3ds Max: Rendering for Compositing in V-Ray Next

Course details

Using render elements, V-Ray Next for 3ds Max offers fine-grained control over parameters necessary for creating high-quality composites, such as reflections, shadows, mattes, and more. In this course, Brian Bradley shows how to use V-Ray Next to create renders specifically for a post-production workflow in applications like Photoshop and After Effects. Explore the render elements UI and workflow and the output options for still images and animated sequences. Then learn how to use 3ds Max state sets to manage multiple render passes, and find out how to analyze a scene. In chapter four, Brian takes a deep dive into render elements such as MultiMatte, Cryptomatte, ZDepth, VRayLightSelect, and more. The fifth chapter is a project-based lesson that shows how to select and adjust render elements for an animated sequence. Finally, learn how to add lighting and other effects in order to produce a very different looking final composite.

Topics include:
Why use render elements in 3ds Max
Output options in V-Ray Next and 3ds Max
Using state sets for rendering in passes
Compositing lighting and other beauty pass elements
Exploring the render elements in depth
Compositing an animated sequence from start to finish

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Creating composites using V-Ray in 3ds Max
02 - Software versions used in this course
03 - The 3ds Max project structure
04 - Gamma and units setup
05 - A word about HDRIs

1. Rendering for Compositing

06 - Why use a compositing workflow
07 - Mattes, masks, and alpha channels
08 - Render elements explained
09 - Making a pipeline decision
10 - The render elements UI and workflow
11 - The render element parameters rollout
12 - Output options, part 1
13 - Output options, part 2
14 - The importance of bit depth in compositing

2. An Introduction to State Sets

15 - State Sets explained
16 - The State Sets toolbar UI
17 - State Sets dialogue UI
18 - Basic State Sets workflow
19 - Using State Sets for rendering in passes, part 1
20 - Using State Sets for rendering in passes, part 2
21 - Using State Sets for flexibility

3. Working with the Beauty Pass Elements

22 - Lighting
23 - Global Illumination
24 - Reflection and specular
25 - Refraction and SSS
26 - Final render settings
27 - Recreating the beauty pass
28 - Adding in some tweaks

4. A Deeper Dive into Render Elements

29 - Material, object, and render IDs
30 - MultiMatte
31 - Cryptomatte
32 - Using the Render Mask tool
33 - Extra texture
34 - Using RE mattes in Photoshop
35 - Z-Depth
36 - Velocity
37 - VRayLightSelect
38 - Sample rate
39 - Denoiser

5. Project - Working with an Animated Sequence

40 - Breaking down the shot
41 - Tweaking render element parameters
42 - Rendering out
43 - Getting footage into After Effects

6. Compositing in After Effects

44 - Tweaking the lighting
45 - Color correcting the petals
46 - Adding a depth-of-field effect
47 - Applying motion blur to the shot
48 - Final tweaks and rendering out

Conclusion

49 - Next steps