16.4. Limitations

The current raytracer only supports rendering on a single machine. Not all scene objects and rendering styles in the OpenGL rendering window can be rendered using the raytracer. Below is a list of restrictions:

  • Multiple viewports

  • Volume rendering

  • Line elements

  • Hidden line (grid display on)

  • 3D annotations (Text in 3d space or 3d glyphs)

  • Auxiliary Clipping

  • Contour parts

  • Profile parts

  • Tensor glyphs

  • Particle traces shown in a line representation, including Animated Traces

  • Vector arrows

  • Axis triad

  • The Color by palette options of Limit fringes → By invisible and Display undefined → By invisible

  • Any part colored with Per Element Variables will be rendered as a single color.

  • Do not export flipbook animations

  • Due to the limitation of the OSPRay raytracer, the liquid material type does not support subsurface scattering.

  • When two or more surfaces overlap/very close (for example, use of shadow parts), EnSight can use a per-part attribute called Facing Front/Facing Back to correctly show the parts in the right order to the viewer (for example, which of those overlapping parts do you see). The OSPRay Ray Tracing capability does not have this capability. Therefore, when using the Facing Front/Facing Back capability in EnSight, the OSPRay rendering will not necessarily respect that display order; potentially resulting in the other surface or a mixture of the surfaces being rendered.

  • When two or more surfaces overlap/very close (for example, use of shadow parts), EnSight can use a capability called Group Transform Polygone Offset to correctly show the parts in the right order to the viewer (for example, which of those overlapping parts do you see). The OSPRay Ray Tracing capability does not have this capability, and therefore when using the Polygon Offset, the OSPRay rendering will notrespect that display order, resulting a mixture of surfaces being rendered when the surfaces overlap.

When the raytracer meets a scene with one or more limitations in the above list, it will issue a warning message box. You must confirm that the limitations can be ignored, in order for the raytracing process to continue.