Render Commander

Blender add‑on for background rendering with multi‑GPU support.

This addon provides a simple and intuitive UI to configure a set of common render settings. It compiles all selected options into a temporary Python file, which is then attached to a Blender command-line render execution. This approach enables fast, efficient, and fully automated background renders without manual setup.

Table of Contents

1. Features
2. Screenshots
3. Installation
4. Usage
5. Build from Source

Features

Device-Parallel Rendering

The addon uses its own render-device selection and automates your rendering workflow by launching a separate background Blender instance for each enabled compute device. It also supports rendering across multiple back‑ends simultaneously.

Render Presets & Overrides

Tweak resolution, samples, output paths, and more, without altering your original scene. Save and reuse presets for different project stages (draft, final, client review, etc.).

External Blend Files

Render scenes stored in external .blend files without opening them in Blender. Preview scene settings, apply overrides, and start renders directly from the add-on panel.

Advanced Options

• Desktop Notifications – Get notified when a render job finishes.

• System Power Control – Keeps your PC awake during renders and can automatically sleep or shut down once all jobs are complete.

• Custom Blender Executables – Define custom Blender paths to use different versions or builds.

• Append Python Scripts – Attach your own Python scripts to render jobs for logging, post-processing, or pipeline integration.

Screenshots

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Requirements

• Blender 4.2 - 5.0
• Windows 11, Linux

Installation

1. Download the latest release from the Releases page.
2. In Blender, go to Edit > Preferences > Get Extensions.
3. Click Install from Disk… and select the downloaded .zip file.
4. Enable the add-on by checking the box next to Render Commander.

Usage

1. Open the Render Commander panel in the Viewport Sidebar panel.
2. Choose a render mode: Image, Animation, or Frame List.
3. Optionally:
   • Apply a preset or override specific settings.
   • In the Add‑on Preferences, select the render devices for Cycles Render.
4. Click Render > your render job starts immediately.

Build from Source

git clone https://github.com/n4dirp/Render-Commander.git
cd Render-Commander/render_commander
blender --command extension build --split-platforms

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Contribute

Pull requests welcome! See the repository for issues and guidelines.

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Happy rendering! 🚀