Max 2021 and Arnold GPU render - AOVs not working correctly?

[Anonymous]

I am trying to render AOV passes from Arnold in Max 2021 and they are not coming out correctly. For instance, when I create a Z AOV from Arnold GPU it just comes out black, there is nothing else in the file. When I switch to scanline with the same file I get correctly created Z-depth pass with the same settings. Am I doing something wrong with Arnold?

Thanks for your help.

[madsd]

The image renders fine, you are just watching it at a "bad" exposure.

So do like normal, render it out, and open in your comp app where you are going to use it, and work with the exposure until it becomes visible.

[Anonymous]

No, that is not it. As I stated, the z-depth pass from the Arnold GPU is black, as in, every pixel is black, there is nothing to retrieve as every pixel is black.

I know what you are referring to, this is not that. This is a 100% black image.

Again, the AOV's work fine and as expected when switching to scanline render or using an older version of max (and therefore NOT GPU Arnold).

This is something with Arnold GPU version. At least it certainly seems to be.

Thanks.

Sam

[madsd]

It works fine here.

Remember to download the latest build of Arnold, then try again.

[Anonymous]

That is great news (that it works for you)!

I did immediately update Arnold with no change in results, so I must be doing something wrong.

Any chance of walking step by step how to set up, say, an EXR file that contains a Z-depth pass and a cyryptomatte pass? Or just any passes. I cant seem to find really detailed explanations of the new AOV manager in Arnold. I get the passes to look OK in Activeshade, but when I try to render out I do not get the passes that contain information. The passes are there in the EXR file, but are basically blank with no useful channels.

Also, since you are being so kind with your time (and I appreciate it) do you know how I can generate a matte for an object that is within another object? What I mean is, I need to generate a matte for a bit of geometry that is inside of a glass object. I need to generate the matte for that object inside the glass, as the glass distorts the object (correctly) but I need to do further post work on that element. Anyway, any insights you can provide would be greatly appreciated as most of the online help still seems to center around older versions of Arnold before the GPU came out of beta.

[madsd]

Well, it works fine rendering to exr on disk as well on the GPU, here.

So you must have introduced something that is breaking the system, without knowing what.

You can try attach a max scene you repo, just make a bunch of teapots and set up the AOVs like you would think it should work.

You need to enable "transmit AOV" for the glass object on the Arnold Standard Material for it to be passable to some mask.

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much for the offer.

Here is a simple scene where I would just like to get an EXR with a few AVO's and for getting a matte from the transparent object that includes the geometry inside and behind the sphere (the transparent object).

[madsd]

Tried your file, removed all aov layers except the Z which is your problem.

Rendered image out, opened the Z .exr in photoshop, and LOWERED the exposure until I saw Z depth.

The AOV is not clamped the data is there however and working fine.

If its not working, update arnold to latest build.

If that does not work, I belive you arnt understanding the photoshop workflow and what to do to see it.

[Anonymous]

That is great. Can you please post the file that you created? Thanks.

[madsd]

attached

[Anonymous]

Thanks, but I was referring to the max file, is it possible for you to post that here?

[madsd]

You can get it from your own link above.

[Anonymous]

Yes, of course, but I am trying to get a look at the workflow that you used.

Again, I can not find instructions on how to use the new AOV manager within arnold and max 2021. It has changed substantially from previous versions and I have not found any good learning material on this yet. Most things I am finding are referring to old versions of creating AOV files.

Just as an FYI - I have been creating and using layered EXR files for years from Max with no issues, suddenly now with 2021 I am having all kinds of problems. The z-depth is not the only thing I am having issues with.

So what I am really after is a step by step on correct usage for setting up and exporting AOV's with this new system.

Also, when I render out the Z from the file I sent you it comes out black with no amount of exposure tweaking showing anything, it is just black. Your rendered z-depth pass however is white, and indeed there is information there when it is adjusted (the expected behavior). So I would like to see your setup to find out how you set up the pass.

And again, I really appreciate your time. I see that you are on this board quite a bit trying to help others and I just wanted to say thanks for that.

Thanks!

[madsd]

Remove all but Z into AOVs file.

Make a new AOV with a different input. Keep on doing that.

Remove the Read and write AOVs in the front panel, and disable OptiX global, use pr AOV OptiX inside the AOV manager.

[Anonymous]

If you could post your file that would be great.

Meanwhile, here is the same file with all the things you mentioned (I think) and I still get black Z-depth, same as always for me.

Could you please send your file that you created the z depth pass from?

Thanks

[madsd]

attached

[Anonymous]

So when I simply open your file, correct the output paths, this is what I get -

This is the same issue I have had from the start. No information in the z depth pass (as well as the material and object ID passes). All black with no info in them.

[madsd]

What version of Arnold is installed?

Look at the render panel, its stated in the top.

[Anonymous]

4.0.4.36

[madsd]

And the normal render works fine in Active shade.

Try flush the GPU cache in the Arnold menu.

Else I dont know, something is broken on your side. Technically,.