Render engine
The software that calculates final images from a 3D scene's geometry, materials, lights and camera.
Offline engines
Offline engines such as V-Ray, KeyShot and Blender's Cycles use ray tracing and path tracing to simulate light very accurately. A single high resolution jewelry image can take minutes or longer, but the control and accuracy are excellent. They suit hero images and print.
Real-time engines
Real-time engines, the kind used in games and in browser-based studios, draw images many times per second. They use fast approximations for indirect light and shadows, and dedicated techniques for difficult materials such as gems. Results appear immediately, so you can change a metal or an angle and see the effect at once.
What jewelry needs from an engine
- accurate reflections on polished metal,
- convincing refraction, dispersion and internal reflection in stones,
- high dynamic range lighting from HDRIs,
- clean edges on thin prongs and pavé,
- high resolution output for zoom and print.
RenderMyJewels
The RenderMyJewels studio runs a real-time engine in your web browser using your computer's graphics hardware, with jewelry-specific gem materials. Nothing needs to be installed, and images and videos export straight from the page. For most catalogue, marketplace and social work, real time is the faster route, while many teams keep an offline renderer for occasional hero images and large prints. Our comparisons explain where each one fits.