---
title: "Redshift Menu"
url: "https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/_REDSHIFT_/html/Redshift%2BMenu.html"
section_path: "Redshift Menu"
description: "If this menu is not visible in your Cinema 4D layout, activate the Show Redshift Menu option under Edit > Preferences > Renderer > Redshift.Also be sure …"
---

# Redshift Menu

You are here:

# Redshift Menu

> **Important:** If this menu is not visible in your Cinema 4D layout, activate the *Show Redshift Menu* option under *Edit > Preferences > Renderer > Redshift*.\
> Also be sure that *Redshift* is used as active renderer in the *Render Settings*.\
> Most contents of this menu can also be found in other places of Cinema 4D as long as Redshift is your active renderer..

## Objects

Here you can find various convenient objects for creating Physical Skies, to prepare Shader baking, to convert material types or to deal with Proxies and Volumes.

### Redshift BakeSet

Bake sets contain baking settings that can be applied to single object or a group of objects. Each object in the group will get its own baked image.

Learn more about the texture baking process [**here**](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/_REDSHIFT_/html/Baking.html.md).

### Redshift Environment

Use this object to create volumetric light scattering and global fog effects in your scene. Here you can find out more about [**Volumetric Scattering and Fog**](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/_REDSHIFT_/html/Volumetric%2BScattering%2BAnd%2BFog.html.md).

### Redshift Sky

### Redshift Sun & Sky Rig

The Redshift Physical Sun light is a physically accurate representation of real sun-light. Find out more about it [**here**](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/_REDSHIFT_/html/Physical%2BSun.html.md).

Redshift also supports a Physical Sky environment shader, with parameters similar to the Physical Sun. Both can be combined by using the *Redshift Sun & Sky Rig*. Here you can learn more about the [Redshift Physical Sky](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/_REDSHIFT_/html/Physical%2BSky.html.md).

### Redshift Proxy

*Redshift Proxies* allow you to place previously exported *Redshift Proxy Files* (.rs) files in your scenes without actually loading the geometry until it is actually needed at render time.

Learn more about Redshift Proxis [**here**](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/_REDSHIFT_/html/Proxies.html.md).

### Redshift Volume

Use this to render localized volumes such as clouds, smoke and fire. Find out more about it on the [Volume Object page](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/_REDSHIFT_/html/Volume%2BObject.html.md).

### Matrix Scatter

Use this to create a normal **MoGraph Matrix** object that is already tagged with a Redshift Object tag. With this combination you can render e.g. point clouds or particle systems directly without having to use additional geometry. Here you can find the description of the [**Redshift Object Tag**](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/_REDSHIFT_/html/Per-Object%2BRedshift%2BOptions.html.md).

## Lights

In this menu you can find the various Redshift light object objects. Their types are comparable to the native Cinema 4D light types. In case you already placed native Cinema 4D lights in your scene, you can use the *Convert To Redshift* funtion in their *General* settings to get them converted to Redshift lights.\
You can find all Redshift light types explained [**here**](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/_REDSHIFT_/html/Lights.html.md).

## Cameras

Redshift is using the standard Cinema 4D camera object in combination with a *Redshift Camera* Tag to control the perspective and physical camera simulation. Learn everything about Redshift Camera settings [**here**](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/_REDSHIFT_/html/Cameras.html.md).

## Materials

Here you can find the different Redshift materials sorted thematically, as well as tools to convert standard Cinema 4D materials to Redshift materials:

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| Materials: | These are the several material types. The Redshift "Material" is the most versatile material, the otheres are already specialized on different looks and functions. Read more about all materials [**here**](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/_REDSHIFT_/html/Shaders.html.md). |
| Lights: | These are special materials intended exclusively for the control of Redshift lights. They offer many of the same settings as the Redshift light sources, but can be controlled via the [**Redshift Shader Graph**](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/_REDSHIFT_/html/Cinema%2B4D%2BShaderGraph.html.md). Simply assign these materials to the appropriate Redshift light source. The Physical Sun material should therefore ideally be assigned to a Physical Sun Redshift light source. Otherwise, not all parameters of the light material can affect the light source. |
| Utilities: | These are predefined shader combinations to e.g.<br>- Output the gray values of an Ambient Occlusion calculation ("AO" material). Could be used for an Ambient Occlusion AOV.<br>- Convert the UVW coordinates of an object to RGB color values ("UVW" material)<br>- Fill a volumetric material with a noise structure ("Noise Volume" material)<br>- Script your own shaders using the Open Shader Language ("OSL" material). A definition of the OSL syntax can be found at<br>[**https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/OpenShadingLanguage/blob/main/src/doc/osl-languagespec.pdf**](https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/OpenShadingLanguage/blob/main/src/doc/osl-languagespec.pdf) |
| Tools: | Standard Cinema 4D materials can be converted to Redshift Shader Graph based materials and Shader Graph materials can be converted to Node Editor materials. Find an explanation of all available options [**here**](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/_REDSHIFT_/html/Redshift%2BMaterial%2BTools.html.md) |

## Tools

Ths menu offers special commands to start a rendering, create baked textures or to clear out memory caches:

### Render to RenderView

Starts a rendering of the active project and presents the process in the [**Redshift RenderView**](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/_REDSHIFT_/html/Render%2BView.html.md).

### Texture Baking

Offers commands to create Bake Sets from selected objects and to start the texture baking. Learn more about the texture baking process [**here**](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/_REDSHIFT_/html/Baking.html.md).

### Clear Memory Caches

Redshift creates caches in memory to speed up rendering. If you run into memory problems, try to use this function to delete these Redshift caches. You can read more about how to handle [**Out-Of-RAM**](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/_REDSHIFT_/html/Dealing%2Bwith%2BOut-Of-RAM%2Bsituations.html.md) and [**Out-Of-VRAM**](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/_REDSHIFT_/html/Dealing%2Bwith%2BOut-Of-VRAM%2Bsituations.html.md) on these pages.\
You can check the current memory usage at any time via the [**Redshift Feedback Display**](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/_REDSHIFT_/html/Feedback%2BDisplay.html.md).

### Clear Baked Textures

Some shaders get automatically baked to speedup rendering. These texture files are stored in a local cache folder. Use this function to delete all baked texture from that folder, that are used in the active project.

## Redshift RenderView

This windows offers controls to start and configure the rendering and to view the available [**AOVs**](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/_REDSHIFT_/html/AOV%2BTopics.html.md). Here you can read more about all available functions in the [**Redshift RenderView**](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/_REDSHIFT_/html/Render%2BView.html.md).

## Redshift Asset Manager

Similar to Cinema 4D's *Project Asset Inspector*, the *Redshift Asset Manager* also provides an overview of all external resources used in the project.

## Redshift AOV Manager

Redshift AOVs (AOV stands for *Arbitrary Output Variables*) are comparable to Cinema 4D Multi Passes. Use the [**Redshift AOV Manager**](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/_REDSHIFT_/html/AOV%2BTopics.html.md) to configure the needed AOVs for a rendering.

## Redshift Feedback Display

Here you can find various statistics and status reports for your active project. Read more about all options [**here**](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/_REDSHIFT_/html/Feedback%2BDisplay.html.md).

## Redshift Shader Graph Editor

This opens the [**Shader Graph Editor**](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/_REDSHIFT_/html/Cinema%2B4D%2BShaderGraph.html.md), which is used to configure classic Redshift shader nodes. Double clicking on a Redshift material in the Cinema 4D *Material Manager* will also open up the Shader Graph Editor or the Cinema 4D Material *Node Editor*. This depends on the type of Redshift material. Read more about the different Redshift node systems and how to convert materials between them [**here**](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/_REDSHIFT_/html/Redshift%2BMaterial%2BTools.html.md).

## Preferences

Opens the Cinema 4D Prefereneces and activates the tab about Redshift Preferences.