Smart render output naming for Blender that actually makes sense.
Stop manually renaming files. Stop creating folders. Stop losing track of which render is which.
RenderNames gives you template-based file naming with live preview, automatic folder organization, and preset management—built right into Blender's Output Properties panel.
Blender's render output? It's just a text field. No variables, no organization, no help.
You end up with:
untitled.png,untitled0001.png,final_final_ACTUAL.png😅- Manual folder creation for every project
- No consistency across scenes or cameras
- Constant fear of overwriting your best render
RenderNames fixes this. One template, infinite possibilities.
{{blend_file}}/{{date}}/{{scene}}_
→ my_project/2025-01-15/Scene_0001.png
Blender adds frame numbers automatically. You handle the rest.
🎯 Template Variables — Mix {{scene}}, {{camera}}, {{date}}, {{resolution}}, and more
👁️ Live Preview — See your output path as you type
📁 Auto Folders — Organize by scene, camera, or date
💾 Presets — Save and share your favorite setups
🔧 Blender Native — Lives in Output Properties (no weird UI)
⚡ Non-Destructive — Enable/disable without losing settings
- Download the latest
.zipfrom Releases - In Blender 4.2+:
Edit → Preferences → Extensions → Install from Disk - Select the zip, enable the extension
- Go to Output Properties and start templating
Need help? See Installation Guide →
- Open Output Properties (printer icon)
- Enable RenderNames
- Pick a preset or edit the template
- Render — your files land exactly where shown in the preview
| Variable | Output |
|---|---|
{{scene}} |
Scene name |
{{blend_file}} |
Your .blend filename |
{{camera}} |
Active camera |
{{date}} |
Today's date (YYYY-MM-DD) |
{{time}} |
Current time (HH-MM-SS) |
{{datetime}} |
Combined date + time |
{{resolution}} |
Render resolution (1920x1080) |
{{fps}} |
Frame rate |
{{format}} |
Output format (png, exr, etc.) |
{{engine}} |
Render engine (cycles, eevee) |
{{samples}} |
Sample count |
More variables? See full reference →
Simple:
{{scene}}_
Professional:
{{blend_file}}/{{date}}/{{scene}}_{{camera}}_
Timestamped:
renders/{{datetime}}/{{scene}}_
Blender automatically adds frame numbers (0001, 0002, ...) to animations. The preview shows you exactly what you'll get.
Default presets ready to go:
- Simple — Just scene name
- Professional — Full folder structure with date and camera
- Archival — Timestamped for versioning
- By Camera — Organized by camera name
- Minimal — Bare minimum
Create your own custom presets, export as JSON, and unlock consistency across your entire team.
- 📖 Installation Guide — Setup and troubleshooting
- 📋 Full Variable Reference — All template variables
- 🏗️ Architecture — How it works (for developers)
- 📝 Changelog — Version history
- 👁️ Design Vision — Why we built it this way
✅ Blender 4.2+
✅ Blender 5.0+
❌ Blender 4.1 and earlier (requires extension system)
If RenderNames saves you time, consider supporting development:
- ⭐ Star on GitHub — it really helps others find this
- 💬 Report bugs or request features
- ❤️ Sponsor development → github.com/sponsors/novincode
Want to contribute or build from source?
git clone https://github.com/novincode/rendernames.git
cd rendernames
python3 scripts/build.pyGPL-3.0-or-later — Same as Blender.
Made by humans who got tired of manually naming render files. 🎬