The visual settings of a scene can be changed in the Viewport, but they can also be changed in media (images, panoramas, and videos) created in Twinmotion.
The following tables describe the visual settings that you can change in media.
By default, certain measurement unit values in the Twinmotion user interface are shown in meters (m); these values are also shown in meters in the documentation. You can, however, switch the unit type displayed in the user interface to centimeters (cm), inches (in), or feet (ft). To do this, press Ctrl+P to open the Preferences panel, and click Unit System.
Certain maximum values for settings can be overridden. For example, the maximum value that can be attained by moving the slider for the Path Tracer > Samples per pixel setting is 8192. However, you can override this value by manually entering a value. When the maximum value of a setting can be overridden, it is marked by an asterisk ( * ) in the tables below.
Renderer Settings
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
Path Tracer | Enables or disables path tracing. Options: On, Off |
Path Tracer > Samples per pixel | Sets the number of samples per pixel that are used for convergence when path tracing is enabled. Using a higher number of samples decreases image noise, but may increase rendering time. Options: 1 to 8192* |
Path Tracer > Max bounces | Sets the maximum number of ray bounces when path tracing is enabled. The number of bounces corresponds to the number of times light is reflected (bounced) on surfaces. Higher values can increase rendering time. Options: 1 to 100 |
Path Tracer > Denoiser | Enables or disables the image denoiser when path tracing is enabled. Options: On, Off |
Path Tracer > Firefly brightness | Sets the visibility and exposure of small overbright rendering artifacts (fireflies) when path tracing is enabled. Options: -10.00 to 30.00 |
Path Tracer > Emissive | When path tracing is enabled, this setting enables or disables bounce lighting for emissive materials, which has an impact on global illumination. For example, small objects that have self-illuminated materials can increase image noise, especially in interior scenes. Options: On, Off |
Path Tracer > Aliasing filtering | Sets the anti-aliasing filter width when path tracing is enabled. Higher values produce smoother (blurrier) results. Lower values produce sharper results with more aliased edges. Options: 1.00 to 6.00 |
GI | Enables or disables global illumination (GI). Global illumination simulates dynamic indirect lighting, and mimics how light interacts with geometry and material surfaces. Options: On, Off |
GI > GI | When GI is enabled, this setting sets the intensity of global illumination. Options: 0.00 to 1.00 |
GI > Distance | When GI is enabled, this setting controls the distance from the camera within which global illumination is applied. For example, if the value is set to 400 meters, global illumination is applied only to the first 400 meters from the camera. Options: 1.00 m to 500.00 m |
Shadow | Sets the distance from the camera up to which shadows on objects are cast. For example, if the value is set to 500 meters, shadows on objects are cast for 500 meters only beginning at the camera. Smaller values provide a shorter range for cast shadows, but produce shadows that are more detailed (higher-resolution). Inversely, higher values provide a longer range, but result in less detailed shadows. Options: 10 m to 5000 m |
Shadow > Shadow bias | Sets the value of shadow bias. When the value is low, objects feel more grounded along a surface. A higher value helps to reduce unwanted self-shadowing on objects when the surface is lighted at a grazing angle. Options: 0.10 to 1.00 |
Lighting Settings
Environment
Defines the lighting and background environments that are used in Twinmotion scenes. You can select either:
Dynamic Sky, which is the default Twinmotion lighting environment.
Sky Light HDRI, to create even more realistic skies and lighting.
Backdrop HDRI, for custom lighting and backgrounds.
When Dynamic Sky is used, lighting is based on the Sun intensity, Moon intensity, and Ambient settings, and reflections are based on the Dynamic Sky.
When Sky Light HDRI or Backdrop HDRI environments are used, lighting and reflections are based on the information contained in the HDRI. However, lighting is still affected by the Dynamic Sky’s Ambient lighting settings.
HDRI environments are also affected by Ambient lighting. When HDRI environments are used, the Ambient lighting settings continue to have an effect on the lighting.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
Dynamic Sky | Provides lighting using the Dynamic Sky. By default, Dynamic Sky is enabled in Twinmotion scenes. The Dynamic Sky supports weather and time changes, and automatically manages the path of the sun in relation to the selected time. |
Sky Light HDRI | Provides lighting using Sky Light HDRIs, which are spherical domes onto which HDRIs are projected (UV mapped). When Sky Lights are added to a scene, they generate lighting and reflections based on the information in the HDRI. Sky Lights can be rotated but they cannot be moved or scaled. |
Sky Light HDRI > Intensity | When Sky Light HDRI is enabled, this setting controls the intensity of light emitted from the HDR image. Options: 1.00 to 20.00
|
Sky Light HDRI > Rotation | Rotates the Sky Light texture around the scene. If Match sun is enabled, the location of the sun changes as the Sky Light is rotated. Options: 0° to 360° |
Sky Light HDRI > Smog | When smog is enabled in Weather > Effects and this setting is also enabled, the smog not only affects the scene but affects the Sky Light as well. To use this setting, the Sky Light HDRI must be enabled, and the Path Tracer must be disabled. Options: On, Off |
Backdrop HDRI | Provides lighting using Backdrop HDRIs, which are hemispherical domes onto which HDRIs are projected (UV mapped). Backdrops provide a background for your scene, but they also generate lighting and reflections based on the information in the HDRI. Backdrops can be rotated and scaled, and the horizontal and vertical UV placement of the HDRI on the dome can be modified. They also have a ground plane that can receive shadows and supports physics; objects can be placed on the ground plane. |
Backdrop HDRI > Intensity | When Backdrop HDRI is enabled, this setting controls the intensity of light emitted from the Backdrop. Options: 0.00 to 20.00
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Backdrop HDRI > Rotation | Rotates the Backdrop texture around the scene. If Match sun is enabled, the location of the sun changes as the Backdrop is rotated. Options: 0° to 360° |
Backdrop HDRI > Size | Sets the diameter of the Backdrop’s hemisphere dome on which HDRIs are projected. Options: 0.5 to 500* m |
Backdrop HDRI > Projection offset | Determines the vertical UV projection of the HDRI on the hemisphere dome of the Backdrop. Options: 0.05 to 100.0 m
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Backdrop HDRI > Height offset | Determines the height offset of the Backdrop relative to its default position. Options: -10* to 10* m
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Backdrop HDRI > Weather | Enables or disables Weather settings (Settings > Weather). When enabled, weather settings have an effect on the Backdrop. Options: On, Off |
Exposure
Sets the exposure of the scene.
Options: -15.00 to 15.00
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
Auto-exposure | Enables or disables automatic exposure, which calculates the overall luminance of the scene and automatically adjusts the exposure to make the scene brighter or darker. Enabling automatic exposure is ideal when moving between interior and exterior scenes, as the exposure is automatically adjusted to mimic the effect of human eyesight when moving between bright and dark environments. Options: On, Off |
White bal.
Sets the white balance using the Kelvin scale.
Options: 5000 K to 15,000 K
Sun Intensity
Sets the overall intensity of the sun.
Options: 0 to 50*
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
Sun refl. | Sets the intensity of the sun’s specular reflections. Options: 0.00 to 1.00 |
Sun size | Sets the size of the sun. Options: 0.00 to 20.00 |
Moon Intensity
Sets the intensity of the moon during night scenes.
Options: 0.00 to 10.00
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
Stars intensity | Sets the intensity of stars during night scenes. To use this setting, the Skydome and Path Tracer must both be disabled. Options: 0.0 to 3.0 |
Ambient
Controls the ambient light emitted from the Dynamic Sky.
Even if a scene uses an HDRI environment, ambient lighting provided by the Dynamic Sky can be added to the HDRI lighting environment.
Options: 0.00 to 2.00
Location Settings
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
The map | Sets the physical location of a scene and retrieves the exact position of the sun according to the geographic coordinates of the location selected on the map. You can use this setting to conduct sun studies of your scene, such as visualizing the impact that shadows from your scene have on the surrounding area and the impact that shadows from the surrounding area have on your scene. Drag the icon to select a location on the map, and use the scroll-wheel on a mouse to zoom in and out of the map. To select a specific location, click the Search icon in the map and enter the location. To use this setting in an HDRI environment, Match sun must be disabled in the HDRI settings. To enable or disable Match sun, go to: Lighting > Sky Light HDRI (or Backdrop HDRI) > Intensity. |
Time of day | Sets the time of day of the scene. |
Month | Sets the month in which the scene appears and retrieves the exact position of the sun according to the selected month. With this setting, you can conduct sun studies, such as visualizing the impact that shadows from your scene have on the surrounding area and the impact that shadows from the surrounding area have on your scene. To use this setting in an HDRI environment, Match sun must be disabled in the HDRI settings. To enable or disable Match sun, go to: Lighting > Sky Light HDRI (or Backdrop HDRI) > Intensity. |
North offset | Sets the location of the geographic north in the scene. To use this setting in an HDRI environment, Match sun must be disabled in the HDRI settings. To enable or disable Match sun, go to: Lighting > Sky Light HDRI (or Backdrop HDRI) > Intensity. Options: 0° to 360° |
Background | Sets the background and rotation of the scene. |
Background > Picture | Sets the background of the scene. Options: None, City, Town, Countryside, Mountains, City island, Bay, Waterfront, European City |
Background > Rotation | Rotates the selected background around the scene. Options: 0° to 360° |
Weather Settings
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
Weather | Sets the weather used in the scene. |
Season | Sets the season that is used in the scene. |
Growth | Sets the age of vegetation. Options: 0.00 to 1.00 |
Effects | Sets the visual settings for wind speed, wind direction, smog, particles, and oceans. |
Effects > Wind Speed | Sets the wind speed, which affects flags and, to a degree, the leaves on foliage. The higher the value, the higher the wind speed. Options: 0.00 to 5.00 |
Effects > Direction | Sets the direction of the wind in degrees. Options: 0° to 360° |
Effects > Smog | Sets the intensity of smog in percentage, where 0 corresponds to no smog, and 100 corresponds to the maximum amount of smog. Options: 0% to 100% |
Effects > Particles | Enables or disables particles (such as rain and snow) that were created in the Weather setting. This setting also affects material shaders. Options: On, Off |
Effects > Ocean | Sets the visual settings for oceans. Options: On, Off
|
Camera Settings
The settings that are marked by an asterisk ( * ) are not available for panoramas.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
Focal length* (in Media mode only) | Sets the focal length of the camera in millimeters, based on the dimensions of a full-frame camera sensor. Any change applied to this setting also changes the focal length of the camera under the DOF setting (Camera > DOF > Focal length). Options: 2 to 1500 mm |
FOV* | Sets the field of view (FoV) of the camera in degrees. Any change applied to this setting also changes the FoV of the camera under the DOF setting (Camera > DOF > FOV). Options: 5° to 170° |
DOF | Enables or disables the depth of field (DoF) in the scene. Options: On, Off |
DOF > Distance | When DOF is enabled, this setting controls the focal point distance. Options: 0.10 m to 500.00*m You can use the Focus tool that appears on the Toolbar when in the DOF settings to click on an object in order to put it into focus. |
DOF > Focal length* (in Media mode only) | When DOF is enabled, this setting controls the focal length of the camera in millimeters, based on the dimensions of a full-frame camera sensor. Any change applied to this setting also changes the focal length under Camera > Focal length. Options: 2 to 1500 mm |
DOF > FOV* | When DOF is enabled, this setting controls the field of view (FoV) of the camera in degrees. Any change applied to this setting also changes the FoV under Camera > FOV. Options: 5° to 170° |
DOF > Aperture | When DOF is enabled, this setting controls the size of the aperture. Options: 1.0 to 10.0 |
DOF > Bokeh shape | When DOF is enabled, this setting controls the number of edges of the bokeh shape. Options: 4 to 16 |
Parallelism* | Enables or disables parallelism in images. Enabling parallelism makes vertical parallel lines appear vertical regardless of the viewing angle of the camera. Options: On, Off |
Vignetting* | Sets the percentage of vignetting. Options: 0\% to 100\% |
Lens flare* | Sets the intensity of lens flare. Options: 0\% to 100\% |
Near Clipping | This setting determines the distance at which the near clipping plane starts clipping (or hiding) objects that are in front of or nearest to the camera. The near clipping plane cuts objects perpendicularly to the angle of view of the camera, and can be moved forwards or backwards relative to the position of the camera. When viewing a small object in the Viewport at a close range to the camera, part of the object can sometimes get cut off (hidden) by the near clipping plane. Adjusting this value moves the clipping plane, and helps avoid clipping small objects when viewing them at close range. Options: 0.001 to 1* m |
Visual Effects | Sets visual effects for the scene. |
Visual Effects > Color Gradient | Use this setting to apply a color gradient, and to set the contrast and saturation levels.
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Visual Effects > Filters | Use this setting to apply a filter, and to select the type of filter. Options: None, 8-Bit, Ballpoint Pen, Blueprint 1, Blueprint 2, Cross Stitch, Halftone, Halftone Comic, Hatching, Hidden Line 1, Hidden Line 2, Line Heavy, Line Light Line Regular, SciFi |
Visual Effects > Clay Renderer | Enables or disables clay rendering, and sets the clay rendering options.
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Visual Effects > Reflections | Enables or disables SSR reflections, which add local reflections to opaque reflective surfaces. Local reflections are created using items in the scene that are visible in the Viewport. To use this setting, the Path Tracer must be disabled. Options: On, Off |
Scene State | Use this setting to apply scene states to images, panoramas, and to the keyframes and parts of videos. |