Rendering passes Mega_TK

[Spacelord]

I'd love to find a tut or some information on using the Mega_TK
shaders to render out passes. The shader is by Pavel Ledin aka Puppet.
I've scene the docs for Maya but not Max.

http://www.puppet.cgtalk.ru/download/shaders_p_e.shtml



I'd love to be able to render out passes using the Arch&Design shader with Puppets passes shader.

[mymental]

You can find some info here

http://www.puppet.cgtalk.ru/tutorials/howtomegatk_e.shtml

here are some shots from his tutorial

http://www.puppet.cgtalk.ru/tutorials/images/tk_shake_graph.gif


http://www.puppet.cgtalk.ru/tutorials/images/tk_passes01.jpg

[Spacelord]

As I mentioned I need it for 3dsmax not Maya.
I understand the compositing side of it just not how to
use p_buffer_writer inside of 3dsmax.
See how Puppet has one for Maya but not Max.
http://www.puppet.cgtalk.ru/download/buffer_writer_e.shtml

Thanks for the reply

[Puppet]

p_buffer_writer shader just write some data to buffers, but you should define these buffers before(for example with some geometry shader or manually with mr stand alone) and save it to file after render complete with some output shader.

If you need ready solution for rendering passes please try p_MegaTK shader with p_MegaTK_pass in max (please view tutorial (http://www.puppet.cgtalk.ru/tutorials/howtomegatk_e.shtml) it will work for 3dsmax too)

Or try ctrl.buffers (http://mymentalray.com/mymr_shaders/shaders.htm) shader.

Both of these methods have some problems or limitations and advantages.

[Spacelord]

Thanks Puppet, The tutorial is different in the documents that came with
the download. It was missing the bit about downloading the mrGeomShaderObject.dlo.



6. Create p_MegaTK_pass geometry shader and assing it to transform node of dummy object(cube).
If you use 3dsmax, you should attach geometry shader to special object 'mr Shader', it will be available after installing mrGeomShaderObject.dlo plugin. You may find it in 3dsmax SDK (source code only) or download compiled version from http://www.maxplugins.de
Or try ctrl.buffers shader.


I should have more luck this time round.

It would be awesome if theres some way to use it with Arch&Design shader.



Or try ctrl.buffers shader.

I'll have to have a look into Ctrl_buffers, I was using it in XSI but wasn't aware it was working in 3dsmax. Fingers crossed it is.

[Puppet]

Thanks Puppet, The tutorial is different in the documents that came with the download. It was missing the bit about downloading the mrGeomShaderObject.dlo.
Yes, I have uploaded edited tutorial few days ago, because many users ask me about 3dsmax.
May be I'll release shaders_p 3.0.1 with small fixes in docs and shaders itself.

It would be awesome if theres some way to use it with Arch&Design shader.
Arch&Design shader return only one color RGBA and if you want split it to different passes you should create many Arch&Design shaders with different settings for example for diffuse, reflection anf etc. (and use shaders like ctrl.buffers for saving it) or render your scene many times. Of course it's not so fast.
If you want you may try use p_MegaTK shader instead Arch&Design.
p_MegaTK shader have most common parameters that you have in Arch&Design. p_MegaTK shaders compute many passes for single render.
But limitation is that most passes in p_MegaTK is fixed (Diffuse, Shadow, Specular, Indirect, Reflect, Refract, Diffuse Occlusion, Ambient Occlusion, Ambient, Bent Normal, Incandescence, Z) and you have only 4 color passes (SpecialC) for spliting out what you want, for examples masks and anything else like in ctrl.buffers shader (but only RGB, not A).

Sorry, I never tried ctrl.buffers in max.

[Spacelord]

Thanks Pavel,

I not sure if that would be possible with the Arch & Design shader as I think its a phenomenon.
Like in Max I don't think I can plug the Arch&Design shader
into the Mental Ray's surface input.

[rendermaniac]

Hi Pavel,

Do you find that you get problems multiplying the diffuse colour by the diffuse lighting if you have semi-opaque surfaces? I have tried this approach and it has never worked because you need to premultiply before alpha compositing. Also are there edge artefacts? Have you ever tried it on fur?

Adding passes works fine, but multiplying I've always found to be a world of pain!

It would be good to see a straight 3d render against combining it in 2d, when you are using semi-opacque objects. Might try this myself if I get time.

Simon

[Puppet]

Also are there edge artefacts? Have you ever tried it on fur?
Can you show me image with problem you talking about?

I know about problem with semi-opaque surfaces (compositing result some different with render result). I'll dig it. Thanks.

[_FZ_]

Hi, I'm using this shader and I resolved my rendering layers problem. Thanks, great tool!
I read all the info, but I missed something, for example in a scene I use tk_light shader (point, direct, spot) but I don't know how exclude (or include) objects from illumination or shadow casting. If I activate the shader on the light I cannot use this feature.
I've difficulties to render z pass, only red channel without gradient or grey pass.

Also often I got normal pass (bent) problem, it's not calculated and in the final render pass I found holes, bucket trails, or only something is rendered correctly.. is it a bug?

I'm using Max 9

:(

[_FZ_]

I found a "solution" for my light question.
The trick is in the Light Tab of megatk shader..

[tryharder]

... just found this thread and was wondering if it would be possible for one of you guys to setup a simple scene with the most common buffers defined:
- diffuse
- shadow
- reflection
- refraction
- ...

would be really great :D



OK, finally got it working with the new release - thanks puppet. Now i´m going to explore it a little more. There will be questions in the future. I´m shure about that :-)

[_FZ_]

I'll post something today, maybe the maya tutorial redone in max.


Now I'm wondering how can I get matte pass using mega_tk, I need to render a plane as "invisible", but with the shadow casted on it from other objects..
Matte/shadow material is obviously ignored when I got render passes, so is there a way to use mega_tk shader as matte/shadow material? :(

(I tried to change cOpacity and Opacity Conversion for the mega_tk shader used on the object that I want as matte, but I obtain only an invisible object, no shadow on it, nothing)