Quick Showcase is a Blender addon designed to streamline and automate the creation of studio-like presentation renders. If you need to quickly generate multiple views of a model for a portfolio, product visualization, or client presentation, this tool can save you significant time by building a complete render setup with a single click.

The core purpose of the addon is to instantly generate a professional lighting and camera rig centered around your selected object. It automatically creates a circular array of lights and cameras, all pointing towards your model. The entire setup can be linked to your object's position, rotation, and scale, ensuring that the showcase rig remains perfectly aligned even if you move or transform your model.

Key features include:

• Automatic Rig Generation: Creates a full setup of cameras and lights around the active object.
• Customizable Scene: Control the number of cameras and lights, set custom background and environment lighting colors, and more.
• Transform Following: The entire rig can automatically copy the location, rotation, and scale of your primary object.
• One-Click Rendering: A dedicated operator renders an image from each camera in the setup sequentially.
• Image Composition: After rendering, the addon can automatically stitch all the individual shots into a single image strip, either horizontally or vertically, ready for sharing.

You can find the addon's control panel in the Output Properties tab, making it a natural part of your rendering workflow. In essence, Quick Showcase handles the repetitive technical setup, allowing you to focus on your model.

To begin, you will need the blender_quick_showcase_X.Y.Z.zip file you downloaded from the marketplace.

⚠️ IMPORTANT

You must install the addon using the .zip file directly. DO NOT extract or unzip its contents. Blender's installation process is designed to work with the compressed .zip file.

Once you have the file ready, follow these steps to install it:

1. Open Blender.
2. From the top menu, navigate to Edit > Preferences.
3. In the Preferences window, select the Add-ons tab.
4. Click the Install... button at the top of the window.
5. A file browser will appear. Locate and select the blender_quick_showcase_X.Y.Z.zip file you downloaded.
6. Click the Install Add-on button.
7. After a moment, you will be back in the Add-ons list. Search for "Quick Showcase" and enable it by clicking the checkbox next to its name.

Quick Showcase is designed for immediate use right after installation.

There are no separate configuration steps needed in Blender's main Edit > Preferences window. All settings and controls are consolidated into a single, convenient panel.

To access the addon's interface:

1. Go to the Properties Editor (usually on the right-hand side of the main 3D Viewport).
2. Select the Output Properties tab, which has a printer icon.
3. Scroll down, and you will find the Quick Showcase panel.

This panel is your central hub for using the addon. From here, you will define how the render scene is generated, manage the final render process, and tweak all available parameters.

The entire workflow of the addon revolves around two primary buttons found in the Quick Showcase panel. These tools handle the scene creation and the final rendering.

Setup showcase

This is the main button for building the environment. When you click it, the addon reads all the settings currently configured in the panel and instantly generates the complete showcase rig.

It performs the following actions:

• Creates a dedicated collection to keep your scene organized.
• Generates the specified number of cameras and lights, arranging them in a circle.
• Sets up all necessary constraints so that the cameras and lights automatically point towards and follow your selected object.
• Creates a new world environment if you've enabled the background option.

Think of this button as the "build" step.

Render Showcase

Once the rig is built, this is the button you press to get your final images. It initiates a fully automated process that:

• Cycles through each camera created by the "Setup" tool.
• Renders one image from the perspective of each camera.
• If the Create Composition option is active, it will combine all the resulting images into a single file (a horizontal or vertical strip), perfect for presentations.

This button is the "execute" step that produces the final output.

Beyond the main buttons, Quick Showcase provides a range of settings to give you detailed control over both the scene generation and the final output. All of these options are located in the addon's panel.

Scene Generation

These parameters control the core elements of the rig that will be built.

• N. cameras: This allows you to define the exact number of cameras to create. The cameras will be distributed evenly in a 360-degree circle around the object.
• N. lights: Similar to cameras, this defines the number of Area lights to place around the object, ensuring smooth and consistent illumination.

World & Background

• Add background color (new World): When enabled, the addon creates an entirely new World setup for your scene. This is a powerful feature that allows for separate control over the scene's lighting and the visible background color.
• Background color: Sets the color of the background that is directly visible to the camera. This is the color that will appear behind your model in the final render.
• Environment light color: Sets the color of the light that illuminates the entire scene. This color affects your model's reflections and overall hue but does not change the visible background color.

Target Linking

These three toggles allow the showcase rig to dynamically follow the transformations of your active object.

• Copy location: The entire rig will move to match the object's position.
• Copy rotation: The rig will rotate along with the object.
• Copy scale: The rig will scale to match the object's size.

Final Composition

These settings control the automated post-render process.

• Combine showcase images: If enabled, the addon will automatically stitch all the individual renders into a single composite image strip after the rendering process is complete.
• Composition direction: This lets you choose whether the final images are combined side-by-side (horizontal) or stacked on top of each other (vertical).

Here is a typical step-by-step example of how to use Quick Showcase to create a presentation strip for your model, from start to finish.

Step 1: Prepare Your Model

Before using the addon, make sure your scene is ready.

1. Load your 3D model into Blender.
2. The most important step is to select the object you want to feature. The addon needs an active object to know what to focus on.

Step 2: Configure the Showcase Panel

Now, navigate to the addon's panel to define how the rig and the render should look.

1. Go to the Properties Editor and click on the Output Properties tab (the printer icon) to find the Quick Showcase panel.
2. Adjust the settings. For a standard 8-angle showcase, you might use:
   • N. cameras: 8
   • N. lights: 4
   • Add background color: Enabled.
   • Background color: A dark, neutral grey.
   • Environment light color: A light, almost white grey.
   • Copy location, rotation, scale: Enable all three to ensure the rig stays locked to your model.
   • Combine showcase images: Enabled.
   • Composition direction: horizontal.
3. Remember: The addon uses Blender's global render settings. Make sure you have set your preferred Render Engine (Cycles or Eevee), Resolution, and Output Path in the standard render properties.

Step 3: Generate the Rig

This is the magic step.

1. With your settings configured, click the Setup showcase button.
2. You will instantly see a new collection named showcase appear in your Outliner. This contains all the newly created cameras, lights, and control objects, all perfectly arranged around your model.

Step 4: Review and Fine-Tune (Optional)

Before committing to a final render, you can check the setup.

1. Try moving or rotating your main model. You should see the entire showcase rig follow its every move.
2. If you want to tweak the lighting, you can manually select an individual light from the showcase collection and adjust its energy, color, or position.

Step 5: Render Your Showcase

Once you are satisfied with the setup, it's time to produce the final result.

1. Click the Render Showcase button.
2. The addon will now begin its automated sequence. It will render the scene from each camera, one after the other. This may take a while depending on your render settings.
3. When the process is finished, check your designated output folder. You will find all the individual images (e.g., showcase_cam0.png, showcase_cam45.png, etc.) and a final, combined image named showcase.png containing the complete horizontal strip of all your renders.

Creating Your First Showcase

This tutorial will guide you through creating a complete 4-angle showcase of a model from a fresh Blender scene. We will use Blender's "Suzanne" (monkey) primitive as our subject.

Part 1: Scene Preparation

First, let's set up a clean scene with our model.

1. Open Blender and start a new General file (File > New > General).
2. Delete the default Cube. Select it and press X.
3. Add the Monkey primitive: press Shift + A and go to Mesh > Monkey.
4. To make Suzanne look better for rendering, select her, go to the Modifier Properties, and add a Subdivision Surface modifier. Set the Levels Viewport to 2.
5. With Suzanne still selected, right-click on her and choose Shade Smooth.
6. This is the most important step: Make sure Suzanne is the currently selected (active) object.

Part 2: Configuring the Quick Showcase Addon

Now we will use the addon to build a rig around Suzanne.

1. Navigate to the Output Properties tab to find the Quick Showcase panel.
2. We will now input some exact values for our tutorial:
   • N. cameras: Set this to 4. This will give us perfect front, right, back, and left views.
   • N. lights: Set this to 3. This creates a classic and effective "three-point lighting" setup.
   • Enable Add background color.
   • Background color: Choose a dark blue (e.g., RGB: 0.01, 0.02, 0.05).
   • Environment light color: Choose a very light, faint yellow (e.g., RGB: 0.9, 0.88, 0.8).
   • Ensure all three Copy location, Copy rotation, and Copy scale toggles are active.
   • Enable Combine showcase images and set the Composition direction to horizontal.
3. Double-check your settings, then click the Setup showcase button.

You should now see three lights and four cameras appear around Suzanne in the viewport.

Part 3: Rendering the Final Image

The scene is ready. Let's create our final image.

1. Before you render, go to the Output Properties and set the Output path. It's best practice to create a dedicated folder for your renders.
2. Click the Render Showcase button.
3. The addon will now render the scene from all four cameras. Be patient as this may take a moment.
4. Once finished, navigate to the output folder you specified. You will find four images of Suzanne from different angles, along with one final image named showcase.png that contains all four shots stitched together.

Congratulations, you've completed your first showcase!

Once you are comfortable with the basic workflow, you can begin to use the addon's components in more flexible and creative ways. The generated rig is not a locked system; it's a fully editable starting point for more advanced shots.

Technique 1: Independent Animation (Decoupling the Rig)

By default, the showcase rig is parented to your model and copies its movements. For complex animations, you might want the model, cameras, and lights to move independently.

The Concept Instead of having a static model with a moving camera rig (the default turntable effect), you can create a static studio environment where your model performs an animation, or where the cameras and lights have their own separate animation paths.

How to Achieve It This is surprisingly simple. Before you click the Setup showcase button:

• In the panel, disable one or more of the Copy location, Copy rotation, or Copy scale toggles.

When you now click Setup showcase, the rig will be generated at your object's current position, but it will no longer be constrained to it. The model and the rig are now independent.

Creative Possibilities

• Animate Your Model: You can now animate your character or product (e.g., a walking animation, a device opening and closing) while it remains inside the professional, static lighting and camera setup.
• Complex Camera Moves: You can animate the showcase_cam_handler object to create sweeping camera moves or fly-throughs that are independent of the model's own animation.
• Dynamic Lighting: Animate the showcase_lights_handler object to create dramatic effects, like lights that sweep across your model.

Technique 2: Artistic Rig Customization

The Setup showcase button provides a perfectly uniform, symmetrical rig. For more artistic control, you can manually edit the rig's components after they have been created.

The Concept Use the addon to do the heavy lifting of creating the initial circular setup, then manually fine-tune individual elements to achieve a specific artistic vision.

How to Achieve It

1. Click Setup showcase as you normally would.
2. Go to the Outliner and expand the showcase collection.
3. Here, you can select and edit any individual light or camera.

Creative Possibilities

• Custom Lighting Ratios: Instead of uniform lighting, you can create a classic three-point lighting setup. Select one light and increase its Energy to act as your Key Light. Select another and lower its energy to act as a Fill Light. You can even change their colors individually.
• Softer Shadows: Select a specific light and increase its Size. This will cause the shadows cast by that light to become softer and more diffuse.
• Dramatic Camera Angles: Select one of the generated cameras and change its Focal Length. You could set one camera to have a wide-angle lens and another to be a telephoto lens for a dramatic close-up, all within the same automated render pass.
• High-Contrast Scenes: For a more dramatic, "film noir" look, simply delete one or two of the generated lights to create deeper, more pronounced shadows.

Q: I clicked "Setup showcase" but nothing happens, or I get an error. A: This is the most common issue and almost always means you haven't selected an object. The addon needs an active object to know what to build the rig around. Simply click on your model in the 3D Viewport to select it, and then try clicking the button again.

Q: The showcase rig was created, but it’s not centered on my model. A: The addon uses your object's Origin Point as the center for the rig. If your model's origin is located far away from its actual geometry, the rig will appear offset. To fix this, select your model, right-click in the viewport, and choose Set Origin > Origin to Geometry. This will recenter the origin. You can then run "Setup showcase" again.

Q: Why doesn't the rig move when I move my model? A: For the rig to automatically follow your model, the Copy location, Copy rotation, and Copy scale toggles must be enabled in the panel before you click "Setup showcase". If these are disabled, the rig is created as a separate, independent object.

Q: My renders use the default grey background, not the color I picked in the panel. A: To use the addon's custom background and environment colors, you must have the "Add background color (new World)" checkbox enabled. If this option is turned off, the addon will not generate its custom world environment and will simply use whatever world is currently active in your scene.

Q: The render is finished, but the final combined image strip (showcase.png) is missing. A: The final image composition is an optional feature. To enable it, you must check the box for "Combine showcase images" in the panel before you click "Render Showcase".

Q: How do I change the render resolution or switch between the Cycles and Eevee engines? A: Quick Showcase uses Blender's global project settings for rendering. You can configure all render-related options—such as resolution, render engine, file format, and sampling—in Blender's standard Render Properties and Output Properties tabs, just as you would for any normal render.

If you believe you have found a bug or are experiencing an issue not covered in this documentation, we encourage you to report it. Your feedback is essential for improving the addon for everyone.

Please use the official contact method or support ticket system on the marketplace where you purchased the product (e.g., Blender Market, Gumroad, etc.).

What to Include in Your Bug Report

To help us resolve the issue as quickly as possible, please include the following information in your report:

• Addon Version: The version of the addon you are using (e.g., 1.5.0).
• Blender Version: The version of Blender you are using (e.g., 4.1, 3.6 LTS).
• Operating System: Your operating system (e.g., Windows 11, macOS Sonoma, Linux).
• A Clear Description of the Problem: Please describe what happened and what you expected to happen.
• Steps to Reproduce: A numbered list of the exact steps needed to trigger the bug. This is the most important part of the report.
• Error Messages: If any error messages appear, please open Blender's System Console (Window > Toggle System Console) and copy and paste the entire message into your report.
• Sample .blend File (Optional but very helpful): If possible, attaching a simple .blend file that demonstrates the issue is the best way for us to quickly identify and fix the problem.

Thank you for taking the time to submit a report. We appreciate your help in making our tools better!