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[solved] Alpha channel renders out white – is this right?

Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 8:12 pm
by leoA4D
Under Render Options, I have tried checking the Render, Alpha, Material ID and the Object ID together and separately and all I get is a white Alpha channel. The Material ID and Object ID channels rendered okay.

Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 8:16 pm
by -Adrian
If the whole scene if filled with meshes, you should get a white one. Otherwise there's something not working as it should.

Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 8:38 pm
by leoA4D
Hey -Adrian. Something is not right, I think. Right now, with only the Alpha channel checked, the render is at 22% and all white and, the Preview is all black.

Can the Object ID render be used to make the Alpha? Change the colored areas to white and it is an alpha. Yes?



MacBook Pro, 2.16GHz, 2GB, Mac OS 10.4.9
Cinema 4D v.9.6UB
M~R v1.5.0.2, C4D/M~R plugin update 07.05.31

I am also getting all white for the alpha channel

Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 10:59 pm
by VALKAMA
I am also getting all white for the alpha channel

Exporting from FormZ. Using Mac Pro 3ghz

Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 11:24 pm
by dilbert
leoA4D, does your scene have a background plane like in a studio render? If so, if this plane covers the entire camera view, the alpha channel will render all white. Try rendering out a material ID pass, to see if there's any geometry covering the whole view.

Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 11:41 pm
by leoA4D
Hi Dilbert, no background plane and both the Material ID and Object ID channels rendered fine.

Image

Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 11:50 pm
by Mihai
Leo, please could you simplify the scene as much as you can while keeping the alpha white and send me the scene? Thanks!

Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 1:52 am
by leoA4D
Will do.

Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 1:59 pm
by leoA4D
Mihai, the file was emailed about nine hours ago. If you have not received it by now, let me know and I will try again.

Thanks for the help.

Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 7:16 pm
by Mihai
Sorry, I couldn't take a look at it right away. I opened the scene and the alpha channel was not ticked. I ticked Alpha channel, and I'm getting a correct alpha channel....

Image

Is your main render image being saved properly? And the alpha image is saved to the same folder? Are you getting any warnings while rendering? Check the Console tab in MXCL to see any warnings.

Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 10:33 pm
by leoA4D
Thanks Mihai.

Where did you select the Alpha channel? The app plug-in or studio? I selected the alpha channel in and rendered from the studio. I tried again.

1. MXStudio/MXCL Alpha render:
I ran the alpha again from MXStudio where I checked the alpha box in the Render Options/Render Channels menu. I just noticed that the MXCL/Render Options tab/Alpha Channel box is not checked. Is the MXCL alpha box not supposed to be checked? The Alpha png came out white.

2. Plug-in/MXCL Alpha render:
I ran the alpha from the plug-in with the plug-in/Output tab/Image Channels/Alpha box checked. Rendering from the plug, the MXCL/Render Options tab/Alpha Channel box is not checked. The Alpha png came out white.

The plug-in Alpha rendering 2. was allowed to run 10m, SL 8.55 while run 1. ran longer. Am I not allowing enough render time for the Alpha?

Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 11:15 pm
by Mihai
If you stop the render, the MXCL>Render options tab should show the alpha channel ticked (after the rendering has stopped).

The alpha I posted above was rendered for 5 min, you should see immediately in the folder you're saving in, how it looks, even after 1 min. They sky part should be black.

Does this happen for all your renders? Try saving in some other path both the mxi and image files and see what happens.

Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 1:18 am
by Mihai
Update: There was an issue with alphas and Mac, but it has been fixed for the next patch.

Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 3:42 am
by leoA4D
Okay, I will wait for the patch. Thanks Mihai.

Edit: Seeing your alpha up this page – the alpha I need to finish this rendering – is a bit ... Ack!

Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 2:12 pm
by leoA4D
Mihai, are you there?

One more question: How about using the Object ID image to make the Alpha in ps?