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i read the manual but i´m still not able to produce a file with embedded channels with all activated channels...
I have a physical sky with sun and have some letters on a floor. really simple stuff...i can see the individual channels while rendering by clicking the little round buttons. but the the rendered file is just flat.it works as separated layers but it would be fine to have them all in one single file... Any ideas?


I´m working from cinema, exporting to studio with deactivated multilight....

You have to set it for a output file type that support multiple embedded channels, EXR and TIF should work.

Just open the MXI file and output a different format.

Best,
Jason.

hi jason. yes, everything set to tif...i have no clue... do you know how to exclude the shadow from the main rendering...that would help...

I'm not sure I follow, are you trying to keep a shadow catching material from appearing in the render?

Best,
Jason.

i just want a rendering with seperate shadows. and a main rendering without them...just because i want to manipulate the shadows as a separate layer...

in my fantasy i have a photoshop file all channels that are combinded with channel operations to the "final" rendering...so i could manipulate for example just the shadows...

Well, you can have shadow catching materials which would then be rendered into a shadow channel, but I'm afraid the main render would also have those shadows in them unless you hid the shadow catching materials.

If you want to get fancy you might be able to do 2 renders -- one with everything hidden from GI (not sure if that would work BTW) and another where everything was a shadow catcher... then you could composite from those.

BTW have you tried just bringing the MXI file into Photoshop via the plugin? You should be able to access your channels there.

Best,
Jason.

hi jason. thx for your help!!! I will try now the workaround with ps...

hi jason...bad luck. it doesn´t work with ps....i thought i could get tif file with all separated channels... what would you do if you just wanted to soften the shadows without soften the image??

Set all object into your scene as a shadow catcher ( you have to set this in the materials) and render a shadow channel -- use the shadow channel render as a mask in photoshop to apply whatever effects you want to the shadows.

If all you want to do is lighten them, then try the "Shadow/Highlights" adjustment -- which allows you to reduce the intensity of dark areas very easily(you don't need any additional renders for this).

Best,
Jason.

Thank You!!!