how to render denoised shadow pass (without rendering twice) Tweet

[LLLOtoy]

might be a totally noob question, but:
I was searching for a good way to render a denoised shadow pass but found no satisfying answer so far.
any help highly apreciated!

i tried Auxiliary->Shadows => VERY NOISY (why?)(a lot more than Beauty, even without AIDenoiser)(And no Denoised-Beatuy-Shadow-Pass availible)
i tried RenderLayers->Shadows and BlackShadows => PERFECT but i have to render the Frame twice because:

when i use RenderLayers->LayersMode->HideFromCamera i don`t have any shadows renderd in "Shadows" or "BlackShadows"...
(i need to use HideFromCamera in order to get both Layers without punched out alpha)(punched out Alpha leaves you with an AA-Gap between Layers)


i need shadow separately because i have to compose graphics (with shadows composed on) between foreground and Background. The Graphics need to be exchangeable, so i can`t render them together with the image...

i`m also aware of crypto- or other mattes, but if i don`t use Layered Render i won`t have useable shadows, as I´m left with AuxiliaryShadows which are REALLY noisy.


thanks in advance for any ideas

jan

[LLLOtoy]

ok i found the answer to my (clueless) question,
(just in case anyone has the same problem)
i though i wouldn`t understand shadow passes fully, but it turned out that the extremely noisy shadowpass was due to light emitting materials in the scene.
After deselecting "cast shadows" on the emitting materials the shadows are fine, and also my problem was solved...


best

jn