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Zero Engine features

Everything Zero Engine includes, from the first preview to the final 8K frame.

122 features in 12 groups

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Real-time preview

Every change, on screen at full speed.

  • Previews at 4K60Smooth, sharp playback while you work.
  • Instant updatesEvery change shows up on the next frame.
  • What you see is what you getThe preview and the final film come from the same engine.
  • One engine in every appvideo, 3D, design, sound, web, architecture and engineering all draw through it.
  • Any scene, anywhereA 3D scene in a motion graphic, a motion graphic in the cut, all drawn the same.
  • Past versions on requestShow a placed scene exactly as it was when you pinned it.
  • Smooth text in motionType stays steady and crisp, even under the slowest camera move.
  • Scrub without waitingJump anywhere in a long film and see the frame at once.
  • Stays smooth in the backgroundElements you're not using step aside so the one in front stays fast.

Light

Light that behaves like the real thing.

  • SunA sun you can place by time of day, with crisp, parallel shadows.
  • Sky lightSoft ambient light from the whole sky.
  • Physical skyA sky that changes color with the sun, with haze toward the horizon.
  • Lamps and spotlightsBulbs, spots and cones, placed anywhere.
  • Area lightsSoft light from panels and windows, with barn doors.
  • Light from a photo of a placeLight a scene with a real location all around it.
  • Color by temperatureWarm candlelight to cool daylight, set in degrees.
  • Real-world light shapesLamps that throw the same pattern as real fixtures.
  • Patterned lightLight through blinds, leaves or stained glass.
  • Glowing surfaces light the roomScreens and neon cast real light.
  • Many lights at onceHundreds of soft, shadow-casting lights in one scene.
  • Light linkingChoose which objects each light touches.
  • Light mixerEvery light in the scene in one list, quick to adjust.

Bounce light and reflections

Light that fills a room the way it really does.

  • Bounce lightLight spills off walls and floors and colors what's nearby.
  • Live as you moveMove a light or a wall and the bounce follows instantly.
  • Reflections of the whole sceneEven objects off screen show up in mirrors and metal.
  • Mirror-perfect floorsCrisp reflections on glossy, flat surfaces.
  • Glass and water reflectionsReflections on clear surfaces too.
  • Soft cornersNatural shading where surfaces meet.
  • Fine contact shadowsSmall objects sit firmly on the ground.
  • Quality or speedChoose more bounce detail for finals, more speed while you work.

Shadows

Shadows with depth and softness.

  • Sharp, detailed shadowsFine shadows that stay crisp up close and far away.
  • Soft shadowsShadows that soften with the size of the light.
  • Ray-traced shadowsExact shadows for the cleanest finals.
  • Cloud shadowsClouds drift across the land below.
  • Character shadowsSoft shadows under people and creatures.
  • Shadows in fogLight shafts cut through haze.

Film-quality finals

Every bounce of light, traced.

  • Ray-traced finalsEvery bounce of light traced for the most realistic frames.
  • Up to 8KFinal films and stills for the biggest screens.
  • Clean framesSmart noise removal, even across moving frames.
  • Exact depth of fieldLens blur exactly as a real lens makes it.
  • Exact motion blurBlur measured within each frame, never faked.
  • Light through skin and waxSoft scattering that makes skin, leaves and candles glow.
  • Real hairEvery strand lit and shadowed.
  • True fog and cloudsLight scattering through every layer of the air.
  • Choose the qualityMore light bounces and samples for the hero shot, fewer for drafts.
  • Giant stillsRender huge images in pieces, assembled for you.
  • 360° panoramasFrames viewers can look all around.

Materials

Surfaces that look and feel real.

  • Physically based materialsSurfaces that react to light like the real ones.
  • MetalBrushed, polished or worn.
  • GlassClear or tinted, with real reflections.
  • Car paintA glossy coat over a rich base.
  • ClothThe soft sheen of fabric.
  • Skin and waxLight that glows just beneath the surface.
  • LeavesLight shining through thin foliage.
  • Layered materialsRust over paint, dust over metal, mud over boots.
  • Surface detailHeight maps that push real bumps and grooves into a surface.
  • Procedural patternsNoise, stripes and grain made without images.
  • Animated materialsSurfaces that flow, flicker and change over time.
  • Video on any surfacePlay a clip on a screen inside the scene.
  • Toon shadingA drawn, stylized look on any 3D scene.
  • Material presetsStart from a library of ready surfaces, then tweak.
  • Materials without wiringBuild a material by stacking layers, no node graphs needed.

Atmosphere and effects

Air, water, fire and sparks.

  • Volumetric cloudsReal, three-dimensional clouds lit by the sun.
  • Fog and hazeDistance fog, ground fog and local mist.
  • Light shaftsRays of sunlight through windows and trees.
  • Smoke and fireBillowing volumes that glow and drift.
  • Oceans, lakes and riversWater with waves, depth and reflections.
  • Particles by the millionSparks, dust, snow and swirls.
  • Particle trailsRibbons and streaks that follow moving things.
  • Particles that glowEmbers and fireflies that light their surroundings.
  • FluidsPouring liquids and rolling smoke.
  • Things that breakObjects that shatter, crumble and scatter.
  • Rigid-body physicsObjects that fall, bounce and stack.
  • Cloth that movesFlags, curtains and clothing that ripple.
  • Effects in time with soundParticles that pulse with the music.

Cameras and lenses

A real camera, with real glass.

  • Cinema camerasSensor sizes modeled on real film and digital cameras.
  • Prime and zoom lensesReal focal lengths, in millimeters.
  • Aperture and depth of fieldSet the f-stop and watch the background soften.
  • Follow focusKeep focus locked on a moving subject.
  • Bokeh shapeRound, hexagonal or anything between.
  • Anamorphic lensesThe wide, cinematic stretch.
  • Flat, technical viewsParallel views for diagrams and drawings.
  • Camera rails and cranesSmooth dolly moves and sweeping crane shots.
  • Handheld feelGentle, natural camera shake.
  • Frame guidesSafe areas and framing guides for every shape of screen.
  • Wide without stretchingWide-angle shots that keep their shapes.

Finishing and color

The final polish on every frame.

  • ExposureSet it by hand, or let the camera adapt like an eye.
  • BloomA soft glow around bright light.
  • Lens flaresSubtle flares from bright sources.
  • Lens dirtA touch of texture on the brightest flares.
  • Color fringingA hint of real-lens fringing at the edges.
  • VignetteGently darkened corners that draw the eye in.
  • Film grainThe texture of real film.
  • Filmic tone curveHighlights that roll off like film, never clipped.
  • Color gradingWheels for shadows, midtones and highlights.
  • White balanceWarm it up or cool it down.
  • LooksApply a saved color look to the whole film.
  • Sharp edgesClean, smooth edges with no jaggies or shimmer.
  • From your brand kitGlow, grain and vignette set once for every scene.
  • Color that stays trueColors prepared so they look right on your viewers' screens.

Worlds at any scale

Huge scenes that stay smooth.

  • Film-quality modelsExtremely detailed models that play back smoothly.
  • Millions of copiesForests, crowds and cities at almost no cost.
  • Vast landscapesMountains, valleys and plains for miles.
  • Dense forests and fieldsTrees and grass painted across a whole landscape.
  • Distant detail, simplifiedFar-off scenery lightened automatically.
  • Huge worlds, loaded as neededOnly what the camera sees is kept ready.

Rendering and delivery

From the last frame to everyone's screen.

  • Background rendersKeep working, or close everything, and the render keeps going.
  • Fast long filmsA long film is rendered in several parts at once, then joined.
  • Render queueLine up films, Shorts and stills to render in order.
  • Render a rangeJust one scene, one shot or one frame.
  • Platform presetsThe right settings for every platform, chosen for you.
  • Master copiesA higher-quality master for your archive.
  • Sound includedNarration, music and effects mixed into the film at the right loudness.
  • Separate layersDepth, object masks and light passes for finishing elsewhere.
  • Progress and cancelSee how far along every render is, and stop it any time.
  • Done noticesKnow the moment the film is ready.

Lab Partner in Zero Engine

Your AI, with an eye for light.

  • Looks at the frameYour AI renders a frame and checks it before you see it.
  • Light from a descriptionAsk for golden hour or a moody night and get a lit scene.
  • Fix the shotToo dark, too flat, too busy: ask, and see what changed.
  • Set up the renderThe right quality and size for where the film is going.
  • Explain any settingAsk what a control does, and it shows you.
  • Always yoursEvery change is reviewable, and you can undo it.
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Zero Engine

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