Ro-Render V3 | Documentation

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Ro-Render V3

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About Ro-Render:

Ro-Render is a powerful and user-friendly tool designed to create top-down orthographic projections of your maps, primarily for generating in-game minimaps. Since its initial release in January 2021, Ro-Render has become an essential tool for developers looking to add detailed and accurate minimaps to their games.

Currently in its third iteration, Ro-Render is gearing up for its fourth version. Each update brings new features, improvements, and optimizations, ensuring that Ro-Render evolves to meet the needs of the Roblox developer community.

Originally developed by @Widgeon, Ro-Render was created as a custom solution to help developers create high-quality minimaps for their games. Over time, the tool has been enhanced and modified to improve usability and expand its capabilities, making it accessible for developers of all skill levels.

How to Use RoRender V3:

  1. Create a Local Copy of Your Game:

    • Important: It is highly recommended that you perform the render in a local copy of your game. This allows you to delete transparent and translucent parts (and make other adjustments for the minimap) without affecting the main game.

  2. Install Prerequisites:

    • Plugin: Ensure the Ro-Render V3 plugin is installed.
    • Ro-Render Application: Download the appropriate version of the Ro-Render Application for your operating system:
      • Mac: Use the .dmg file.
      • Windows: Use the .exe file.

    Important Note: You may receive a warning when running the downloaded file. This is due to the program being unsigned, not a virus. You can ignore the warning or check out the source code and compile it yourself.

  3. Prepare Your Game:

    • Create a Local Copy: Save your game as a copy (no need to republish it to a new place).
    • Delete Transparent and Translucent Parts:
      • Transparent parts slow down the render, while translucent parts are rendered as opaque.
    • Remove All Scripts: Remove scripts to prevent interference during the rendering process.
    • Adjust Meshes and Unions: Set the CollisionFidelity of large meshes/unions to Default and color them to match their textures (since textures cannot be rendered).

  4. Enable HTTP Requests:
    Run the following code in the Command Bar to enable HTTP requests:

    game:GetService("HttpService").HttpEnabled = true

  5. Check Your System: Rendering will consume significant CPU power, so make sure your CPU cooling system is functioning properly.

Adding Ro-Render V3 Settings to Your Game:

  1. Open Your Game:

    • Open your game in Roblox Studio.

  2. Insert Ro-Render Plugin:

    • Launch the Ro-Render V3 Plugin.
    • Click the “Create Settings” button to insert the default settings into your game.

  3. Load the Settings:

    • Click the “Load Settings” button in the plugin to load the settings you’ve selected in Explorer.

Editing the Settings:

  1. Adjust the Purple Box (Render Area):

    • The purple box defines the area that will be rendered.
    • Resize the Box: Move the two spheres at opposite corners to adjust the size of the box.
    • Position and Rotate the Box:
      • Deselect everything, then select the ModuleScript (not the purple box).
      • Use Roblox’s move and rotate tools to adjust the box.
      • Do not rotate individual corners—always select both spheres to move or rotate the entire box.

  2. Determine Orientation:

    • Right-click on a corner and select Show Orientation Indicator to see where the front and top of the purple box are facing. The front of the box will be rendered at the top of the image.

  3. Other Settings:

    • Additional settings can be modified in the ModuleScript. Comments within the script explain the function of each setting.

Starting the Render:

  1. Verify Setup:

    • Make sure the Ro-Render Application is running.
    • Press the “Start Server” button in the Ro-Render Application.

  2. Monitor System Performance:

    • Use Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (Mac) to monitor CPU and memory usage.

  3. Handle Studio Unresponsiveness:

    • Studio may become unresponsive during rendering. Avoid clicking anything in Studio during this time.
    • Pause the Render: If your computer overheats or if you need to pause, set the PauseRender attribute in the Actors folder. Only do this when Studio is responsive, as the script pauses every few seconds to send pixel data.

  4. Start the Render:

    • Click the small arrow beneath the Play button in Studio and press Run. This will run the game without loading any players.
    • Important: Do not click Play, as your character will be rendered in the map, which is undesirable.

  5. Download the Image:

    • Once rendering is complete, press the “Download Image” button in the Ro-Render Application to save the image as a .png file.

Important Caveats:

  1. Texture Rendering Limitation:

    • RoRender cannot render textures. If your game uses textures, only the base color of parts will be visible in the final render.
    • Workaround: Color parts to match their textures or manually recreate the texture features using parts.

  2. Why Texture Rendering is Not Possible:

    • Roblox does not provide access to the texture details on parts, meaning the only available information is the part’s base color or material.
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