Beauty Pass with VRay VRay Render Elements Lesson

Beauty Pass with V-Ray: V-Ray Render Elements

Lesson Introduction – Orientation • This presentation will take you through creating and using V-Ray Render Elements for compositing a beauty pass • This information centers around the Render Elements you can create using V-Ray • The lesson topic is approximately 30 minutes in length • Presentation covers all 3 Learning Cycles for the Lesson Topic – Lecture, Demonstration, and Activity

Lesson Topic: V-Ray Render Elements • Objective – We will render several Render Elements and use them to create a beauty pass in compositing • Outcome – You will understand how to separate your renders into Render Elements to produce a professionally composited image

Lecture: Terminology • Here’s some terms to be aware of when thinking about Render Elements. – Pass – A “once-over” on the rendering to produce a specific effect. You can think of a pass as a “sweep” through the image to do one specific thing. – Render pass – A pass that renders the entire image and stores one or more elements of the scene, for example just the lighting or just the reflections. – Render Element – The results of a render pass that can be combined in a post process to adjust the final image – Compositing – The combining and adjustment of Render Elements and/or other elements such as live footage or background plates – Beauty pass – The combining and editing of certain Render Elements to create a traditional rendered image

Lecture: V-Ray Render Elements • For a high-end work such as feature films, rendering straight out of Maya/V-Ray is usually never enough control to get the desired look • Rendered image might need adjustment to match liveaction lighting, color temperature, etc. • Director might want to try different sky backgrounds, combinations of landscape elements, etc. • Common adjustments include color correction, improvement of contrast, adding or enhancing Lens Effects • Making changes to Render Elements is faster and easier than re-rendering

Lecture: V-Ray Render Elements • Compositing with Render Elements provides the solution • Render elements layered on top of one another to generate final image • Render Elements can be adjusted individually to produce a certain look • Compositing of Render Elements is done outside Maya/V-Ray, in a compositing program • Software programs designed for compositing include After Effects, Nuke, Fusion, Photoshop • Render Elements are exported from V-Ray and imported into compositing software

Lecture: V-Ray Render Elements • A Render Element is a regular 2 D image, where each pixel has RGB numerical values • 3 D model and parameters are not exported, just an image! • In compositing, each Render Element is usually “added” or “multiplied” with previous layers • In compositing, black = 0 and white = 1 • Colored pixel + black pixel = no change • Colored pixel + white pixel = brighter colored pixel (up to pure white pixel) • Colored pixel x black pixel = black pixel • Colored pixel x white pixel = no change • All Render Elements can be exported together in one multi-channel EXR file, or… • Each Render Element can render in its own image file for layering in compositing software

Lesson Topic: V-Ray Render Elements • Render Elements Compositing Workflow • Add Render Elements in Render Settings window • Once added, elements automatically available in VFB for each rendered image • Save as EXR file for compositing • EXR file is a collection of Render Elements (2 D images) • Composite Render Elements in programs like After Effects • Using plugins, multi-channel EXR files open as layers, one layer per Render Element • Render Elements can be adjusted to create different effects • Render beauty pass as final image

Lesson Topic: V-Ray Render Elements • Alpha Render Element • Opacity of scene elements • Anti-aliased edges in grayscale for smooth blend with other images such as background plate • Useful for trying different backgrounds Alpha Render Element Beauty Render

Lesson Topic: V-Ray Render Elements • Atmosphere Render Element • Atmospheric effects such as fog • Render element can be used to punch up or tone down fog effect in beauty render Atmosphere Render Element Beauty Render

Lesson Topic: V-Ray Render Elements • Background Render Element • Just the background as viewed behind solid objects • Used for color correction on background alone Background Render Element Beauty Render

Lesson Topic: V-Ray Render Elements • Global Illumination Render Element • The colors rendered as a result of GI • Provides main coloration for beauty render • Used for color correction on all objects in scene at once • Example: Increase saturation to give a surreal look GI Render Element Beauty Render

Lesson Topic: V-Ray Render Elements • Lighting Render Element • Colors rendered as a result of light sources directly striking objects in scene • Used to change color or temperature of light directly from light sources • Example: Shift colors toward yellow for a “sunnier” look, or toward blue for a “moonlight” look Lighting Render Element Beauty Render

Lesson Topic: V-Ray Render Elements • Reflect Render Element • Rendered colors represent location and color of reflection present in scene • Can be used to punch up or tone down reflection • Example: Brighten reflections to make objects seem smoother or more metallic Reflect Render Element Beauty Render

Lesson Topic: V-Ray Render Elements • Refract Render Element • Rendered colors represent refraction present in scene • Used to enhance refraction effect • Example: To make refraction more visible or noticeable in scene Refract Render Element Beauty Render

Lesson Topic: V-Ray Render Elements • Specular Render Element • Specular highlights only • Used to punch up or tone down specular highlights • Example: Brighten specular highlights to give impression of very bright lights offscreen Specular Render Element Beauty Render

Lesson Topic: V-Ray Render Elements • Saving the render elements • Use the save button in the VFB toolbar • Saves directly to an Open. EXR file containing all Render Elements specified in Render Settings • Can also save each elements individually

Lecture Conclusion: V-Ray Render Elements – Give you the ability to adjust the rendering without re-rendering – EXR file – Collection of Render Elements – Compositing – Combining and adjusting Render Elements – Beauty pass – The results of the combination of Render Elements

Time to see it work! • Demonstration Cycle! • Watch while I demonstrate how to set up and save Render Elements

Time to do it yourself! • Activity Cycle! • Now it’s your turn!! • Use the provided scene file to set up and save Render Elements • The next slide gives the workflow I used for your reference

Practice Workflow • • Choose Render Elements in Render Settings window Render to VFB Look at Render Elements Save to EXR file