Render elements ignoring transparent objects - how?

[Terri Brown]

Hi guys,

 

I've had an issue for ages now and have never found a workaround, so here I am again. I work extensively with Vray Render Elements. However, I often find myself having to render twice - once with and once without glass, as the separate elements don't seem to pick up transparency.

 

Simple scenario: Interior scene looking out at a garden through windows - one window open, one window closed. I have set up a Zdepth pass to create atmospheric perspective as an additive pass in photoshop. The section of the render where the window is open renders the zdepth of the trees beautifully...the closed window...black. Hence re-render with all glass hidden.

 

Truth be told, where possible I prefer to have two renders - one glass and one no glass - to control reflections. But with animations and time constraints this becomes a real hack.

 

So my question again: can I render a pass such as zdepth through completely transparent objects?

 

Hope that makes sense.

 

Cheers,

Terri

[Corey Beaulieu]

To get this effect you need to use the "Affect All Channels" option in the refractive materials such as glass.

 

If you rebuild the RGB though, the Refraction pass will not be necessary as it will be baked into the Relection pass and others. It will become over-bright otherwise.

[Terri Brown]

Ah yes of course. I remember doing that once by mistake and being so annoyed that my glass wasn't showing on my wire colour. Thanks for the reminder Corey...I have project deadline brain mush!