Hi, im new in blender (and all about 3D software :o), im learning a lot from a many tutorials that i found in the net, however i didnt found the solution of my problem, lets say that i render a big image with three or more layers in cycles, mi computer isnt so powerful so usually the renders took from 11 to 12 hours (with a 50% resolution and the renders samples in 500) because of that i cant make the compositing just after the render, so my question is how i can save the results of the layers render to make the composite later ??
Thank you very much for your help and sorry my english, im learning it too
Cycles doesn’t support render layers at the moment.
Blender internal does, and you can save multiple layers (data layers & render passes) by saving out as a multi-layer image, which basically puts out a multi-layer 32-bit EXR image.
For cycles what you will need to do, if you want layers, is to render out an image for each pass and then composite the three separate images in the compositor.
Also… while “the goodness of Cycles” continues to evolve and to mature, remember that you can use Blender internal to output a multi-layer file which contains (of course) accurate information … masks and so-forth … that can be used to help you make good use of what Cycles presently gives you. This will give you, for instance, alpha-map and z-depth information about the various objects in the scene.
Lately I’ve also been noodling around with figuring out how best to use both the information from Blender Internal render-layers, and the even-lighting goodness of Cycles, in one efficient render. Cycles, for example, seems to be a “champ” on dealing with global illumination, great-big “shadowbox” light sources, and so on, but when you start reaching for more subtle lighting-effects it seems to have a bit of trouble converging on “the solution that you want.” What I’ve been fooling around with, then, is using BI spot lamps just to produce particular highlights (or, as the case may be, shadows), creating channels that are used to modify a Cycles-based “base layer of paint.” Definitely a work-in-progress…
Wow, thanks you very much guys, i have to admit that i was completely lost, but with yours explications im on the road again, now im going to try what @Daniel8488 suggested :), and you are right @sundialsvc4 maybe in the future Cycles with a little of work will be the best of the best
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