Render Commander

Blender add‑on for background rendering with multi‑GPU support.

The add-on provides a simple and intuitive UI to configure render jobs and device-parallel execution. All selected options are compiled into fully generated render executables, allowing you to either launch renders immediately or export them for later use.

Features

Device-Parallel Rendering

The addon uses its own render-device selection and automates your rendering workflow by launching a separate background Blender instance for each enabled compute device. It also supports different frame allocations methods and rendering across multiple Cycles backends simultaneously.

Render Presets & Overrides

Tweak resolution, samples, output paths, and more, without altering your original scene. Save and reuse presets for different project stages (draft, final, client review, etc.).

External Blend Files

Render scenes stored in external .blend files without opening them in Blender. Preview scene settings, apply overrides, and start renders directly from the add-on panel.

Advanced Options

• Desktop Notifications – Get notified when a render job finishes.

• System Power Control – Keeps your PC awake during renders and can automatically sleep or shut down once all jobs are complete.

• Custom Blender Executables – Define custom Blender paths to use different versions or builds.

• Append Python Scripts – Attach your own Python scripts to render jobs for logging, post-processing, or pipeline integration.

Screenshots

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Requirements

• Blender 4.2 - 5.0
• Windows 11, Linux

Installation

1. Download the latest release from the Releases page.
2. In Blender, go to Edit > Preferences > Get Extensions.
3. Click Install from Disk… and select the downloaded .zip file.
4. Enable the add-on by checking the box next to Render Commander.

Usage

1. Open the Render Commander panel in the Viewport Sidebar panel.
2. Choose a render mode: Image, Animation, or Frame List.
3. Optionally:
   • Apply a preset or override specific settings.
   • In the Add‑on Preferences, select the render devices for Cycles Render.
4. Click Render > your render job starts immediately.

Build from Source

git clone https://github.com/n4dirp/Render-Commander.git
cd Render-Commander/render_commander
blender --command extension build --split-platforms