Software basics · Beginner

Viewport render

A quick image or video of exactly what the viewport shows, without a full render

Also called Viewport capture, Viewport preview

What is a viewport render?

A viewport render is a quick image or video of exactly what the viewport shows, saved without running a full render. It uses the current shading mode, so it finishes in seconds. Artists use it for previews, animation checks and progress shots. In Blender, it sits in the viewport’s View menu.

Think of it like this

It is like taking a screenshot of a draft instead of sending the document to a print shop: instant and good enough to share, but not the final copy.

Where it fits in a 3D project

  1. Create
  2. Surface
  3. Rig
  4. Animate
  5. Render
  6. Export

Render: Lighting the scene and turning it into images or video.

How a viewport render works

  1. 01Set up the viewport, ideally looking through the camera with Numpad 0.
  2. 02Choose a shading mode; solid and material preview are the fastest.
  3. 03Run Viewport Render Image for a still, or Viewport Render Animation for every frame.
  4. 04Through the camera, it uses the camera’s framing and the output resolution.

Viewport render vs final render

PropertyViewport renderFinal render
SpeedSecondsSeconds to hours per frame
LightingWhatever the viewport shading showsFull render engine lighting
OverlaysCan include them unless turned offNever included
Best forPreviews, timing checks, progress shotsFinished stills and videos

Use a viewport render whenever you need to show or check something fast, and a final render only for the version people will actually keep.

Where a viewport render is used

  • Checking animation timing at full playback speed
  • Sharing quick previews with a client or team
  • Capturing a view as a reference for further work

Beginner tip

For a clean capture, turn off overlays with the button in the viewport header or Shift+Alt+Z, and look through the camera. The result then has the render’s framing and none of the editing clutter.

Viewport render in Morphic

In Morphic for Blender, the 3D tab can turn a viewport capture into a model, imported at the 3D cursor. In the Chat tab, Copilot can capture the viewport or camera view to check its own work after a change.

See Morphic for Blender

Terms related to a viewport render

Viewport render FAQ

How do I render the viewport in Blender?
Open the View menu in the 3D viewport header and choose Viewport Render Image. The result opens in a new window, where Image > Save As saves it. Choose Viewport Render Animation to capture every frame in the frame range.
How do I make a playblast in Blender?
Blender’s version of a playblast is Viewport Render Animation in the View menu. It saves every frame of the viewport to the output folder set in the output properties, as images or a video, depending on the file format you choose.
How do I hide overlays in a viewport render?
Turn overlays off before you capture: click the overlays button in the viewport header or press Shift+Alt+Z. Look through the camera too, so the capture uses the render frame instead of the whole viewport.
Is a viewport render good enough to share?
For previews, yes. It shows your shading choices but skips full lighting, so treat it as a draft. For a finished image, run a full render with F12.

Updated October 29, 2026 · Browse all 3D terms