Z-depth/value?????

[Tim Saunders]

I'm trying to render with some atmospheric z-depth. I know vray's VFB allows you to render out a z-value channel as a depth buffer, but how do I use it? I tried rendering out that seperate channel, but was only able to view the channel in the VFB. I've done some serching on most the forums trying to find help on the topic, but I can't seem to find what I'm looking for. Chris if your out there? Ideally I would like to be able to adjust the z-depth in post, but when I tried rendering the z-value channel and save the seperate channels, I can't open it in photoshop. I don't even see any adjustments related to z-depth/value.

[Sawyer]

I have had problems with the z-buffer. I think you have to save it as a png and open it in a comp program. What I have recently done is just render it as a seperate effects pass in scanline and that will give me the b/w gradient depth mask that ps uses. Then you can load it as an alpha and play with it.

 

If you want the procedure I could write it down or I read this at the Chaos forum and you could look it up there.

[Tim Saunders]

Thanks sawyer, I'm familiar with doing it in scanline. That may be the answer.

[Christopher Nichols]

Yeah potatoshop may not be the right tool for you. I think to many people take it for granted. You can read (use) it on AE and Combustion with and RPF. That was the last time I used Z-Buffer in comp. The basic issue is that it is basically float data, so I suspect that Sawyer is right that an png may work.... I woudl have to test it more... but I am lazy today... sorry.

[Tim Saunders]

I woudl have to test it more... but I am lazy today... sorry.

Don't sweat it. Thanks for the reply.