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Support Compositing and Post Processing
#1

Multilayer exr image files are now available in CVS!

http://www.blender3d.org/cms/Imaging.834.0.html

"Internally the file is organized in three levels:

  • Layers (user defined names, max 19 characters)
  • Passes (defined by enabling passes in RenderLayer panel)
  • Channels (R, G, B, A, X, Y, Z, U, V, W) "

No exr compression supported yet which means MONSTEROUS file sizes, but this is the day I"ve been praying for ever since I discovered Blender. Someone in one of these forums even ridiculed one of my posts when I asked if Blender would ever support this type of file management. Whoever that person was, I have a question for you, “Who’s laughing now, SUCKA?!!!”

I thought we were going to have to wait for v.2.44 to get multi layer support so this was so exciting to me that I actually got up and danced a jig.

You can get it here currently for windows only, but that’ll only last a day or 2.

Peace Yall, Rambo

#2

its great isn’t it… Could you put together a demo of EXR usefullness.

#3

I shall try.

#4

Even if you describe what ideas you have in mind that would be a start, i.e why you think this new file format is great / useful.

I have done almost zero compositing, really only started when the nodes appeared in 2.42, so I have no clue on what the usefulness of the multil layers is.

I’m only guessing that you can render out the separate passes to different sequences of multi-exr files, each sequence holding a different render pass type, then combine some / all of them back in the node editor. I’m also guessing that no image formats support storing those pass types, which is the reason for the new format ?

Why exactly you’d want to to that though, with some simple / not so simple practical examples would be interesting to know

Mike

#5

OpenExr natively supports multilayer files which is why this format was chosen. This format is so advanced that the entire renderpipeline in blender was recoded in order to accomidate them. Think of an exr image file as an image in photoshop or gimp. How would like using that software if it did not support layers? Sure, you could still do a little bit with it but it would be about as lame as the software that came with your digital camera.

Enter OpenExr. This is photoshop for blender’s render passes. Now you will be able to go into the file after it has been rendered and reorder those passes to your liking or make slight to dramatic adjustments to the passes on and individual basis. Don’t like the way your 30 minute render with ambient occlusion turned out even though you were satisfied with it yesterday? No problem, just pull it up in the nodes editor and adjust the strength of the pass or the way it mathmatically relates to the rest of the image via a mix node or whatever other creative process or combination you can dream up. Re-render. BAM! your 30 minute render was just retuned to your (or your client’s) liking in a matter of seconds. Need to blur the reflections in the windows of your six hour architectural render? Need to apply two different types of blur in different areas of the image? No problem here either (assuming you rendered with blender internal that is). Isolate, adjust, recombine, render. All of you controll freaks are gonna love this.

Hopeully that’ll get you a little more stoked about using openexr. The format is absolutely incredible in it’s versatlity and complexity. The coding is explained in the downloadable pdf files (4 of them) and it goes into everything exr is capable of, but if you’re not a computer scientist or programmer most of the doccumentation is a bit hard to wade through. Be sure to check out the section on compression. 16 bit (half) PIZ is the one that I use. If you aren’t doing professional work for a movie houseyou don’t need to use the full 32 bits and will overload your hard drive if you don’t use compression.

#6

Unfortunately there aren’t any pass out puts showing up on the image nodes yet so I guess we’ll have to wait a few more days.

#7

OSX build is up on graphicall now, too, thanks to, um, me.

Also, fun fact is that Ton went to the OpenEXR board and got a new special OpenEXR specification called, IIRC, “BlenderMultiChannel”. Now some enterprising person needs to write a BMC/EXR open/close filter for Photoshop so studios around the world can integrate Blender directly and fully into their compositing pipelines.

#8

Harkyman, I don’t have a Mac but you’re a cool mofo and I hope someone takes you up on that offer cuz I know PhotoShop like the back of my hand. Thax bro. BTW, is multilayer reading working on the Macs?

Edit: Also, could it be that ZanQdo didn’t include the new openexr specification on my build? He had it advertized, but I’m not the only one who couldn’t use it.

#9

Thanks… Didn’t realize that it allowed you to rerender certain parts of a full render like that. I have been looking forward to passes even bought a great book(Lighting and Rendering the new 2nd ed), hope that it helps it covers rendering with passes quite well.

Blenders painting ability is capable. Does cinepaint support openexr? I havent used it cause it would break my Kubuntu build. You are supposed to be able to do photoshop like work with that.

Rant warning::: Personally I want to stick with Blender. I have a strong memory last year of cinepaint developers setting a release date for glasgow for new year and before I think. A whole year and many many set missed release dates. Lame. I understand writting stuff is difficult. But to make the same mistake over and over and over. Makes me wonder if I want to even use it when it does come out.

#10

My bad guy, there’s a seperate option on the format tab for multilayer exr.

#11

Holy crap, this is absolutely awesome! Here’s a .blend for you guys to studdy. It will show you a little bit about how render passes are used also. On the image node, note that you can select which layer that you want to play with or you can get a combined passwith the 3 layers that I included. You’ll have to render first in order to play with it cuz I’m not gonna watse cyber space by packing unnecessary files.

You have to have the latest CVS build fo do this!!!

#12

Er… the .blend? :o

#13

Woops, sorry…
http://uploader.polorix.net//files/89/OpenExr%20Demo.blend
Working on some perripheral info to go with it at the moment, but I’m gonna see if Roger will help me out by proofreading and helping me get it organized before I put it on the net. Writing a tutorial is just plain hard to do. I’ve had to scrap several cuz I suck at it!