render layers - black/coloured shadow pass

[fatfreemedia]

There is no embedded alpha channel in the .tiff files I've rendered using that test project - as bepeg4d has mentioned, that format does not work with black shadows. Happy to use EXR or PNG for now though.

[aoktar]

There is no embedded alpha channel in the .tiff files I've rendered using that test project - as bepeg4d has mentioned, that format does not work with black shadows. Happy to use EXR or PNG for now though.

I've used tiff format in my tests. Thought that i've wrote that all routines.

[fatfreemedia]

Still no alpha channel with this pass. I've tried to render:

png 16bit
32bit exr

both formats using the native save settings and also using the Octane save settings.

What might be the other options for getting shadows - invert and side effects only?

[niestudio]

Hi fatfreemedia,
Did you take note of this reply?

Also users should not use C4D's save section for passes. It causes some problems like this. Plugin handles all saving operations when Octane's save section for passes.

I downloaded your project and see that you have C4D's Multi-Pass Image enabled.
I think that might be where the confusion is.
Use the Octane LBSh (Layer Black Shadow) file for your shadow in compositing.

great series here https://vimeo.com/119838883

[fatfreemedia]

I'll have a look at that, thanks.

Unfortunately it still doesn't fix the problems I have with artifacts in the shadow pass. Feels like I'm getting somewhere now though!

[niestudio]

can you upload a slimmed version with the streak?

[fatfreemedia]

Nope sorry it's under NDA. I'll see if I can replicate the problem after this project has finished with a simpler scene. Thanks bepeg4d aoktar and niestudio!

[fatfreemedia]

I think there must be something wrong with either my project, my installation of C4D, or me. I still cannot get the black shadow pass out.

So far I've tried:

Saving only using Octane's save dialogue - result: no saved images, at all. They're saved to the picture viewer, but not my drive.
Saving with C4D's beauty pass on, C4D's multipass off, Octane's save dialogue on - result: Beauty pass saved, no multipasses saved
Saving with C4D's beauty pass off, C4D's multipass on, Octane's save dialogue on - result: Passes (including raw beauty) saved

At no point have I been able to render the black shadow pass with any kind of meaningful information in it. Importing into both PS and AE gives me an image with no alpha information whatsoever. Worth mentioning that the reflection pass works fine.

This is using EXR with 16bit plz compression.

Help would be massively appreciated here - thanks for your patience so far everyone.

[niestudio]

I know you said you're under NDA with the project, but can you just delete the hero object and replace it with a cube shape of similar size?
If there are lights in/on the object, please leave those or replace with something similar.

[fatfreemedia]

yep, here's the simplified scene: