Render Manager is a Blender addon designed to simplify and automate the process of rendering from multiple cameras within a single scene. Born from the need to handle sequential renders, such as overnight batches, this tool empowers you to set up a list of shots and render them consecutively without manual intervention.

The core functionality allows you to select a camera collection and automatically render a still image or a full animation from each camera found within that collection and its sub-collections. This workflow is ideal for projects involving architectural visualization, product showcases, animatics, or any scenario requiring multiple static shots or camera angles from the same .blend file.

Additionally, the addon includes a powerful feature to save and load complex render settings. You can configure your output parameters (resolution, file format, engine settings, etc.), save them to an external file, and then quickly reload them in the future, ensuring consistency and saving valuable setup time across different sessions or projects.

Installing the Render Manager addon follows the standard procedure for any Blender addon.

1. Download the Addon: First, download the latest release of the addon as a .zip file from the marketplace. It is crucial that you DO NOT unzip or extract this file. Blender installs addons directly from the compressed .zip file.
2. Open Blender Preferences: Launch Blender and navigate to the preferences window by selecting Edit > Preferences....
3. Install from File: In the Preferences window, select the Add-ons tab on the left. Click the Install... button located at the top right of the window.
4. Select the .zip File: A file browser will open. Navigate to where you saved the downloaded .zip file, select it, and click the Install Add-on button.
5. Enable the Addon: Blender will install the addon and filter the list to show it. Find "Render: Render Manager" in the list and enable it by ticking the checkbox next to its name.

Once enabled, the Render Manager panel will be available in the Output Properties tab of the Properties editor.

The addon requires no special setup in Blender's Preferences. All settings are located directly in the addon panel.

You can find the panel in the Output Properties tab (the printer icon 🖨️) of the Properties window.

The core functionality of the Render Manager is accessible from its main panel located in the Output Properties tab. This panel centralizes all the necessary tools to set up and execute your render queue.

Setup Fields

Before starting a render, you must configure two primary fields:

• Render output dir:: This field sets the main folder where all rendered files will be saved. The addon uses the path specified here as the root directory for the output.
• Select a collection:: Here you must choose the collection that contains the cameras you wish to render. The addon will search this collection and any nested sub-collections for all camera objects and render from each one sequentially.

Execution Buttons

Once the setup is complete, you can start the rendering process using one of two operator buttons:

• Render Manager::Images: Clicking this button initiates a sequential render of a single, static frame from each camera found in the selected collection. This is ideal for producing multiple still shots.
• Render Manager::Animations: This button starts a sequential render of the full animation (based on the scene's frame range) from each camera in the selected collection.

Save & Load Render Settings

To ensure consistency and speed up your workflow, the addon includes two powerful utilities in dedicated sub-panels:

• Save Settings: This tool allows you to save your scene's current render settings—including resolution, file format, quality, engine-specific parameters, and frame range—to an external .brm configuration file.
• Load Settings: This tool loads a previously saved .brm file, instantly applying all its stored render parameters to the current scene. This is perfect for maintaining a consistent look across different projects or work sessions.

To get the most out of the Render Manager, it's helpful to adopt a structured workflow. This addon is designed to fit seamlessly into a production pipeline by encouraging organization and consistency.

1. Scene Organization

The foundation of an effective workflow begins with how you organize your scene. Before using the addon, it's a best practice to create a dedicated collection (e.g., "Render_Cameras" or "Shots") and place all camera objects you intend to render into it. The addon recursively scans the selected collection, so you can even organize cameras further into sub-collections for clarity (e.g., "Level_01_Shots", "Level_02_Shots"). This keeps your main scene clean and ensures the addon only renders the cameras you have explicitly designated for the batch.

2. Creating Render Presets

Instead of configuring render settings manually every time, the intended workflow is to create standardized presets.

Set up your ideal render configuration once—adjusting the resolution, engine (Cycles/Eevee), samples, file format, and quality. Then, use the Save Settings tool to save this configuration to a .brm file (e.g., Final_Eevee_Preset.brm or Draft_Cycles_Preset.brm). Now, whenever you need to render a batch of shots from any file, you can simply use Load Settings to apply that preset, guaranteeing absolute consistency and saving significant setup time.

3. "Fire-and-Forget" Batch Rendering

The primary workflow is designed for efficiency. Once your cameras are organized and your render settings are loaded from a preset, you can start the render process and let the addon handle the rest. This "fire-and-forget" approach is perfect for rendering a large number of shots overnight or while you are away from the computer, knowing that each camera will be rendered sequentially without any further input required. The addon will name each output file or folder based on the camera's name, keeping your render output tidy and organized automatically.

Rendering Your First Image Batch

This tutorial will guide you through the entire process of setting up a simple scene and rendering multiple still images using the Render Manager addon.

Goal: To automatically render a separate image from two different cameras in a single operation.

Part 1: Setting Up the Scene

First, we need to organize our cameras.

1. Create a Collection: In the Outliner, create a new collection and name it Render_Cams. This will hold all the cameras we want to render.
2. Add Cameras: Add two cameras to your scene (Shift + A > Camera).
3. Position Your Shots: Move each camera to frame your scene from a different angle. For example, one could be a wide shot and the other a close-up.
4. Organize Cameras: Drag both camera objects into the Render_Cams collection in the Outliner. Your scene is now properly organized for the addon.

Part 2: Configuring the Render Settings

The addon uses Blender's existing render settings.

1. Navigate to the Render Properties tab (the camera icon).
2. Set your desired render engine (e.g., Eevee or Cycles).
3. Navigate to the Output Properties tab (the printer icon).
4. Set the Resolution (e.g., 1920 x 1080 px) and choose a File Format. For this tutorial, select JPEG.

Part 3: Using the Render Manager

Now we will use the addon's interface.

1. While still in the Output Properties tab, scroll down to find the Render Manager panel.
2. Set Output Folder: In the Render output dir: field, click the folder icon and choose a directory on your computer where you want to save the final images.
3. Select Camera Collection: In the Select a collection: field, click and search for the Render_Cams collection we created earlier.

Part 4: Executing and Checking the Results

The setup is complete.

1. Click the Render Manager::Images button to begin.
2. Blender will now render the view from the first camera, save it as a JPEG file in your chosen output folder, and then automatically proceed to render and save the view from the second camera.
3. Once the process is finished, navigate to the output folder you selected. You will find two images, named after your camera objects (e.g., Camera.jpg and Camera.001.jpg).

Congratulations, you have successfully completed a batch render! This same process can be used for dozens of cameras to render animations or stills, all in one go.

Q: I clicked a render button, but nothing happens or I get an error in the console.

A: This is the most common issue and is usually caused by one of two things:

1. No Collection Selected: Make sure you have selected a collection in the Select a collection: field within the Render Manager panel.
2. Empty Collection: The selected collection might not contain any camera objects. Ensure that the cameras you want to render are placed inside the collection you have selected.

Q: Does the addon find cameras in sub-collections?

A: Yes. The addon is designed to scan the selected collection and all collections nested inside it. Any camera found in this hierarchy will be added to the render queue.

Q: How do I change settings like resolution, file format, or render quality?

A: The addon uses Blender's native settings. Before starting a render, configure all your output settings as you normally would in Blender's Render Properties (for engine settings, sampling, etc.) and Output Properties (for resolution, frame rate, file format, etc.). You can then optionally use the "Save Settings" feature to create a preset from this configuration.

Q: What information is stored in the .brm settings file?

A: The .brm file saves a comprehensive snapshot of your render setup. This includes the main render settings (like resolution and engine type), image-specific settings (like color depth and compression), animation-specific settings (like FFmpeg video codecs), and the scene's frame range (start, end, and step).

Q: How are my rendered files named?

A: The output files are automatically named after the camera object they were rendered from. For example, a camera named Cam_CloseUp will produce a file or folder named Cam_CloseUp. This helps keep your output directory organized.

Q: How can I stop a batch render that is already in progress?

A: You can cancel the render queue at any time by pressing the Esc key. The addon will gracefully stop the process after the current frame or shot is finished rendering or cancelled.

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!