When rendering scenes on the Helio Cloud using 3ds Max, users may encounter a strange issue when working with the default 3ds Max Physical Camera and Xref files (external reference) scenes. Specifically, the zoom setting of the physical camera can override the intended view, resulting in an unintended close-up view in the rendered output. This behaviour occurs when the physical camera is used in conjunction with Xref scenes.
The Problem
When a scene that includes an Xref scene is rendered, the Physical Camera's zoom setting will sometimes override the scene's camera settings, causing the render to appear zoomed in or with an incorrect framing. This results in the camera’s intended field of view being distorted, leading to a close-up that was not part of the original scene design.
Local Render:
Result:
Solution
To resolve this issue, there are three recommended solutions, depending on the rendering engine in use:
For V-Ray Users:
Convert the Physical Camera to a V-Ray Camera. The V-Ray Camera does not exhibit this zoom override behaviour and integrates better with V-Ray’s rendering pipeline, ensuring the camera’s field of view and settings remain consistent during rendering.For Corona Users:
Convert the Physical Camera to a Corona Camera. Similar to V-Ray, the Corona Camera does not suffer from this zoom issue and offers a more stable rendering experience when working with Xref scenes.For 3ds Max physical camera:
You can enable the targeted camera under the cameras basic settings.
How to Convert the Camera:
Vray Camera: Go to your standard camera view, press P to turn it into a Perspective, click: create a VRayPhysicalCam button
or similarly, you can use the vray scene converter:
Corona Camera: Go to your standard camera view, press P to turn it into a Perspective, click: create Corona camera from view button
By switching to one of these specialised cameras, you can avoid the zoom override issue and ensure that your renders match the intended framing and perspective.
Conclusion
If you're encountering unexpected close-up views while rendering with the Physical Camera and Xref scenes on Helio Cloud, switching to a V-Ray Camera (for V-Ray users) or a Corona Camera (for Corona users) is the most effective solution. These camera types provide better compatibility with rendering engines and will prevent the zoom setting from being overridden, allowing for accurate and predictable results in your rendered images.