Updated 2026-10-10
First make Blender use the Mac's GPU: Settings > System > Cycles Render Devices > Metal (tick the GPU), then Render Properties > Device > GPU Compute. Apple silicon Macs and Macs with a supported AMD GPU can do this; Macs with only Intel graphics render Cycles on the CPU. Then cut the work rather than the look: fewer samples with Denoise on, a lower resolution or a render region for tests, Persistent Data for animations, and EEVEE when the look allows. If it is still too slow, send the .blend to a cloud GPU so the Mac only uploads the scene: on JANCTION Render's NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000, 1920x1080 Cycles stills at 128 samples took 6 to 10 GPU-seconds (0.6 to 1 JPY) and a 24-frame 720p turntable took 58 GPU-seconds (about 6 JPY), measured on the production GPU; each new key starts with a 500 JPY welcome credit.
Cycles renders on the CPU until you turn the GPU on. On a Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or later) or a supported AMD GPU: Blender > Settings > System > Cycles Render Devices > Metal, tick the GPU, then Render Properties > Device > GPU Compute. A Mac with only Intel graphics renders Cycles on the CPU. Source: Blender manual, GPU rendering.
| setting | what it does | use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer samples with Denoise on | most of the render time is samples; the denoiser cleans up the noise | stills and animations |
| Lower resolution % or a render region (Ctrl+B in the camera view) | renders a smaller image or only part of it | test renders |
| Persistent Data (Render Properties > Performance) | keeps the scene loaded between frames | animations |
| Fewer light-path bounces | less work per sample | scenes without glass or deep indirect light |
| EEVEE instead of Cycles | a rasterising engine, much faster per frame | when the look allows (no exact caustics or path-traced light) |
| option | cost | what to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Leave the Mac rendering overnight | no service fee | the Mac is busy and warm while it renders |
| SheepIt (volunteer farm) | free, you earn points by rendering for others | a queue; upload through the site; no API |
| Commercial render farms | paid per GPU-hour or credits | add-on or web upload; built for large jobs |
| JANCTION Render | 500 JPY welcome credit per new key, then 0.1 JPY per GPU-second (previews free up to 2 GPU-minutes a day) | a datacenter NVIDIA GPU; from the terminal, Claude, ChatGPT or an agent; up to 240 frames at 1080p per job |
https://render.janction.jp/mcp to an MCP client and connect through OAuth consent. Custom MCP access depends on the client's plan and administrator settings.uvx janction-render try renders a sample in seconds (a free key is created for you), then uvx janction-render preview scene.blend. Without uv: pip install janction-render.Using JANCTION Render, build a glossy red cube rotating on a grey floor and show me a 4-frame preview. If it looks right, render 24 frames at 1280x720 as an MP4.
To render a .blend or 3D file that is on your computer, drop it at /upload to get a 12-hour link (no sign-up) and tell the AI "Render this file: <link>". To test the connection first: "Render a preview of https://render.janction.jp/samples/cube_scene.py".
Pricing (since 2026-10-08): a new key comes with a 500 JPY welcome credit (5,000 GPU-seconds) that lasts 14 days and covers previews and finals. After it is used up or expires, previews are free up to 2 GPU-minutes per key per day and final renders are paid from prepaid credit at 0.1 JPY per GPU-second (top up from 500 JPY at a Stripe Checkout page). The first top-up during the 14 days counts 1.5x, with the bonus capped at 500 JPY (500 JPY buys 750 JPY of credit). Top-ups of 2,000 JPY or more get 10 to 20% extra (not combined with the first-top-up bonus; the larger one applies). One full welcome credit per network every 30 days; further keys from the same network get 100 JPY, or what is left of that network's credit if more. A job without enough credit gets HTTP 402 payment_required with a checkout_url. Final renders go up to 240 frames at 1080p per job. The free preview time resets at 00:00 UTC (09:00 JST). No sign-up: connecting creates a key. Inputs and results are deleted 24 hours after last use and never used for training.
| job | GPU time | price at 0.1 JPY per GPU-second |
|---|---|---|
| 1920x1080 Cycles still, 128 samples | 6 to 10 GPU-seconds | 0.6 to 1 JPY |
| 24-frame 720p turntable (Cycles, MP4) | 58 GPU-seconds | about 6 JPY |
| 48-frame 720p logo animation (EEVEE, MP4) | 45 GPU-seconds | about 4.5 JPY |
Each run with its script and settings: examples · benchmarks. A Mac's own time depends on the chip and the scene, so it is not quoted here.
Pricing (since 2026-10-08): a new key comes with a 500 JPY welcome credit (5,000 GPU-seconds) that lasts 14 days and covers previews and finals. After it is used up or expires, previews are free up to 2 GPU-minutes per key per day and final renders are paid from prepaid credit at 0.1 JPY per GPU-second (top up from 500 JPY at a Stripe Checkout page). The first top-up during the 14 days counts 1.5x, with the bonus capped at 500 JPY (500 JPY buys 750 JPY of credit). Top-ups of 2,000 JPY or more get 10 to 20% extra (not combined with the first-top-up bonus; the larger one applies). One full welcome credit per network every 30 days; further keys from the same network get 100 JPY, or what is left of that network's credit if more. A job without enough credit gets HTTP 402 payment_required with a checkout_url. Final renders go up to 240 frames at 1080p per job. The free preview time resets at 00:00 UTC (09:00 JST). No sign-up: connecting creates a key. Inputs and results are deleted 24 hours after last use and never used for training.
Yes, through Metal, once you turn it on: Settings > System > Cycles Render Devices > Metal, then Render Properties > Device > GPU Compute. Until then Cycles renders on the CPU.
Either Cycles Render Devices is set to None, the scene's Device is CPU, or the Mac has only Intel graphics, which Cycles cannot use.
Usually much faster per frame, because it rasterises instead of tracing paths. It does not reproduce exact caustics or path-traced indirect light, so check the look on a still first.
Yes: drop the file at https://render.janction.jp/upload, or ask Claude or ChatGPT with the JANCTION connector, or run uvx janction-render render scene.blend --frames 1-48 --output mp4 --wait (needs uv). Blender runs on the cloud GPU; the Mac only uploads the scene.
Measured on the production GPU: a 1920x1080 Cycles still at 128 samples took 6 to 10 GPU-seconds (0.6 to 1 JPY) and a 24-frame 720p turntable 58 GPU-seconds (about 6 JPY). Each new key starts with a 500 JPY welcome credit; after that, 0.1 JPY per GPU-second, and previews stay free up to 2 GPU-minutes a day.
JANCTION Render v0.4.40 · JasmyLab Inc. · Updated 2026-10-08 · Tested with Blender 5.0, JANCTION Render 0.4.40 · 日本語