pRender

pRender is a data boundary, not merely the last box in the graph. pEmitter, forces, pChangeStyle, pMerge and other particle tools feed particle data into it; the output data type depends on Output Mode.

The Resolve 21 Particle Nodes reference describes 3D as the default output. In 3D mode the result is geometry for a classic Fusion 3D pipeline and still needs Renderer3D before it becomes a final 2D image. Switch to 2D when the next node is Merge, an image effect or MediaOut.

pRender has three distinct inputs: orange Particles, optional green Camera, and optional blue Effect Mask. Camera accepts a Camera3D or a 3D scene containing a camera. Effect Mask applies to 2D particle rendering; it is not a particle Region or a second particle stream.

Pre-Roll is an action button, not a numeric frame-count control. It reconstructs the particle system from the start of the render range up to the current frame without producing the final rendered image for every intervening frame.

Automatic Pre-Roll performs that temporal reconstruction whenever the current frame changes. It is convenient for lightweight systems; long expensive simulations may be easier to inspect with manual Pre-Roll after deliberate timeline jumps.

Restart is different: it restarts the particle system at the current frame, discarding particles created before that point. Use it as a reset/diagnostic action, not as a replacement for reconstructing historical state.

Pre-Generate Frames solves a third problem: it generates state before the first valid frame so smoke, snow or dust can already exist when a shot begins.

Sub-frame Accuracy controls how many temporal sub-samples are calculated between frames. Higher values improve fast particle/force evaluation but cost more. This is also the pRender control referenced by pPointForce when discussing temporal overshoot.

The captured Resolve Inspector exposes Integration Method as Euler or Runge-Kutta 4. Hold seed, range and surrounding particle settings constant when comparing integration choices.

Only render in HiQ [2D] is an interactive-performance option. With Viewer HiQ disabled, expensive 2D particle styles can be represented as fast Point particles; enable HiQ to judge the intended final style.

View [2D] chooses the internal projection viewpoint: Scene (Perspective) or orthographic Front/Top/Side. It is ignored when a Camera3D drives the Camera input and does not define the final camera of a 3D output pipeline.

The Scene tab primarily controls the internal virtual view used by 2D Scene (Perspective): Translation, Rotation, Pivot, Zoom, Perspective, Z Clip and Focal Length change projection/viewing, not the already-rendered image as a normal Transform node would.

Z Clip defines a near clipping plane in front of the internal camera so particles crossing too close to the lens are clipped instead of filling the frame.

The Grid tab is a non-rendering Viewer guide for orienting 2D particles in 3D space. Blackmagic notes that it does not affect 3D particles, never appears in the render, and its controls are not animatable.

Blur, Glow and Blur Blend are 2D image-stage controls. For complex finishing it is often clearer to keep pRender neutral and use separate downstream Blur/Glow nodes.

Kill Particles That Leave the View can improve performance by destroying off-frame particles, but those particles never return even if later forces would have brought them back into view.

Generate Z Buffer [2D] writes particle depth for downstream depth operations and can substantially increase render time. Depth Merge Particles uses depth-aware merging instead of simple layer ordering.

The captured Inspector exposes Material ID [3D] and Object ID [3D] with Global/Per Set modes. Treat these as 3D metadata, distinct from upstream particle Set filtering and from the 2D Z Buffer.

The Image tab controls the technical 2D image output: Process Mode, Width/Height, Pixel Aspect, Auto Resolution and Depth. Auto Resolution normally follows the working frame format.

Source Color Space in the pRender reference is metadata tagging/passing for a linear workflow rather than a substitute for an actual Gamut conversion. Auto reads existing metadata; Space lets you specify it.

Source Gamma Space provides Auto, Space or Log interpretation. Remove Curve can remove the selected/detected gamma or perform log-to-linear processing for a linear workflow.

Pre-Divide / Post-Multiply is relevant around color/gamma processing of premultiplied imagery, especially image-style particles with soft alpha edges.

Motion Blur lives in Settings. For 2D particles pRender provides the usual quality/shutter/sample controls; for 3D pRender output Blackmagic also requires matching motion-blur settings in Renderer3D.

Troubleshoot pRender from data type outward: verify Particles and Output Mode first, then temporal state, then View/Scene and depth, and only then image/color/motion-blur finishing.