Are people still posting about renderers which aren’t free–in a thread where someone specifically asked for a free option? How many posts on this thread are off-topic?
Oddly, I’ve been having good rendering results with Cycles, Rhino 6’s included real-time raytracer. I’ve been so impressed that I am in the process of rerendering every interesting thing I’ve done with Cycles.
A real-time change-and-view renderer, it can be disobedient, in that it just doesn’t give you a chance to make your next move, but as a renderer, the rendering results are good, and they are perhaps as good as McNeel would dare include with Rhino–if they want a 3rd party rendering ecosystem. It’s also a bonus that the final product looks like a better version of the preview.
I am no expert in Cycles, but it a “path-tracer” in that it renders from they camera in instead of from the lights down, which means that it’s likely not going to make your diamonds sparkle in fire (dispersion)–unless you do some real multi-color IOR chicanery. It’s also hard to get renders over 4k on medium sized projects.
Still, Cycles works pretty good as a renderer. It was a good inclusion in Rhino.
Since I posted, this, I fixed my brick texturing issue on the right, but I posted a Cycles diner render here:
Because it’s a light building filled with glass and chrome, surrounded by darkness, it’s not an easy render for any raytracer/pathtracer.
Lastly, Rhino 3D is a great 3D program, with likely the best interface on a 3D program I’ve used. Though, one of Rhino’s hidden strengths and assets: is a forum, where people can come and ask for help–and people gladly help them in a friendly manner. I hope this doesn’t change.
[I visit other forums. The Orbiter (simulator) forum comes to mind, where people are just downright mean. Dr. Martin Schweiger gave a lot of his time and effort to create something and share it with people. I don’t know what happened, but some of the people on the forum are F’n A$Wholes from the word “go.”
The “helpful” people on the Arduino forum can just be cruel, and it was supposed to be a forum that kids might enter, but if you ever ask the wrong question, you will certainly feel their wrath. Try it. The Arduino forum has so much poison that I don’t think I have ever asked for help for anything. I have dropped a program or two, and made one suggestion, and then I am gone. ]
Anyway, please keep it nice, and remember, that you were new, once, too : )