Everything you need to know about using the New ORBX Exporter
Exporting ORBX files has never been easier
The recent plugin revisions for C4DOctane (which can be viewed here) notably include a new ORBX export command to the live viewer specifically for RNDR Jobs. Redubbed “Animated package for RNDR (orbx)”, you can call the new method from the live viewer alongside the old method, which is still present in the latest plugin revisions.
In addition, there have been speed improvements made on several different cases for animated ORBX exports, in both the Octane Render Settings method and the “Animated package for RNDR (orbx)” command.
These improvements greatly reduce the friction between creation in C4D and exporting to the Render Network for final frame rendering. We highly recommend that all C4D plugin users test out this new method using the Render Network in their workflows to see a noticeable improvement in work time and efficiency.
OF NOTE: the above screenshots are of a specific scene. While export times are overall much faster, it is still dependent on scene complexity
Common Issues and Solutions
Like any visual software, occasionally issues crop up that lead to errors, like static frames or missing geometry. Here are some common place errors and the suggested solutions. Before diving in, we highly recommend anyone using Boolean Operations and Operators, Cloners or using Xpresso directly check out the in depth "Octane for Cinema 4D manual" on these topics.
Static Frames
Static frames are a common issue that many C4D users encountered in the early stages of the Render Network while exporting to ORBX. However, the new exporter uses the Picture Viewer instead of the live viewer, which makes it much easier to check for static frames and animations prior to final export.
While it is an option to view every frame in the Picture Viewer as it is exported, this will increase the export time, so it is not recommended for those on a time crunch. Instead, it is advised to check the "Ignore Rendering" box while in the export options, then check the exported ORBX in Standalone prior to uploading to Render Network. This will allow for less wasted time and funding prior to sending the file to the Render Network for final frame rendering.
Missing Components
If components are still missing in the Picture Viewer, or in your test animation in Octane Standalone, it is suggested to bake down items within the scene into simpler components. This often reduces the load of the scene overall, resulting in most errors from complex rigs and scene setups solving themselves. This will also reduce render times and overall costs for rendering your scene on the Render Network.
As always, we suggest testing a frame or more in Standalone prior to exporting and uploading to the Render Network. The general rule of thumb: "if it works in Standalone, it should work on the Render Network."
Scatter Objects and Animated Geometries
The latest 2022.1.1 update to OctaneRender for C4D fixed an issue that artists have encountered with unsupported scatter objects and animated geometries not exporting properly to an ORBX, which meant they were subsequently not rendering on the Render Network.
As the above tweet outlines, these issues with exporting to ORBX, alongside other plugin fixes, have been resolved and through tests have shown to not hinder fully realized rendering on the Render Network.
You can find the ORBX exporter used in a creative pipeline in Brilly's tutorial below if you would like a walkthrough (for more info check out Brilly's tutorial here)
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