Location: [RR]\render_apps\_setenv\...\...


Setenv files are used to set the environment for the render application.

Some renderer or plugins require to set environment variables to their install location.

Setenv files are also used to tell the render application the location of the renderer preferences


Setenv files are called by the commandline <SetEnvSoft> in your render config.

RRender searches for the following files and executes the one it finds:

1. [RR]/render_apps/_setenv/all/setenv_[renderapp]_[renderer]

2. [RR]/render_apps/_setenv/all/setenv_[renderapp]


The file names have to be lowercase (at least on OSX and Linux).



.rrEnv files 

We have created a new file format for creating shell scripts.

The main reason for a new format is that you have one file no matter the OS you use.

And it takes care of using undefined variables on Linux.


You can edit .rrEnv files with a text editor (if you know the syntax) 

or the application [RR]\bin\...\baEnvFile_Editor .


Please see help file rrApplications /rrTools /baEnvFile_Editor for more information.



.rrEnv files versus .bat/.sh files


There are two files that you can use to set environment variables.

We recommend the new .rrEnv files. 



File Differences:

 .rrEnv files

.bat/.sh files 

One .rrEnv file is used. No matter the OS you use.

Have to be written for each OS separately.

Limited in the amount of supported commands

Support all OS commands.

Can be/Are split into one RR factory main file (e.g. "Houdini.rrEnv") and an inhouse file (houdini__inhouse.rrEnv)

just one  .bat/.sh file.




.rrEnv  __inhouse files


We have split the setenv files into an "RR factory" and an "inhouse" file.

For example maya.rrEnv and maya__inhouse.rrEnv.

If you update RR, then unchanged RR factory files are updated. 


Instead of editing the rrEnv file named the same as the render app (e.g. arnold.rrEnv), you should edit or create the __inhouse files (e.g. arnold__inhouse.rrEnv).

This way you can modify the render environment, but still get important updates for the main files.



Environment variables set by the rrClient


The client sets a lot of environment variables before calling the setenv.

This way you have access to parameters like the render application version.

So you can define different plugin locations for different versions of your software.


Please see the first ~30 lines of any render log of any job in rrControl to view variables set ( and their values).