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Split Render Tool

by Olivier Crespo Barrio·Rendering

Illustrative cover generated by AnyPlugins — no product screenshot available.

Why we like it

Split Render Tool earns its place for tackling GPU memory limits directly, splitting a render and stitching it back automatically. Worth noting the developer has since released a rewritten successor, Split Render Tool 4, and lists this version as outdated.

What is Split Render Tool?

Split Render Tool addresses out-of-memory errors in Blender by breaking a render into small pieces and merging them back together automatically, with no user interaction needed to combine the split files. It targets scenes that fail on GPUs with limited VRAM and large resolutions such as 32K images. The add-on supports single frames and animations, and works across Blender versions 2.93 through 4.1.

It offers two approaches to rendering only part of a frame. An Animated Border lets you keyframe and bake the render border like any other object, previewing the crop region as you scroll the timeline. An Object Border does the same based on selected objects. Both can generate a new Blender file with a composition that blurs the image edges, including an ellipse-mask option and blur-size control.

In OpenEXR Multilayer format, passes can be separated into different files, and a system failure detector offers a one-click fix if something goes wrong. Note that there is no preview while rendering and Blender's UI locks; canceling requires closing Blender manually. GPUs with 512MB, 1GB or 2GB may not handle 8K and larger resolutions.

Who is Split Render Tool best for?

Split Render Tool is best for blender artists rendering large resolutions or heavy scenes on GPUs with limited VRAM, or re-rendering only a chosen part of a frame or sequence.

How much does Split Render Tool cost?

Split Render Tool is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Splits the final image into small pieces and merges them automatically, with no manual step to combine them
  • Renders single frames or full animations
  • Animated Border and Object Border methods to render only a selected part of the frame, with keyframing, a bake system and timeline preview of the crop region
  • Optional new Blender file that blurs image edges via an ellipse mask, with blur-size control
  • OpenEXR Multilayer option to separate passes into different files, plus a Combined-pass fix for visible split borders
  • System failure detector that offers a one-click fix if something goes wrong
  • Reports resolution, border sizes and render times for splits and frames

Tags

#Blender#rendering#GPU memory#render border#OpenEXR#animation#add-on

Frequently asked questions

Does Split Render Tool work with older Blender versions like 2.93?

Split Render Tool is built for compatibility with older Blender versions, covering releases from 2.93 through 4.1. If you work in current Blender and want ongoing support, the developer notes that this version is outdated and points to a rewritten successor, Split Render Tool 4. For projects tied to legacy Blender builds, though, this edition is the one that keeps that range covered. Check the developer's page to confirm which version matches your setup before installing.

Can Split Render Tool render on GPUs with only 2GB of VRAM?

Split Render Tool is designed to help render scenes that fail on GPUs with limited VRAM, splitting the image into small pieces so older cards with 2GB or 4GB can process projects that would otherwise run out of GPU memory. That said, the developer notes GPUs with 512MB, 1GB or 2GB may still not manage very large resolutions such as 8K and above. It cannot create VRAM that isn't there, so extremely heavy data on tiny cards remains a hard limit.

Does Split Render Tool show a preview while rendering?

Split Render Tool does not offer a preview while rendering, and Blender's interface locks during the process. Because of how the add-on currently works, canceling a render means closing the Blender application manually rather than stopping it from within the UI. The developer describes this as a known limitation being worked on. If you rely on watching render progress live or stopping mid-render from the interface, factor that behaviour in before starting a long job.

Is Split Render Tool free to use?

Split Render Tool is listed as free in this catalog. Pricing and licensing can change over time, so check the developer's page for the current terms before you rely on it. The developer also maintains a rewritten successor, Split Render Tool 4, with its own separate access, so if licensing matters to your workflow it's worth confirming which product and terms apply to the version you intend to use.

How does Split Render Tool handle render passes and file formats?

Split Render Tool can separate render passes into different files when you use the OpenEXR Multilayer format, giving you each pass as its own output. It renders in all image file formats and, in the Combined pass, can fix the visible split borders in the final image. The add-on also reports resolution, border sizes and render times for both individual splits and full frames, so you can track how a job is progressing across the pieces.

Alternatives to Split Render Tool

Also in Rendering for Blender.

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