blender-render-automation

Blender Render Automation

Overview

Automate Blender's rendering pipeline from the terminal. Configure render engines (Cycles/EEVEE), set up cameras and lighting, create materials, and batch render scenes or animations — all headlessly via Python scripts.

Instructions

1. Configure the render engine

import bpy

scene = bpy.context.scene

# --- Cycles (ray-traced, production quality) ---
scene.render.engine = 'CYCLES'
cycles = scene.cycles
cycles.samples = 256
cycles.use_denoising = True
cycles.denoiser = 'OPENIMAGEDENOISE'

# GPU rendering
cycles.device = 'GPU'
prefs = bpy.context.preferences.addons['cycles'].preferences
prefs.compute_device_type = 'CUDA'  # or 'OPTIX', 'HIP'
prefs.get_devices()
for device in prefs.devices:
    device.use = True

# --- EEVEE (fast, real-time) ---
scene.render.engine = 'BLENDER_EEVEE_NEXT'
eevee = scene.eevee
eevee.taa_render_samples = 64

2. Set output resolution and format

import bpy

render = bpy.context.scene.render

# Resolution
render.resolution_x = 1920
render.resolution_y = 1080
render.resolution_percentage = 100

# Output format
render.image_settings.file_format = 'PNG'  # PNG, JPEG, OPEN_EXR, TIFF
render.image_settings.color_mode = 'RGBA'
render.image_settings.compression = 15

# For JPEG
# render.image_settings.file_format = 'JPEG'
# render.image_settings.quality = 90

# For EXR (linear, 32-bit)
# render.image_settings.file_format = 'OPEN_EXR'
# render.image_settings.color_depth = '32'

# Film settings
render.film_transparent = True  # transparent background

3. Set up cameras

import bpy
from mathutils import Vector
import math

# Add a camera
bpy.ops.object.camera_add(location=(7, -6, 5))
camera = bpy.context.active_object
camera.name = "MainCamera"

# Point camera at a target
target = Vector((0, 0, 1))
direction = target - camera.location
rot_quat = direction.to_track_quat('-Z', 'Y')
camera.rotation_euler = rot_quat.to_euler()

# Camera settings
cam_data = camera.data
cam_data.lens = 50               # focal length in mm
cam_data.clip_start = 0.1
cam_data.clip_end = 1000
cam_data.sensor_width = 36       # full-frame sensor

# Depth of field
cam_data.dof.use_dof = True
cam_data.dof.focus_distance = 5
cam_data.dof.aperture_fstop = 2.8

# Set as active camera
bpy.context.scene.camera = camera

# Track-to constraint (auto-aim at object)
track = camera.constraints.new(type='TRACK_TO')
track.target = bpy.data.objects["MySubject"]
track.track_axis = 'TRACK_NEGATIVE_Z'
track.up_axis = 'UP_Y'