I konw it is different for every image based on the nature of the lighting model and meshes involved but... Would anyone be willing to post thier customized user render settings where they feel there is the maximum quality in a reasonable render time to this thread. Perhaps a setup you have found that strikes a good balance for serious work. Or what can one drop down when dealing with basic images that do not involve animation or complex reflectoins? Thank anyone in advance as for a newbie the render setting details and nuances can be a touch daunting.

Render settings would depend on what you want to do with the image. For example, in V5I if I want to render an image to post (800X600), I usually use the Broadcast setting at 80 DPI. It gives a decent picture quality with out taking an insane amount of time to render. If I want a high quality image to make a print out of then I usually go 1600X1200 or larger, the superior setting @ 300 DPI. A render in this setting depending on how many polys can take any where from 12 - 14 hrs, some times longer. Best thing to do is decide what you want to use the image for and then go from there.

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=918141&Start=1&Artist=dburdick&ByArtist=Yes

Great Idea - we should get a thread going on this. Let me be the first to volunteer. Here's a user setting I call "Fast Final" that I use with GI lighting - It's about twice as fast as final without any noticeable loss in quality that I can see. Here are the settings and a URL link to the original image. http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=918141&Start=1&Artist=dburdick&ByArtist=Yes