What is Octaine Render?

Octane Render is the world’s first GPU based, un-biased, physically based renderer. What does that mean? It uses the video card in your computer to render photorealistic results fast…really fast. This allows the user to create stunning works in a fraction of the time of traditional CPU based renderers.

Yet, to date no other software makes use of it in the way that Octane does. With even a single mid-range GPU you can typically expect to see a 1000%-1500% (10X to 15X) speed increase over a typical un-biased, CPU based renderer.

Features

Real-time User Interface
Octane Render provides a true WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get) rendering environment that allows the user to focus on creating stunning images without bouncing back and forth between a modeling view and then waiting for a render to complete. The viewport on the screen IS the final render. Any changes to the scene are immediately updated on the screen allowing the user to tweak any setting and know right how the result looks.

Engine
The rendering engine in Octane Render uses the untapped muscle of the modern GPU (including multiple GPU’s) to generate photo-real images in a fraction of the time compared to traditional, CPU based engines. Because it uses unbiased rendering techniques, the results are beautiful and lifelike. Users who want an even faster rendering experience can use Directlighting / Ambient Occlusion modes in Octane Render to produce biased renders.

Materials
Tweaking materials in Octane render allows the user to focus on results without guessing on what the final appearance will be. Adjust the bump depth and know that it’s the right level without having to wait for a render to know that it’s the right level. Scale image textures, adjust the index or refraction, tweak the specularity: It’s all updated in real-time which allows the user to quickly set-up their materials with confidence.

Lights
Just as in photography, the lighting of the scene is crucial. Whether it’s using an HDRI file, mesh emitters or a sun/sky system, lighting in Octane allows for complete control. Adjust the position of the sun to perfectly place the shadows in a room. Rotate an HDRI file to position it to compliment your scene. Adjust the powers of lights and see the results immediately.

Flexible Node Graph
Since everything in Octane Render is represented by Nodes, complex scene and material settings are possible allowing advanced control of scenes. The Nodes can also be bundled as “macros” which allows them to be shared between users or reused in other scenes. Octane Render does not require the user to use the nodes, however, and allows for interacting with every aspect of the scene and materials using icons.

Compatibility
Octane Render is not tied to just a few modeling packages but instead utilizes common scene formats. That allows users from just about every modeling package to use Octane. Users can fine tune the scene import in Octane Render to ensure that their exported scene is properly imported by Octane.

Octane Render is also available for the big three operating systems as well (Windows, Linux and Macintosh OSX) so that users don’t need to worry about multi-boot environments just to enjoy the power of GPU based rendering.

Tonemapping
Tonemapping in Octane Render is also performed in real-time using the power of the GPU. This allows for smooth tweaking of the final render. Adjust vingnetting in real-time along with f-stop and other realistic camera controls. The inclusion of over 50 camera response curves allows the user to quickly tonemap the image with measured camera data and enjoy even more photo-realism in their renders.