Having trouble using RENDER WB with Blender

Post here for help on using FreeCAD's graphical user interface (GUI).
Forum rules
and Helpful information
IMPORTANT: Please click here and read this first, before asking for help

Also, be nice to others! Read the FreeCAD code of conduct!
gbgb
Posts: 32
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2014 5:28 am

Having trouble using RENDER WB with Blender

Post by gbgb »

I am trying to use the RENDER WB and since I already have Blender installed decided to use it as the rendering program.
This is what I did:
In the preferences-render screen I placed to the blender.exe path (I see that there is an automatic parameter: --samples 100).
Opened an existing file
Opened the Render WB
Added a cycles rendering project to the part
Selected the body in the part and added it as a rendering view
Selected the project and pressed "render"

Looks like it invokes blender but no rendering is performed and I get the following:

Code: Select all

14:31:45  Starting rendering...
C:/Program Files/Blender Foundation/Blender 3.1/blender.exe --samples 100 --output C:/Users/xxxxx/AppData/Local/Temp/FreeCAD/Cache/FreeCAD_Doc_8715008f-5e28-4e3a-98aa-b94787b62fc3_642215_15564/Projectmqizw9bh.png --width 800 --height 600 "C:/Users/xxxxx/AppData/Local/Temp/FreeCAD/Cache/FreeCAD_Doc_8715008f-5e28-4e3a-98aa-b94787b62fc3_642215_15564/Projectmqizw9bh.xml"
14:31:46  unknown argument, loading as file: --samples
14:31:46  Read prefs: C:\Users\xxxxx\AppData\Roaming\Blender Foundation\Blender\3.1\config\userpref.blend
14:31:46  Error: Cannot read file 'C:\Program Files\FreeCAD 0.20\bin\--samples': No such file or directory
14:31:47  Error: argument has no '.blend' file extension, not using as new file, exiting! C:\Program Files\FreeCAD 0.20\bin\--samples
14:31:47  Saved session recovery to 'C:\Users\xxxxx\AppData\Local\Temp\quit.blend'
14:31:47  
14:31:47  Blender quit
14:31:47  Exiting rendering - Return code: 1
Last edited by Kunda1 on Mon Aug 15, 2022 1:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Put error in bbcode code tags
drmacro
Veteran
Posts: 8870
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 4:35 pm

Re: Having trouble using RENDER WB with Blender

Post by drmacro »

Hmm...no idea what the problem might be.

I have had way better luck using Sverchok nodes in Blender to just read the FreeCAD file directly and then use Blender...
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: Spock: "...His pattern indicates two-dimensional thinking."
User avatar
Kunda1
Veteran
Posts: 13434
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2017 9:03 pm

Re: Having trouble using RENDER WB with Blender

Post by Kunda1 »

CC @howetuft (RenderWB dev)

FYI, if howetuft doesn't respond here, then open a ticket on the Render Workbench issue queue: https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD-rend ... dated-desc
Alone you go faster. Together we go farther
Please mark thread [Solved]
Want to contribute back to FC? Checkout:
'good first issues' | Open TODOs and FIXMEs | How to Help FreeCAD | How to report Bugs
Syres
Veteran
Posts: 2893
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 11:14 am

Re: Having trouble using RENDER WB with Blender

Post by Syres »

gbgb wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 11:45 am
In the preferences-render screen I placed to the blender.exe path (I see that there is an automatic parameter: --samples 100).
I'm not sure where you've read (unless something major has changed recently and the README hasn't been updated) that the user can just point the Wb at Blender, I've always understood the user has to point to a standalone compiled version of Cycles. See https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic.php?t=48599 for more info.
gbgb
Posts: 32
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2014 5:28 am

Re: Having trouble using RENDER WB with Blender

Post by gbgb »

Syres wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 4:13 pm
gbgb wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 11:45 am
In the preferences-render screen I placed to the blender.exe path (I see that there is an automatic parameter: --samples 100).
I'm not sure where you've read (unless something major has changed recently and the README hasn't been updated) that the user can just point the Wb at Blender, I've always understood the user has to point to a standalone compiled version of Cycles. See https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic.php?t=48599 for more info.
My misunderstanding - I thought that since it is integrated into blender then this is where I should point. Thanks
howetuft
Posts: 290
Joined: Tue Sep 10, 2019 8:16 pm

Re: Having trouble using RENDER WB with Blender

Post by howetuft »

Yes, @Syres is right: Render WB works with Cycles (standalone), not with Blender.
@gbgb you have to choose among the supported rendering engines, including Luxcore, OspRay, Cycles (standalone), pbrt, Appleseed, pov-ray - but not Blender... Good luck!
gbgb
Posts: 32
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2014 5:28 am

Re: Having trouble using RENDER WB with Blender

Post by gbgb »

howetuft wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 5:16 pm @gbgb you have to choose among the supported rendering engines, including Luxcore, OspRay, Cycles (standalone), pbrt, Appleseed, pov-ray - but not Blender... Good luck!
Can someone suggest which would be the easiest to install and use on a Windows system? Not looking for too many features, just basic rendering for mechanical objects.
Edit: My PC has only the internal Intel graphic processor, if it matters.
howetuft
Posts: 290
Joined: Tue Sep 10, 2019 8:16 pm

Re: Having trouble using RENDER WB with Blender

Post by howetuft »

My suggestion would be Luxcore: it's powerful, well packaged and works out-of-the-box.
gbgb
Posts: 32
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2014 5:28 am

Re: Having trouble using RENDER WB with Blender

Post by gbgb »

Thanks.
Will give it a try
drmacro
Veteran
Posts: 8870
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 4:35 pm

Re: Having trouble using RENDER WB with Blender

Post by drmacro »

Nothing against the Render workbench. I spent more than a day messing around trying to add renderers on my system and gave up. The reason I was so glad to find Sverchok nodes in Blender could read (and write) FreeCAD files directly was I didn't need to deal with installing render engines that were already functional in Blender.

Once the file is in Blender all the tools of Blender are available. Backgrounds, ray tracing, animation, even making fillets that FreeCAD can't handle.
Simple_assy_009.png
Simple_assy_009.png (619.71 KiB) Viewed 647 times
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: Spock: "...His pattern indicates two-dimensional thinking."
Post Reply