment_near : worldUnits
  .environment_far : worldUnits
  .horizon_on : boolean
  .legacy_ISO : boolean

node positions are stored like that: [-167.156,46.422,70.6302]
i'm not sure if this information is very useful.

[MikeeMax]

haha thanks for the info.

you're right about "the hard part is deciding with settings to include..."
for me it would be essentially sun and camera positions and settings. and eventually some render settings like hsph subd, aa filter....
but i guess everyone could have some different approaches to this.

let me know if you come up with something

[plastic_]

the problem is, that there seems to be no way to get info about bitmaps saved from the max or vray vfb.
so it would only work with predefined output settings, or with an extra dialog, as with the other script, which isn't very practical, esp. for quick test renders.

maybe some external "watch folder" program...

have to think about it...

(as vlado always says

[MikeeMax]

there seems to be no way to get info about bitmaps saved from the max or vray vfb.

shame on Max
perhaps Vlado can give you info about bitmaps created with vray vfb...
I found nothing else really useful for the moment.

[MikeeMax]

the thing you said about registering a callback script for the pre/post render notification event seems nice ! ....
concerning the cas where the user saves a file with the vfb... if there's no "save" event... what about adding a new button to the vfb, being a sort of "get last rendered image" and save it to the disk. like an alternate save image button...