Render Settings

Reference

Panel:

Render

Device

Specifies the compute device used for rendering in Cycles. The choice of device can significantly affect render performance, GPU Compute is often faster .

CPU:

Render using the system’s central processing unit. This mode is compatible with all Cycles features. The number of CPU threads used can be changed in the Performance Properties.

GPU Compute:

Render using one or more graphics processing units (GPUs) through the compute backend and devices selected in the Cycles Render Devices. Depending on the backend, it may be possible to use both CPU and GPU devices simultaneously.

For more details, including setup instructions, device compatibility, and known limitations, see GPU Rendering.

Note

GPU rendering may have limitations compared to CPU rendering, depending on the backend.

See also

Denoising and Compositing have their own device selection.

Open Shading Language

Enables the use of Open Shading Language which allows custom shading using shader scripts. When OSL is enabled, you can:

  • Use OSL shader nodes in materials using the Script Node.

  • Write custom shading logic that is not possible with built-in Cycles nodes.

Limitations:

  • OSL is supported only when rendering with the CPU or with the OptiX GPU Compute backend.

  • Rendering performance is typically slower than with built-in nodes due to shader compilation and interpretation.

  • Some features, such as baking and certain volume shaders, may not work with OSL.