Depth map, lens blur and sharp edges

#1

I have rendered an animation in Maya with a beauty version and a depth map. I have put together the foreground plate with a background so it´s now a solid layer. Then I apply the lens blur filter with the depth map as a source. The result looks pretty crappy because I get sharp edges where there shouldn´t be. It´s like I used the same map as a layer mask but I do not. I have linked to three pictures

Here I have the settings I will use:
Img 1
The second image is more extreme to exaggerate the artifacts:
Img 2
The third is the depth map:
Img 3

Do you have any suggestions? It´s not realistic to render DOF directly in Maya. That will take ages

#2

I suspect it’s because of the sharp lines in your depth map. Might be worth trying to slightly blur the depth map. I’d try both a straight fast blur, and maybe a directional vertical blur.

;-Calvus

#3

does each element exist in a separate layer with an alpha channel?
If so, try combining all elements into a composition and adding that comp to a new comp.
Add the depth map and lens blur to the new composition (precomposing).
Lens blur can give you funky results if you apply to layers with alpha channels directly…
No guarantees, but you should at least get different results, if not the results you are after…

#4

http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=10&t=811241

Exactly the same problem, I dare say.

Mylenium

#5

Edit: I feel very, very stupid now and should be punished - I might spank myself when I get home or ask my girlfriend to do it. The DOF does work. It´s just this part of the animation that looks a bit weird. Some geometry of the big green object is just within the sharp zone. I´m really sorry for this post :frowning:

#6

I wasn’t aware of the transparent pixels problem either, that’s interesting to know.

#7

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