Rendering the Scene

We’re at the final chapter, where we’ll cover the ultimate goal of any artist working in Archviz: the rendering phase. Unlike other uses of Unreal, such as games or interactive experiences, Archviz is entirely focused on the final image. Everything you’ve learned so far doesn’t matter if you’re not able to deliver a perfectly rendered image. All your efforts are directed toward this goal, which is why this chapter is so important. Fortunately for you, it’s also relatively straightforward, especially when compared to most other topics in this book.

Rendering has become easier and more accessible over the years, but it wasn’t an immediate development as this game engine wasn’t originally designed to function as an offline renderer. Until just a few Unreal Engine versions ago, it wasn’t even possible to render still images properly. However, the process is relatively easy, even though it’s not...

Technical requirements

The project files for the chapter can be found at https://github.com/PacktPublishing/Architectural-Visualization-in-Unreal-Engine-5

Setting up the render with the Movie Render Queue

First, let’s reiterate something I mentioned in Chapters 13 and 14: there’s a super quick way to render your images, and that’s by using the utility widget. However, I recommend leaving this method for last as it involves concepts you might not be familiar with.

Rendering in Unreal, as we intend it, is not entirely automatic. Unreal, in fact, already generates dozens of rendered frames per second as part of its standard operation. However, for our purposes, we need something more precise and of higher quality to compete with offline rendering solutions in the market. Epic Games developed a tool for this purpose starting with Unreal Engine 4.26, and that tool is called Movie Render Queue (MRQ).

MRQ is Unreal Engine’s solution for rendering image sequences and movies. It’s designed to deliver high-quality rendered images, seamlessly integrate into production pipelines, and offer extensibility for...

Rendering with the MRQ

Let’s get practical: we want to learn how to define the best settings for rendering still images. We will also apply these settings practically in the last section to render our final project images. Fortunately, there aren’t too many settings to learn; you can manage with just a couple of them. Usually, as we’ll discover, adjusting the antialiasing parameter is sufficient to render what you see on your screen: no need for fancy tricks or additional complexity.

However, we don’t aim to render just an okay image; our goal is to produce the best image possible for a professional production pipeline, which requires a deeper understanding. For instance, we’ll explore how to obtain raw images, additional passes, and very high resolutions. I’ll strive to be as comprehensive as possible and provide a summary at the end.

So, rendering in Unreal is not complicated at all, but professional rendering requires a bit of attention...

The utility widget

As mentioned previously, there’s a shortcut that simplifies many rendering processes, especially when it comes to creating sequences for rendering. Instead of manually creating and associating sequences with cameras, you can streamline the process with just a click. This one-click solution involves the use of a utility widget, which Unreal Engine has conveniently provided. To access this utility widget, follow these steps:

1. In the Content Browser area, ensure that Show Plugin Content is enabled by clicking on the Settings icon on the right-hand side.
2. Look for Still Rendering Widget within the Engine | Plugins | Movie | Render Queue Content | Editor | Stills directory.
3. Right-click on the widget and select Run Utility Widget; a window will appear:

Figure 16.36: Running the utility widget

In this window, you’ll find a few options, but the essential ones are the Render button and the Presets section. While...

Summary

In this final chapter, we delved into the MRQ, Unreal’s primary rendering tool. We learned how to access and utilize it, explored its settings, and identified the ones best suited to our needs. Step by step, we mastered the process of rendering still images. Additionally, we discovered a highly useful widget tool that can significantly streamline our rendering workflow, making the entire process more efficient.

Well, if you’ve made it through all these pages, you’ve reached the end of our journey together. Congratulations – you’re now well-prepared for your adventure with Unreal Engine 5! Go ahead, give yourself a well-deserved high five (pun intended)!

Now, I know that the initial learning phase can feel a bit tedious, but it forms the solid foundation upon which the truly enjoyable part of your journey is built. Continue to engage with Unreal, practice diligently, and seize every opportunity to integrate it into your workflow, replacing...