If you have any question, just join our Discord and we will get you an answer ASAP.
System Requirements
Bella supports running on 64-bit machines and operating systems only. It is recommended to have at least 8GB of memory, but generally preferable to have 16GB or more. Bella itself is quite compact, but using it may involve large files, so you should have plenty of disk space (preferably SSD) available.
Note that we do not officially support running in virtual machines, or other such emulated environments. For example, we do not support running under Parallels, VMware, VirtualBox, Wine, or similar. Bella may work in these environments, and you may use the freely-available Bella demo to check this, but we do not test on them, and therefore do not officially support them.
We offer Bella freely as a time-unlimited demo, so that you can check beforehand that Bella will work well on your particular system. You only need to download and try it, there is no registration, and the same files you download and try in demo mode, will automatically work in licensed mode, when you purchase and install your license.
WINDOWS
- OS: Windows 10 or greater, 64-bit
- CPU: Intel Sandy Bridge or greater, AMD Zen (older may work, but we have none to test)
- GPU: any Vulkan-supporting GPU
- Bella may work on earlier OS versions, but we do not test on these
NOTE: if you encounter any error when attempting to use Bella, see the section at the end of this page, instructing how to install the Microsoft Visual C++ runtime.
MacOS
- OS: MacOS Monterey (minimum target is Big Sur, but we do not test this)
- CPU: Intel Sandy Bridge or greater, or Apple Silicon
- GPU: any Vulkan-supporting GPU
- Machine: a genuine Apple computer (i.e. not a Hackintosh)
- Bella may work on earlier OS versions, or a Hackintosh, but we do not test on these
NOTE: Bella natively supports both Intel and Apple Silicon processors, so if you are on Apple Silicon but your 3D application does not support it (e.g. Maya prior to version 2024, Rhino 6/7), make sure to perform final rendering in Bella GUI, to avoid the slowdown inherent to running under Rosetta emulation.
LINUX
- OS: Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 64-bit
- CPU: Intel Sandy Bridge or greater
- GPU: any Vulkan-supporting GPU
- Contact us if you require a different distribution for your production
Builds
Feeling frisky? Check out the builds page for version notes, and the absolute latest code.
Sample Scenes
Once you have installed Bella, you may also want to check out some of the sample scenes, to help you get familiar. If you have any questions, just hop over to our Discord server, where we are usually available to chat, regardless of your time zone.
Bella for Rhino
Bella for Rhino supports Rhino 6, 7, and 8 on Windows & MacOS. On MacOS the plugin supports both Intel and Apple Silicon. On Apple Silicon, it will run under Rosetta to support Rhino 6 & 7, or it will run natively in Rhino 8. It includes a local copy of the Bella GUI, so it is all you need if you are a content creator.
INSTALLATION
- Download the .zip file (to your physical machine, not Dropbox/etc) and unzip it on your desktop.
- Double-click the bella_rhino.rhi file.
- The Rhino Installer will be shown, follow the instructions.
INSTALLATION
- Download the .dmg file (to your physical machine, not iCloud/etc) and double-click to mount it.
- Right-click bella_rhino.macrhi file, choose Open With, and choose a version of Rhino.
- Rhino will install the plugin.
- As instructed, close Rhino and restart it.
- Repeat steps 2-4 for any installed versions of Rhino.
Bella for Maya
Bella for Maya supports Maya 2018-2024 on Windows or MacOS. On MacOS it supports both Intel and Apple Silicon. On Apple Silicon, the plugin will run under Rosetta to support Maya 2023 and below, or it will run natively in Maya 2024. It includes a local copy of the Bella GUI, so it is all you need if you are a content creator.
INSTALLATION
- Unzip the download, double-click the installer, and follow its instructions.
- Start Maya and enable bella_maya.mll in the Maya Plug-in Manager.
- You will now have a new Bella shelf, and Bella as an available renderer.
INSTALLATION
- Double-click the downloaded DMG, and follow the instructions it contains.
- Start Maya and enable bella_maya.bundle in the Maya Plug-in Manager.
- You will now have a new Bella shelf, and Bella as an available renderer.
Bella for SketchUp
Bella for SketchUp supports SketchUp 2017 and higher, on Windows & MacOS; it includes a local copy of the Bella GUI, so it is all you need if you are a content creator.
INSTALLATION
- Download the .zip file and unzip it on your desktop.
- Start SketchUp and go to Window > Extension Manager.
- Click Install Extension and browse to the unzipped folder.
- Select the bella_sketchup-24.2.0-win.rbz file.
- SketchUp will install the plugin, and you will see a new toolbar.
INSTALLATION
- Download the .dmg file and double-click to mount it.
- Start SketchUp and go to Window > Extension Manager.
- Click Install Extension and browse to the unzipped folder.
- Select the bella_sketchup-24.2.0-mac.rbz file.
- SketchUp will install the plugin, and you will see a new toolbar.
Bella GUI
Though intended primarily for getting the rendering process out of a host application, the Bella GUI nevertheless allows interactive rendering and editing of Bella scenes. Since a local copy is installed with plugins, it is usually unnecessary to install it standalone, but we still support that, in case it is required by your particular workflow.
INSTALLATION - WINDOWS
- Download the .zip to your desktop and unzip it.
- Double-click the installer .exe and follow its instructions.
INSTALLATION - MACOS
- Download the .dmg and double-click to mount it.
- Drag bella_gui.app to the Applications folder.
Bella CLI
Bella CLI is a command-line program which can be used to implement your own render farm.
INSTALLATION - WINDOWS
- Download the .zip to your desktop and unzip it.
- Double-click the installer .exe and follow its instructions.
INSTALLATION - MACOS
- Download the .dmg and double-click to mount it.
- Drag bella_cli.app to the Applications folder.
INSTALLATION - LINUX
- Download the .tar.gz file and untar it.
Bella SDKs
The Bella Scene SDK allows you to read and write Bella files.
The Bella Engine SDK allows you to create Bella plugins with IPR, and integrate Bella in your own applications.
Each SDK includes example files and projects/makefiles for building them. The SDK documentation can be found here, and you can always join our Discord server and ask any question you may have.
Demo vs. Licensed
There does not exist a separate Bella demo build -- rather, the standard installation will function in "demo" mode, whenever it does not find a valid license file on the machine. In this mode, a few restrictions are in effect:
- Output resolution is limited to 1080p (1920x1080, by area).
- A small 'bella' watermark is rendered at lower-left on the image.
- Resume-rendering and merging capabilities are deactivated.
To lift these restrictions, simply purchase a license and enter your license key using the Bella GUI's Help > License Info window (alternatively, it may be saved as a text file, at <home>/bella/bella.lic).
Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime (Windows Only)
For plugins that do not use standalone installers (such as Rhino's .RHI and SketchUp's .RBZ), we have no opportunity to automatically install the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime upon which Bella software depends.
Your machine may already have the necessary runtime installed, but if not and/or you encounter any malfunction, please install the runtime from one of the following links: