using zdepth info?

[Ian Jones]

I can't answer all your questions, but here goes anyway:

1: Use any non-lossy format (always use non-compressed for editing). Tif, tga are two commonly used formats. in this area. tga specifically because it can hold an alpha channel and has 32bit colour option.

2: In After FX use 'compound blur' this effect will have a dropdown menu which you will need to choose the layer with the zdepth b+w image. You can make this layer invisible, just as long as it is in the timeline. 'Compound blur' uses grayscale information to determine the amount of blur to apply to an area of an image, based on the grayscale values of the source image. This is just what you want for your zdepth. If that doesn't work then you can always use your zdepth image to mask areas of a duplicated and blurred footage.

Hope that helped..

[mental]

hello cesario,

Alex Alverez wrote a nice overview on rendering various types layers which despite being maya oriented can still be applied to any 3D package.

http://www.thegnomonworkshop.com/tutorials/passes_layers/passes_layers.html

hope that helps a bit.
-mental :surprised

[cesario1212]

Thanks. I'll let you guys know how the compound blur works.

Thanks for the turoial link, Mental, but alas, it suffers from the same problems I mentioned earlier in that it makes mention of zdepth but never tells you how to composite it.

I'll get back to you two. Thanks again!

Art-man

[beaker]

Originally posted by cesario1212
Thanks for the turoial link, Mental, but alas, it suffers from the same problems I mentioned earlier in that it makes mention of zdepth but never tells you how to composite it.

Thats because the tutorial is usually about the compositor and not the 3d software. Compositors don't care what 3d app your using. Every 3d package has a different way to render out the zdepth, so unless you want a little mini-tut for every single 3d package, then you probably want to read your manual that came with the 3d software you use.

[cesario1212]

No what I meant was it doesn't tell you how to use it in any 2d compositing app, or just general principles you can apply that may be universal to any 2d compositing app. My problem isn't getting zdepth info, but using the zdepth info I already have.

Art-man

[cesario1212]

With some help from some other kind people like yourself and a little tweaking to their idea here is what I did.

I had one rendered image pass for the beauty pass. I duplicated the layer in AE. I then had to use the zdepth as a luma matte on top of a "solid" layer. The solid layer was then used as an adjustment layer on the main background image/beauty pass. I took the layer I was using as the foreground image and used zdepth as alpha for it. The foreground was then adjusted using the same dual layer technique as the background. I simply tweaked the levels for the zdepth to adjust how much each matte revealed for either the foreground or adjustment layers. Did that make sense?

For a sample of the final product go here:

http://www.cgtalk.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=865388#post865388

Art-man

[Gluffs]

To extract Z-Depth in LW is easy...When you renderout your final picture(´s), open Image Process - ADD image filter - Extended RLA Export.
Click on the "Image Base Name" and tell LW where to extract that file.
Check in Depth, Material Buffer, ObjectID Buffer and Shadow Buffer.

viola!!

If u render a animation, Extended RLA Export just add a uniqe number to that file.

[andy_maxman]

u cud try and render it as an rla of rpf and save with all the options it asks for and then import the fiels into ae or ur comp software..
in after effects.....chose ur layer and open the info window....
click on the object in ur comp window and look for the z-depth info in the info window......
relativley use that calue if u want to use depth of field or so....
later!!!:beer:

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