3D Render Time Calculator

This 3D rendering calculator allows you to estimate the time required for rendering animations or multiple images and conversely calculate the requirements. By entering the render time per frame, total number of frames, and number of machines, it calculates the overall rendering time.

If a field is left blank, the corresponding value can be recalculated. This answers two typical questions that creative people face: How long can an individual frame take to render at most in order to meet the delivery date? And how many machines are needed to complete the job by the due date?

Rendering time calculation method:

Since animations are rendered frame by frame, the total amount of work is the total number of frames multiplied by the time it takes to render each frame. By distributing the work across multiple machines, the actual wait time is reduced proportionally to the number of machines.

This formula assumes that all machines have the same computing power and work continuously until the task is completed. As real rendering farms are somewhat more complex, the result should not be considered an exact measurement in seconds but a reliable planning guideline.

Example calculation:

The first few frames take about 15 minutes each and the entire shot is made up of 50 frames. If you are rendering on a single computer, it will take a total of 750 minutes, which is 12 hours (calculated by multiplying 15 by 50).

By adding a second computer you can do the same work in half the time. This calculator automatically calculates these values and shows both the time required for one computer as well as when multiple computers are used so that you can see how much time is saved by using more hardware.

Calculate maximum render time per frame based on a delivery date.

When the total rendering time is fixed, it depends on how detailed each frame can be to meet that deadline. By reducing the render quality, number of samples or resolution you can reduce the rendering time per frame.

Enter the total number of frames and available computers, set the time available in the Total Render Time field, and leave the Render Time Per Frame field blank. If you need to complete 50 frames with 2 computers within 8 hours, the calculation result is 19.2 minutes per frame. Any slight overrun will cause you to miss your deadline.

Calculating the required number of computers.

Sometimes the desired rendering quality is already set and cannot be compromised. This often applies to many commercial projects. In such cases there is only one way to meet deadlines: you have to use additional computing power.

The time to render per frame and the total number of frames remain constant. The total rendering time is set as a deadline while the number of machines is left blank. As you cannot rent fractional machines, the calculator rounds up to the nearest whole number.

Calculate total number of frames based on length of animation.

If you know the length of your clip but not the exact number of frames, please enable the option "Animation Duration". The total number of frames will be calculated by multiplying the frame rate with the duration.

Movies are usually shot at 24 frames per second, many videos are shot at 30 frames per second and real-time footage or game footage is often shot at 60 frames per second. A clip that's 10 seconds long with a frame rate of 24 would have 240 total frames, and this calculator will use that number of frames in the formula to calculate render time.

The actual cost of rendering a single frame.

The render time per frame varies widely depending on the scene; simple product shots can be completed in a few seconds while complex VFX sequences can take several hours.

An example of a large production is the film Toy Story 3 by Pixar, which has about 114,240 frames. Even with 117 machines, the total rendering time was approximately 1,084 days, or an average of about 27 hours per frame. Rendering of the black hole in Interstellar reportedly took nearly 100 hours for each individual frame.

Methods to speed up rendering:

The most direct method is to increase the number of machines; distributed rendering can be scaled almost linearly. With ten machines, the same task will take about one-tenth of the time it would take a single machine. If you don't have your own hardware, cloud rendering services can be rented by the hour.

For a single machine, a faster processor is more effective. Switching from CPU to GPU rendering will usually speed up the process considerably, though accuracy of results may be slightly reduced with GPUs. Optimizing your scene can also help. Reducing polygons, removing objects outside the frame and using adaptive sampling or proxy geometry can reduce render times per frame without upgrading hardware.

Estimation of electricity costs for rendering.

Rendering is a power intensive task so running multiple machines over an extended period of time can result in significant electricity costs. If you enable the Electricity Costs option and enter the total power consumption for all your machines as well as the cost per kilowatt hour, then you will be able to estimate the power usage and cost.

Electricity consumption is calculated by multiplying the power with time. For example a machine of 500 watts that runs for 12 hours part-time will consume about 6.25 kilowatt-hours. At a price of 15 cents per kilowatt-hour, electricity costs for this render are just under one dollar.

The results of this calculator are a guideline and should only be used for planning purposes. The actual render time depends on the hardware, renderer, complexity of scene and individual settings. Always allow sufficient buffer before guaranteed delivery times.