Using ORBX From Blender

A guide to using the Render Network from Blender

When using Render Network in conjunction with Blender, the accepted output format is ORBX. This guide walks you through the steps for exporting ORBX files from Blender to the Render Network. A Blender scene can be exported in ORBX format from the File menu (Figure 1). Additional tips for preparing Blender files for export as ORBX can be found in the Considerations for Exporting to ORBX section at the end of this document.

Figure 1: Exporting a Blender scene in ORBX format

It is good practice to open the ORBX file in Octane Standalone to make sure everything from the Blender scene is exported properly (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Opening an ORBX file in Octane Standalone

If using the Prime version of Octane, the Standalone Demo version can be used to open the ORBX file and check for proper export from Blender. To check for rendering issues inside of Octane Standalone, click on the Render Target node in the Node Graph Editor window (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Activating a render in Octane Standalone by clicking on the Render Target node

If the exported ORBX file contains animation, the timeline will be visible in the Standalone Render Viewport window (Figure 4).

Figure 4: The Render Viewport timeline

When Exporting Large Scenes

If a Blender scene is large, the export to ORBX process can take a large amount of time and is more prone to crash during the export process. In order to avoid large export times or crashes, separating the Blender scene into smaller ORBX exports can be beneficial. There are two primary ways to do this:

• Blender Collections can be used to isolate which scene assets are exported in an ORBX file. Collections that are inactive will not be included in the ORBX export (Figure 5).

Figure 5: The Scene Assets Collection is inactive

• Using the Octane Node Graph Window for ORBX Export

  • Allows for exporting individual or sets of specific nodes as ORBX

  • Exports only a single frame, animation cannot be exported using this method

  • Must be in Rendered view to export from Node Graph Window

Considerations for Exporting to ORBX

• File Size - The ORBX files should not exceed 20 GB in size. If an exported ORBX file is larger than 20 GB (which can be the case with animated projects), the export can be broken down into frame ranges..

• AOVs - Render passes or AOVs need to be set up prior to exporting the ORBX file from Blender. AOVs can also be set up using Octane Standalone prior to uploading the ORBX to the Render Network.

• Simulation Effects - All simulation assets such as particles, fluids, hair, etc. should be baked prior to ORBX export.

Common Question: Reshapable proxy - Octane Object Properties

• Q) My mesh is not animated when I Render or View my scene in standalone

• A) Deforming mesh elements, for example items with a modifier or character rig may need to be set as a reshable proxy (see below).

  

  Deforming mesh elements as a reshable proxy

Additional Learning Material about Using the Render Network from Blender Pipelines can be found in this instructional video created by Alex Pearce from Light Sail VR.