Frame numbers into single frame output to VFB

[SonyBoy]

Not sure if this is a Maya thing or a Vray thing, but I've never understood why single frame renders into the framebuffer/render view don't encode the frame number into the image name in the same way as a batch render does. Why wouldn't you ALWAYS want to know what the frame number was? This is particularly irksome when using a single scene to output a series of still images, such as with an animated camera for product render angles. If you render the entire sequence, you'll get your frame numbers for free. But render each one by hand, and they are all output with the same filenames and lacking frame numbers, creating the possibility of unwanted overwrites and confusion.

[nikolay.kusht]

I think this is how Maya works initially. Perhaps this could be achieved using a post translate script? Do you know any 3D platforms or Renderer that could do this by default?

[SonyBoy]

I don't know if this is a Maya issue or not. And this is a Vray forum so I'm only suggesting it would be a great feature to have Vray include.

[nikolay.kusht]

I have added this as a request in our system. Let us know if other render engines have a similar feature.

[james_malloch]

This is also an issue for me. I often render individual frames from the VFB, but the saved frames never have the frame number included, so the images overwrite each other if I am stepping through multiple frames on a single camera.

Maya used to write the frame number into still rendered images (with inbuilt Mentalray renderer until Maya 2016).

Rendering stills from mentalray used to be easy, but Vray has slowed my workflow - the current system means I must rename files by hand, adding frame numbers - time consuming.

[yolov]

Do you think we always need to write the frame number to the file, or control it with an option?
We have an option that we use internally when rendering animation and you can access it with a post-translate script. If we exposed this option, would it help? You'll need to remember to turn it ON, though.

Render Settings > Common Tab > MEL / Python Callbacks > Post Translate Python Script

from vray.utils import *

so = findByType('SettingsOutput')[0]
so.set('img_file_needFrameNumber', True)

[james_malloch]

Thank you Alex - this script works perfectly and will be very useful to us almost every day!

I really think it should be enabled by default, possibly with a check box to disable the function.


Very much appreciated

[yolov]

I'm just afraid not to break the behavior for other people if we added it and enabled it by default.
But you can save a start up render settings preset where it's enabled for you The json presets for the render settings work perfectly in Maya for this purpose.
Will make a note to expose this.