Render Passes

[JulianS]

I actually made a video last week about it, this is the 101 or introduction to framebuffers ( passes in mental ray )
Every week I will try to be a bit more advance, I will be uploading shortly framebuffer 201 in this 2 videos I show the process from 0 without extra tools and with multyple materials.

mymentalray.com framebuffer video 101 CLICK HERE (http://www.mymentalray.com/index.php?option=com_shaders&Itemid=127&Action=DisplayDetail&ObjectId=94)


mymentalray.com framebuffer 201 part 1
(http://www.mymentalray.com/index.php?option=com_shaders&Itemid=127&Action=DisplayDetail&ObjectId=99)
mymentalray.com framebuffer 201 part 2 (http://www.mymentalray.com/index.php?option=com_shaders&Itemid=127&Action=DisplayDetail&ObjectId=100)

Cheers

[cshanks]

Julian,
Thanks so much for this. Very easy to understand and super helpful in getting my head around control buffers. Thanks again and I look forward to using this in the future.

[Kel Solaar]

I wrote a script that can help to reduce the time spent to configure the framebuffers and do the connections in the miDefaultOptions and cameras :

Relate Blog Post (http://my.opera.com/KelSolaar/blog/show.dml/2284175)

Donwload It On Highend3D (http://www.highend3d.com/maya/downloads/mel_scripts/rendering/mental_ray/KSL-FrameBuffersManager-5287.html)

http://files.myopera.com/KelSolaar/blog/CG/Scripts/Help/KSL_FrameBuffersManager/Pictures/InterfaceMain.jpg

[jasonhuang1115]

Hi, Kel,

I have been noticing you script for a week. Looks very attractive if one can get those passes without installing ctrl.buffer and/or shader_p. :thumbsup: So, all I need is this script and Maya 2008 with mia_X (ex2 needed?)

[QUOTE=Kel Solaar]I wrote a script that can help to reduce the time spent to configure the framebuffers and do the connections in the miDefaultOptions and cameras :

[cshanks]

[QUOTE=jasonhuang1115]Hi, Kel,

I have been noticing you script for a week. Looks very attractive if one can get those passes without installing ctrl.buffer and/or shader_p. :thumbsup: So, all I need is this script and Maya 2008 with mia_X (ex2 needed?)

So I don't need to install ctrl.buffer? I'm kinda confused. I understand the frame buffer concept and how to set it up to make it work, but this script will more or less automate the process? Or is the script really designed for a production environment where artists can share settings painlessly?

[Kel Solaar]

Hi :)

This script is not a replacement for the ctrl.buffer shaders, let me explain : There was basically before Maya 2008 three steps to use framebuffers :

Step A : Tell to Mental Ray that there will be X Framebuffers to deal with. That was the purpose of the ctrl.buffer geometry shader "buffer_api"

Step B : Feed those framebuffers with the infos you provide to them during the render, that's the task of material "buffer_store".

Step C : Output/Write the framebuffers on disk : it's the job of the output shader "buffer_write"

That was before :) Autodesk introduced their new flagship called Maya 2008 and changed all the framebuffers api. Basically Maya now propose it's own way to do the Step A and Step C but of course as they often do half the stuff they don't have a shader for the Step B :twisted: So you still need ctrl.buffer or another shader to feed the framebuffers

My script is here to help you setting up Step A and Step C the way Maya is doing it now. It's really a pain in ass and as we used MR Framebuffers on our last productions at work and we cannot afford loosing time setting up this stuff for each scenes, I wrote the Framebuffer Manager :)

Voilà ! :)

Thomas

[jasonhuang1115]

Thanks, Kel for the clear explanation.

Since Julian shows the workflow of using ctrl_buffer with Mia_X, meaning step A through C in your post, I will experiment how to put your script into that workflow to speed up the whole setup of multipass output. Assuming it'll be faster compared to using ctrl_buffer with Paul's "ctrl_buffer creator for Mia_X". Can't wait to try it after work.

[caretz]

since there is no compiled ctrl shader for linux64...
is there anyone out there that has an alternative shader for getting those buffer written from mia_Xshader?

any help or direction apreciated

[JulianS]

Currently JC at mymentalray.com is working on that i dont really know went he is relasing those shaders but i know he is working on linux 64 as well Mac OS X.

he already publish a beta for for OSX

since there is no compiled ctrl shader for linux64...
is there anyone out there that has an alternative shader for getting those buffer written from mia_Xshader?

any help or direction apreciated

[caretz]

thank you Julian
good job on your videos by the way

so I gues we just have to cheer for Jc and wait for those shaders to come out

is there any material on compiling shaders on linux out there?

[jcrogel]

Thats one thing that I am also working on.

A writing and compiling tutorial for shaders under MacOS and Linux

[CGTalk Moderation]

This thread has been automatically closed as it remained inactive for 12 months. If you wish to continue the discussion, please create a new thread in the appropriate forum.