EXR and PNG configuration per render element...

[Anonymous]

Here's what I want to do programmatically in Max 2015

Output Image Config:

Beauty - 16bit EXR

Depth - 32bit EXR

GI - 16bit EXR

Multimatte - PNG with Alpha

I can already add the render elements with Python or Maxscript and set the output file name with Maxscript. I need to be able to specify more than just .png or .exr.

Python and MaxScript solutions are best. If necessary, C++ might work for me.

Thanks for giving it a try!

-Miles

[kevinvandecar]

Hi Miles, I am not a MAXScript expert, but it looks like those render elements are exposed to a certain extent. For example, the Beauty RenderElement is discussed here:

http://help.autodesk.com/view/3DSMAX/2015/ENU/?guid=__files_GUID_22851307_3777_4B95_9E87_308A1E1B370...

This page says you cannot create a new instance, but you can change some of it's properties.

It would help to have an example MAXscript to show what you have done so far, so we do not have to code something to help you further.

thanks,

kevin

[Anonymous]

This is a basic example of what I need: main render output to EXR, multimatte element output to PNG.

rendsavefile = true
rendoutputfilename = "C:\\temp\\testrender_.exr"

myelem = MultiMatteElement elementname:"MME_001" 
myelem.R_gbufIDOn = true
myelem.R_gbufID = 1
myelem.G_gbufIDOn = true
myelem.G_gbufID = 2
myelem.B_gbufIDOn = false

theManager = maxOps.GetRenderElementMgr #Production
theManager.addrenderelement myelem
theManager.SetRenderElementFilename 0 "C:\\temp\\testrender_MME001_.png"
renderscenedialog.update()

 My CG supe says that in Maya and Softimage, you can set the image type and bit depth separately on each output. I can't figure out how to do it in Max.

After running the above script, I hit render. This image shows the frame buffer on the right, and the saved(corrupted) file on the left.

Thanks For Your Help,

Miles

[kevinvandecar · Accepted solution]

Hi Miles,

Ok, thanks for the additional details. So, those outputs types can be globally configured by using the BitmapIO interface classes. See here in the docs:

http://help.autodesk.com/view/3DSMAX/2015/ENU/?guid=__files_GUID_3D06E4B8_8409_4542_B0C0_738F8978E51...

There is one problem that I see, though. It looks like when setting PNG output via maxscript for the render element, it is somehow getting corrupted. So I will need to check into that. It seems like a defect for me, as the other file output types I tested did work.

Your code looks like it is using a VRay render element, so I cannot test that one directly. I used instead the Mental Ray Matte render element with the code as below. Here you can see that for JPG output I can globally set the output type, and then the resulting render element output is in that format. The PNG output parameters are also correct, but the image is corrupted.

rendsavefile = true
rendoutputfilename = "C:\\temp\\testrender_.exr"

myelem = MatteRenderElement elementname:"MME_001" 
myelem.gbufIDOn = true
myelem.gbufID = 1

theManager = maxOps.GetRenderElementMgr #Production
theManager.SetElementsActive
theManager.addrenderelement myelem
-- Set the PNG global output parameters...
-- pngio.setType(#true24)
-- pngio.setAlpha(true)
-- pngio.setInterlaced(true)
-- PNG output seems corrupt regardless of these settings. Manually it works. :-(
-- theManager.SetRenderElementFilename 0 "C:\\temp\\testrender_MME001_.png"
-- Set the JPG global output parameters...
JPEG.setQuality(5)
JPEG.setSmoothing(1)
theManager.SetRenderElementFilename 0 "C:\\temp\\testrender_MME001_.jpg"
renderscenedialog.update()

Hope it helps. I will check into the PNG issue.

thanks,

kevin

[Anonymous]

Kickass answer, Thanks for helping me out!

[Anonymous]

You found how to set PNG settings for Render Elements?

[zsomborAFFE3]

Hi @kevinvandecar ,

Did you managed to fix the PNG issue?

It seems like it is still not working...

Thanks,

Zsombor