Tips & Tricks      Pipeline Techniques      Level: Intermediate     Date: 11th June 2008 

Pipeline Techniques : Render Passes

The term Render Pass has often been used interchangeably with Render Layers

When rendering in layers each layer is assigned what objects are to be in it. That is to say, the
main character or the static objects or background objects. More often, inside Maya it is used to
override renderers. Example: render one layer having objects to be rendered using Mental Ray
and another layer to render paint effects using the Maya Software Render.

There can be many such combinations.

In a production pipeline, the more important part of the “layers” was to have different features
(object properties) of the render elements, so that these may be composited in the way one
desires at the time of compositing. This allows for a great deal of flexibility at the time of
compositing.

The most common features of a rendered object or scene is

1) The look of the object (color, texture, etc)

2) Shadow of the objects
3) Environment / Background
4) Effects

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Sharks

Blood

Cage

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Fog & Light Rays

All these layers need different type of renders, as the layer for Blood, being hardware particles
had to get rendered using Maya Hardware. There could also be a case where there are Paint
Effects which specifically need to use the Maya Software Render.

All the above images can then be composited to get the final image:

Based on the above,

The look of the object includes the diffuse, specular, reflection and others. Sometimes these
features when merged inside the software as the rendered image, do not necessarily give the look
desired by the artists. Hence, they are often rendered separately.

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1) Diffuse Pass (Beauty pass or color pass) :

The is the main pass as the main object look (color and texture) is in it

2) Specular Pass : This pass has all highlights.

3) Depth Map Pass:

the distance of objects from the camera

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4) Effects Pass: The glows, rays etc…
5) Reflection Pass: Reflection from surrounding environments and objects.
6) Shadow Pass:
7) Ambient Occlusion Pass:

Increase contrast of the objects as well as their relation to other objects

8) Normal Pass:

Explained in accompanied tutorial

The above is not a complete list, but indicative of the commonly used layers. It is not
compulsory that the scene “HAS TO” be broken up into the above set layers. As such there could
be an “object pass” that has diffuse, specular and reflection. Sometimes the simple geometry
mask or even the alpha of the main object can be useful. For example, if we need a glint
(shine/shimmer) on the contour of the object, we can use it’s alpha (slightly increased and/or
offsetted) and then have that to glow/shine.

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Reasons for using Render Passes:

Flexibility: Flexibility to do changes with very little rendering. More often the required
changes can be done at the compositing stage. For example: with a specular pass, we are not
worried having to re render the entire scene because the Highlights are too strong. We can
simply change the opacity of the specular layer or if we need to “soften” the specularity we could
blur that layer, when compositing. Or in worst case, scenario simple rerender the specular pass.

Memory Management: Very often when rendering we hit the peak of Memory and a
“Memory exception” get thrown. As not necessarily all object, with all their properties, are
rendered together when using render layer (passes), the memory is managed much better. Also
the option to “switch of” the render pass, makes it easier to render the same scene on different
systems, based on what configuration the individual system is. This is very valuable to smaller
companies with limited resources.

Saving Render Time: Very often, trying to achieve a “more finer” image quality, literally
multiplies render time. For Example: Blurred reflections will need more render time. With a
reflection pass, we can blur the reflection when compositing. Note: we are not at all saying that
the look is identical to the rendered reflection, however, not always does the scene need that
intense accuracy.

Relighting: One of the main reasons to render passes. Often the rendered sequence has to be
composited with real life footage, and it is quite difficult for the Computer Graphics Image to
match the lighting of the real world. Therefore, there is often a need to “relight”, using the lights
of the compositing system and the layers within. One of the ways is using the “normal pass”
which is explained in the tutorial “Pipleline techniques : Bend Normals”. There are many other
techniques as well.

Position Live objects(footage) within CG elements: Another common usage is when we need to
have live footage (real life character) to be “between” certain CG. Using the Depth Map pass this
can be achieved.

Compositing Effects: There are tons of ways render passes help when compositing special
effects. Commonly used particles, fogs, glows, etc or simple alpha or Occlusion pass when
composited allows to enhance the look, and at time create a new effect altogether. 

Digitally signed by Prem Moraes

DN: cn=Prem Moraes,
o=Autodesk India Ltd., ou=M&E,
Prem Moraes email=prem.moraes@autodesk.
com, c=IN
Date: 2008.08.19 17:14:20
+05'30'

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