2D trees with zdepth in Combustion.

#1

I have this problem: I want to add DOF effects to a Max scene with Combustion 3. This scene has a lot of trees, so I have to use planes with a tree photo for diffuse and an alpha channel for them.

The problem comes when exporting the rpf files to Combustion (with all settings correct, I think) and applying DOF effect, because the zdepth channel doesn’t recognize the alpha channels from tree objects and displays them like opaque planes. So i can’t apply the DOF correctly through the trees. I’ve been looking for some answer in this forum without results, so excuse me if there’s one and I didn’t see it.

Greetings to all, I’m new in these forums. And thanks for your help.

#2

Easiest way I can think of is in max replace all your diffuse maps with a falloff set to distance blend and input your desired near and far values and invert it. This should give you a zdepth like gradiation. Render this out (without AA as zdepth and like blurring is usually designed to be done without AA). In Combustion 3 use a Compound Blur with the rendered falloff as your input layer and channel set to luminance and choose your blur type.

Hope this helps,
-Eric

#3

Thanks for your replay, I was thinking about this possibility, but perhaps i’ll need Combustion 4 for this, because I need to keep a true zdepth channel for more stuff (putting characters in the scene).

#4

You would definitely have more options with the RPF Builder in C4. It should allow you to replace the Zdepth data in your current RPF file.

-Eric

#5

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