Modo render output (alphas)...

[createvfxinc]

I've just started using Octane with Modo and am really pleased with the render speeds and quality. The plugin workflow is great inside 901. That said, I'm trying to sort out a way to render out the equivalent of Modo's render outputs (particularly alphas). Haven't seen a workflow for this in the notes.

[face_off]

Hi - the easiest way is to tick the Render Layer Mask and then view that render pass.

Paul

[createvfxinc]

I can see the 'Render Layer Mask' option in the Octane plugin for Modo render pass settings panel and did activate it. Having said that, nothing is happening. Please remember that I'm brand new to Octane and am very used to the render pass options within Modo and its shader tree workflow. I have a material mask set up for a simple sphere and then a Modo alpha render output setup within the material mask. Do I need an Octane override and if so what do I do when I've got it loaded into the material mask? I'm not seeing anything in the Octane viewport and think I'm probably missing something very obvious to others but not obvious to me.

Can you give me a quick one or two sentences with directions on how to set this up with Modo? Alternatively a link or a tip on where I can find this in the online manual would also be great.

Modo 901 and the latest updates of Octane for Modo. Windows 8.1 Pro 64bit

[face_off]

Hi

1) Enable the Info Passes->Render Layer Mask box.
2) Click "Select Viewport Render Pass" and select "Render Layer Mask".

Paul

[createvfxinc]

So to get what I was after I had to use layer id's on the mesh items I needed masked separately.

A simple example is an array of spheres hovering over a sweep. Without using layer id's I would only ever be able to render out the scene's alpha and in effect, this would mean seeing an alpha of the solid cove. I wanted to render out an alpha for the spheres as well as just the sweep/cove. In order to do this I assigned a layer id of 2 to the spheres and 1 to the cove.

Now... ideally I'd rather be assigning Octane layer id's to material masks and not individual mesh items. The option to do either / or would be great. It's probably not possible.

[face_off]

Now... ideally I'd rather be assigning Octane layer id's to material masks and not individual mesh items. The option to do either / or would be great. It's probably not possible.

The Material ID's can rendered too - just enable the Material ID pass and then select the Material ID pass to view in the Viewport. You can also select which Layer Id renders via the Octane Render Passes->Render Layer->Active Layer property.

There is a full explanation of the Octane Render Layer functionality at viewtopic.php?f=51&t=44267. The Modo plugin supports all these features.

Paul

[createvfxinc]

Material id's never give me as clean a selection (mask) as a separately rendered out alpha specific to the item I'm looking to mask. Takes longer to render out the individual alphas but the results are always better.

[MrFurious]

createvfxinc i've been wanting to output material alphas in the same way Octane outputs object layers masks but It's not possible and word from Otoy is it's not gonna happen in the 2.0 cycle. I asked about possibly in the 3.0 cycle and no reply.... nice. (not). Agreed material ID's are awful makes for messy masking.

I'm also new to Modo but when I use Octane for Lightwave I had no choice but to render out all my alpha masks using the native renderer, matching DOF, focal length etc with both the octane and native cameras.