The Preferences panel is divided into three tabs: Settings, Quality, and Appearance. Each tab contains options that you can set for using Twinmotion, including general preferences, tool options, Viewport rendering quality settings, and media export preferences.
To open the Preferences panel press Ctrl + P, or in the menu go to Edit > Preferences.
Preferences in the menu
Settings
The options in the Settings tab define the general preferences for working in Twinmotion.
Setting | Description |
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Unit system | Sets the unit system used in the Twinmotion user interface. By default, Meters are used. Options: Centimeters (cm), Meters (m), Feet (ft), Inches (in) |
Time stamp | Sets how the time of day is displayed in the Time of day option in the View menu, and in Settings > Location > Time of day. Options: 24H, 12H |
Graphic hardware support | Specifies which version of the DirectX technology to use for the DirectX Raytracing (DRX) feature on the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). DirectX12 is required to use the Path tracer feature and to enable Lumen global illumination. By default, DirectX12 is selected if it is supported by the GPU. Options: DirectX11, DirectX12 The Path tracer feature in Twinmotion is currently supported on Windows computers only. |
Path tracer | Multi-GPU Select the Multi-GPU checkbox to enable support for multiple GPUs when using the Path tracer. Sample settings Specifies the maximum number of samples per pixel and light bounces to use for the Low, Medium, and High presets of the Path tracer. The default presets are as follows:
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Probes resolution | Specifies the resolution value for Reflection Probes in the Viewport, and when exporting images, videos, panoramas, and Local Presentations. Reflection Probes are used in Real time rendering mode to improve interior and exterior reflections, the reflections on glass surfaces, and to create mirrors. The default value for Viewport and Export is 256. Options: 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024 If you are using Reflection Probes to create a mirror, we recommend selecting 1024. |
Skydome resolution | Defines the resolution of Skydomes and Backdrop HDRIs in the Viewport and when exporting images, videos, panoramas, and Local Presentations. The default value for Viewport and Export is Medium. Options: Low, Medium, High |
Grass fading | Specifies at what distance from the camera grass starts to appear in the Viewport. This pertains only to grass from the Library > Vegetation > Grass and flowers and Detail grasses categories added with the Vegetation painter or Vegetation scatter tools. The default value is Medium. Near: Grass can be seen at a distance of 15 meters from the camera. Medium: Grass can be seen at a distance of 30 meters from the camera. Far: Grass can be seen at a distance of 50 meters from the camera. Selecting Near can help to improve performance and the frame rate in the Viewport. |
Sketchfab library import | By default, Sketchfab assets composed of multiple parts are downloaded and imported into Twinmotion as multiple meshes. If you want to download Sketchfab assets as single meshes, select the Merge all objects checkbox. For more information, refer to Keep Hierarchy Mode in Sketchfab Assets in the Library. |
Custom paths | Specifies the location where User library assets, downloaded Quixel Megascans, Twinmotion, and Sketchfab assets, and templates are saved on your computer. By default, the files are saved in the UserLibrary, QuixelCloudLibrary, TwinmotionCloudLibrary, SketchfabCloudLibrary, and TemplatesCloudLibrary folders in the following location:
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Direct Link | Specifies the location of the DirectLinkTextures folder. When 3D models are imported into Twinmotion with the Datasmith Direct Link workflow, imported textures are saved in this folder. For more information, refer to The DirectLinkTextures folder. By default, the files are saved in the following location:
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Motion blur | Deselect the Viewport motion blur checkbox to disable motion blur in the Viewport. This can improve the responsiveness of Twinmotion when using it in a remote desktop environment. |
Gizmo | Angle snap specifies the increments in degrees by which objects are rotated when using the Rotate tool. The default value is five degrees (5°). When the Auto camera-facing option is selected, the Gizmo always faces the camera, regardless of the position of the camera. |
Save | Enables or disables the autosave feature, and specifies the autosave settings and the location where files are saved. Interval: Sets the time interval between autosaves. By default, the value is 15 minutes. Number: Specifies the number of files to save. When the number is reached, newly saved files overwrite existing files. By default, the value is 3. Path: Specifies the location where files are saved. By default, files are saved in the following location:
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Export | Defines the following export settings for media: Update reflections: Updates the Reflector Probe reflections at each frame. This can be useful when creating videos, to ensure that reflections are accurate when moving around a scene. Selecting this option can increase rendering time. Warming up: Updates particles before media is exported. Height fog / Haze quality: Improves the quality of Volumetric Fog. |
Vsync | Select the Activate check box to limit the frame rate of the scene in the Viewport to match the refresh rate of the screen. This can help to improve performance and lower power consumption. For more information about the frame rate in Twinmotion, refer to FPS in Statistics. |
Point cloud | Select the High quality export checkbox to improve the resolution of point clouds in exported images, videos, panoramas, and Presentations. Selecting this option can increase Video Random-Access Memory (VRAM) usage and increase processing times. |
VR | When viewing Twinmotion in Virtual Reality (VR) mode, this setting determines whether the right or left hand controls the VR menu. Options: Right, Left |
Mouse | Selecting Use relative mouse improves the ability to accurately navigate and drag objects in a scene, especially if you use a pen tablet or use Twinmotion in a remote desktop environment. |
Quality
The settings in the Quality tab determine the quality of the resolution and of certain rendering features on both your computer screen (Desktop) and in VR mode.
These settings have an effect on the viewing quality in the Viewport only. They do not affect the quality of exported images, videos, panoramas, or Presentations. Exported media is always exported in Ultra quality, regardless of the settings in the Quality tab.
The quality levels you can select are : Low (25%), Medium (50%), High (75%), and Ultra (100%). Each level corresponds to a percentage of screen resolution, which is arrived at by using a resolution-based scaling technique called Screen Percentage.
By default, Auto is selected, which means that Twinmotion automatically measures the performance of your computer, and adapts the quality of the resolution and rendering features accordingly to provide smooth navigation inside Twinmotion.
You can, however, select Custom quality settings for each rendering feature. Higher quality settings decrease the frames per second (fps) in Twinmotion.
Quality Settings
The table below provides a description of the quality level settings for each rendering feature. The settings are listed in descending order by which they affect Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) performance.
Rendering Feature | Quality | |||
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Low | Medium | High | Ultra | |
Shadows Specifies the size of shadow map textures. | 512 x 512 pixels | 1024 x 1024 pixels | 2048 x 2048 pixels | 2048 x 2048 pixels |
View distance Specifies the LODs (Level of Details) setting, which defines the level of details that you can see on objects. Levels are from 0 to 4, 4 being the lowest level of detail. | 4 | 2 to 4 | 1 to 4 | 0 to 4: Shows all LODs |
Effects Defines the quality of Screen Space Reflections (SSR), Refraction, and Volumetric Fog. |
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Post-processing Defines the quality of Motion blur, Ambient Occlusion (AO), Depth of Field (DOF), Lens flare, and Bloom. |
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In VR mode, motion blur and ambient occlusion are set to None in all Post-processing quality setting levels.
Textures Defines the size of textures and the quality of texture filtering. |
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Anti-aliasing (Desktop only) Defines the quality of anti-aliasing. | None | FXAA (Fast approximate anti-aliasing) | Temporal AA | Temporal AA |
In VR mode, Anti-aliasing is set to Temporal AA in all quality setting levels.
Point cloud Defines the data point density of point clouds. The point budget is the maximum number of visible points. | Point budget: 2,000,000 | Point budget: 5,000,000 | Point budget: 8,000,000 | Point budget: 12,000,000 |
Other Quality Settings
Setting | Description |
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Viewport resolution scaling (Desktop mode) | Defines the resolution of the Viewport for the Real time and Path tracer rendering modes. Choosing 30\%, 50\%, or 70\% improves performance in frames per second (fps) but decreases the visual quality in the Viewport. Choosing 100\% gives the maximum quality you can get on your monitor. By default, the resolution for Real time rendering mode is set to Auto, which is the optimal setting for both quality and performance. Options:
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Dynamic resolution (Desktop mode) | Adapts the Viewport resolution dynamically to improve performance and maintain an optimal frame rate. The resolution is adjusted based on the complexity of the scene and GPU usage. This option is activated once the frame rate value in Activation threshold (in FPS) is reached. |
Activation threshold (in FPS) (Desktop mode) | If the Dynamic resolution option is selected, this setting specifies the frame rate threshold, in frames per second (fps), at which Dynamic resolution is activated. The default value is 25 fps. |
VR dynamic quality (VR mode) | If this option is selected, Twinmotion dynamically adjusts the quality settings in an attempt to reach the target rendering frame rate of 45 fps (90 Hz/2) in the Viewport. A rendering frame rate of 45 fps can minimize VR motion sickness. |
Use VR headset threshold (VR mode) | If this option is selected, Twinmotion attempts to match the target rendering frame rate in the Viewport to the refresh rate of the VR headset. Matching the rendering frame rate in the Viewport to the refresh rate of the VR headset can help to minimize VR motion sickness. Due to certain limitations, the VR headset refresh rate is currently set to 45 fps. |
Activation threshold (in FPS) (VR mode) | If the Use VR headset threshold option is not selected, this setting specifies the frame rate threshold, in frames per second (fps), at which VR dynamic quality is activated. |
Enable Lumen in VR | Select this checkbox to use Lumen global illumination when using Twinmotion in VR mode. |
Appearance
Option | Description |
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Language | Specifies the language that is used for user interface text in Twinmotion. Options: English, Français, Deutsch, Español, Polski, Português, 中文, 한국어, 日本語 |
Interface scale | Sets the scale of user interface text and icons in Twinmotion. By default, the value is set to 100%. Options: 75\% to 200\% |
Visual helpers | Shows or hides visual helpers in the Viewport. Visual helpers can help you to identify and select the following assets in the Viewport:
To show and hide visual helpers, you can also use the G keyboard shortcut. |
All sounds | Specifies whether sounds that are added to a scene from the Library > Objects > Sounds category can be heard in Twinmotion and in exported Local and Cloud Presentations. Note that for the sound to be heard in Twinmotion and in Presentations, the Audio setting of the sound must be enabled (On). Also enables or disables footstep sounds when viewing a scene in Twinmotion or in a Presentation in Pedestrian mode (View menu > Pedestrian mode). |
Sending data | Specifies whether you agree to share Twinmotion usage data with Epic Games. |
Footstep | When navigating a scene in Twinmotion or in a Local or Cloud Presentation using Pedestrian mode (View menu > Pedestrian mode), the sound of footsteps is heard as you move forward, backwards, to the left, or the right. This setting specifies the surface on which the footsteps are walking in Footstep volume. Footstep sounds can be enabled or disabled in the All sounds setting. Options: Carpet, Concrete, Glass, Grass, Gravel, Ground, Metal, Snow, Water, Wood |
Footstep volume | Sets the sound volume of footsteps on the surfaces selected in Footstep. Options: 0 to 100% |