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Depth of field in post prod
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Depth of field in post prod // Roundtable
Post by Emmanuel // Sep 13, 2007, 9:51am
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Emmanuel
Total Posts: 439
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I don't use built-in DOF effect neither in Lightworks nor VRay because I like to add is manually in Photoshop. It is faster to render a flat picture, save it in PSD format with Depth layer, and adjust the effect at will in Photoshop. The effect looks better too.
Problem is that Vegas, my video edition program does not have any option to grab the Z information and re-create the depth of field effect.
So today, the only way to achieve such effect in animation is to create a script in Photoshop and apply it to all the animation frames, one by one, using the batch processing tool.
How do you, the animators among us, manage your depth of field effects ? Do you use the native tS DOF ? Do you use a post prod filter, and if so, what program do you work in ? |
Post by RAYMAN // Sep 13, 2007, 10:13am
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RAYMAN
Total Posts: 1496
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Emanuelle !
One of the most powerfull and best DOF and bokeh generators
including batch processing is from Richard Rosenman
http://photoshop.pluginsworld.com/plugins/adobe/717/richard-rosenman/depth-of-field-generator-pro.html
http://www.richardrosenman.com/software/
http://www.dofpro.com/
Best regards
Peter |
Post by prodigy // Sep 13, 2007, 10:24am
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prodigy
Total Posts: 3029
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Another tip Emmanuel is if you has layers. add blur filters on each layer to fake is a deep of field.. that works preaty good for animations.. |
Post by DigitalSoapbox // Sep 13, 2007, 4:56pm
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DigitalSoapbox
Total Posts: 71
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I don't use built-in DOF effect neither in Lightworks nor VRay because I like to add is manually in Photoshop. It is faster to render a flat picture, save it in PSD format with Depth layer, and adjust the effect at will in Photoshop. The effect looks better too.
Problem is that Vegas, my video edition program does not have any option to grab the Z information and re-create the depth of field effect.
So today, the only way to achieve such effect in animation is to create a script in Photoshop and apply it to all the animation frames, one by one, using the batch processing tool.
How do you, the animators among us, manage your depth of field effects ? Do you use the native tS DOF ? Do you use a post prod filter, and if so, what program do you work in ?
I typically use Primitive Itch's AAZBuffer plugin in tS6.6 and the Modeler side of tS7 w/ the Lightworks renderer. Until we as artists and animations can get access to the z-buffer data on the WorkSpace side, it's pretty much useless for animation rendering to me and I suspect others (not to mention the other issues w/ VRay/material rendering and UV mapping on the WorkSpace side, but that's an entirely different set of problems). To create the actual DOF, I use Sapphire Effects ZBuffer plugin, which can use an image sequence for animated DOF, which also comes in handy when you're just panning across a panoramic image, as it allows you to change the focal plane of the panorama to make it look like it's actually an animated 3D image as opposed to a single image wrapped onto a sphere/cube/cylinder/etc.
- N |
Post by Emmanuel // Sep 13, 2007, 11:03pm
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Emmanuel
Total Posts: 439
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Thanks for the tips everyone :)
@ RAYMAN, Photoshop's lens blur is perfect for that use. In source, you set Depth and Photoshop loads the depth information saved in trueSpace's PSD export.
See the options panel :
http://www.invano.com/tutorials/photoshop/thumb/focalrange3.jpg
Problem with Photoshop's tool is that you cannot animate the effect, even in batch processing mode.
The effect I am looking for is to move the focus point along the camera axis : so at keyframe 0, I have one object blurred in the foreground and one neat in the background, and at frame 100, the one in foreground becomes neat and the background blurred. This would take hours to animate in tS but just a few minutes in a post prod tool.
@ Nick, I never tried Primitive Itch's AAZBuffer. The plugin I use to render depth in grey levels is Chikara's Zrender 2.0. It is very simple : just select an object given as close, and an object given as far, and render !
Sapphire Effects ZBuffer plugin is very interesting... but ouch ! Expensive plugin for expensive apps :rolleyes:... This one is not for me.
Vegas is in trueSpace range of prices but its good plugins are rare.
@ Prodigy, the trick is a good one. Problem is that it may require many layers... |
Post by Bobbins // Sep 14, 2007, 2:28am
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Bobbins
Total Posts: 506
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The effect I am looking for is to move the focus point along the camera axis : so at keyframe 0, I have one object blurred in the foreground and one neat in the background, and at frame 100, the one in foreground becomes neat and the background blurred. This would take hours to animate in tS but just a few minutes in a post prod tool.
I know you don't like the trueSpace DoF, but you are describing a standard pull focus effect and it is very easily done with Lightworks in tS in seconds.
On model side (which is where Lightworks renders anyway) create a camera and make it look at an object. The distance from the camera to the looked at object is automatically fed into the DoF distance panel, so if you animate the looked at object and render an animation, the focus point animates.
I use a non rendering dummy object (a zero intensity light will do) as the looked at object. You can also create a hierarchy with the camera and looked at object such that the looked at object will always move only along the axis of the camera lens which means you can animate the camera to move and point where you want and still achieve a pull focus. |
Post by RAYMAN // Sep 14, 2007, 4:33am
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RAYMAN
Total Posts: 1496
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Thanks for the tips everyone :)
@ RAYMAN, Photoshop's lens blur is perfect for that use. In source, you set Depth and Photoshop loads the depth information saved in trueSpace's PSD export.
Problem with Photoshop's tool is that you cannot animate the effect, even in batch processing mode.
Thats why I didnt point you to some kind of plugin that works like
Photoshop.
If you read the features here http://www.dofpro.com/features.htm
you will see that the effect you get from Rosenman DOF Pro is
keyframeable. There is a trial so you should be able to see if it is what
you are looking for at no cost.;)
Peter |
Post by Emmanuel // Sep 14, 2007, 6:51am
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Emmanuel
Total Posts: 439
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Thats why I didnt point you to some kind of plugin that works like
Photoshop.
If you read the features here http://www.dofpro.com/features.htm
you will see that the effect you get from Rosenman DOF Pro is
keyframeable. There is a trial so you should be able to see if it is what
you are looking for at no cost.;)
Peter
Hehe, I didn't noticed that ! Thanks for the update Peter :) |
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