Render Layers

In the Output Tools dialog box, Render Layers replaces Render Output Passes for generating specialized output layers that you can use in post-processing software. Render Layers, which uses Iray’s compositing elements, provides massively improved performance by rendering simultaneously rather than sequentially.

The rendered layers created by Render Layers align more closely with industry standard render passes known as Arbitrary Output Variables (AOVs).
Render Layers is available in SOLIDWORKS Visualize Professional.

Limitation: Render Layers does not work with Toon. If Toon is enabled in Camera, the rendered layers are not displayed in the viewport and are not available for final renders in Output Tools.

To render layers:
  1. In SOLIDWORKS Visualize Professional, open a project and click Output Tools (main toolbar) or Tools > Render.
  2. In the Output Tools dialog box, on the Render, Animation, Turntable, or Sun Study tab, in Render Layers, select layers to render.
  3. Click Start Render.

    The Render viewport opens. When the render is complete, a list of the image files for each rendered layer appears.

  4. To view a layer image, click its file name in the list.
Different render modes (Preview, Fast, Accurate) support different sets of layers to render.
Layer Preview Fast Accurate Description
Beauty Contains the rendered image with all contributions.
Alpha   Contains the alpha channel (transparency) based on primary visibility.
Depth Contains the depth of the hit point along the (negative) Z-coordinate in camera space. The depth is zero at the camera position (black) and extends in a positive direction into the scene (brighter, white).
Normal   Contains the surface shading normal in camera space.
UVWs   Contains the texture (or UVW) coordinate at the hit point.
Clown Contains the ID for the scene element at the hit point.
Diffuse   Contains all light transport paths that are diffuse at the first bounce.
Specular Contains all light transport paths that are specular at the first bounce.
Glossy Contains all light transport paths that are glossy at the first bounce.
Emission   Contains the emission contribution from directly visible light sources and emitting surfaces.
Shadow     Contains the shadow in the scene. More precisely, the layer contains the light contributions that are missing at a certain point because it is blocked by an object (the shadow caster).
Ambient Occlusion   Contains the ambient occlusion in the scene in the range from 0 (fully occluded) to 1 (not occluded).
Albedo   Contains approximate color weights for the constituent bidirectional scattering distribution functions (BSDFs) of the material at the first hit. This value generally reflects textures (bitmap and procedural) used to color material components.