When setting view transform to Embedded/Raw, the image looks correct, but when I save, it's washed out

Maxon Cinema 4D (Export script developed by abstrax, Integrated Plugin developed by aoktar)

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leave2
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Just as the title says. This is a new thing, as it was previously working fine. When saving an image with ACES tonemapping applied, if I render the image as normal, it's all washed out as expected, so I switch the mode to Raw, and the image in the picture view matches what was in the live viewer. The problem is that when I save the image, it saves it all washed out, and I can't figure out why it's suddenly started happening.

Could there be any likely culprits?
skientia
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Last edited by skientia on Thu Jul 24, 2025 12:06 pm, edited 2 times in total.
leave2
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Hi mate

Thanks for the reply, the problem is that I don't know what any of that means I'm afraid. Are there things I can turn off and on in the software in order to prevent that from happening?
skientia
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Last edited by skientia on Thu Jul 24, 2025 12:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
leave2
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Ah thanks, that makes more sense. Unfortunately, it still doesn't give me the correct look. It's still washed out, despite it looking correct when I select off (same as Raw)
leave2
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Yeah, experimenting with this, it seems to be a problem only when I save the file. The picture viewer displays the perfect gamma and tone, but the moment photoshop picks it up, or I view it in lightroom, it's completely washed out. Assigning a new profile in photoshop does nothing close to bringing it back to normal
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Last edited by skientia on Thu Jul 24, 2025 12:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
leave2
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Hi dude. Thanks for the reply. In all instances, I export as Tif. However, just testing now, exporting as open EXR makes no difference. Still the same issue.

Just to be clear, this has always worked for me until recently. So it's not a specific problem in me misusing the software, it's something that I've changed accidentally or has been changed in an update. I was previously perfectly able to export directly into photoshop.

I'm not a 3D expert - I'm literally just a still life photographer who transitioned to 3D rendering a few years ago, but much the same with Photoshop, I'm an expert only in the tools I need, I'm very much a novice in every other area, so this all makes no sense to me I'm afraid.

My entire workflow is model->texture->postproduction->deliver to client.

Please forgive me,but I don't believe my problem is an complicated as you're (perhaps unintentionally) making it out to be, since it was previously working out of the box, and my attempt to properly install ACES (not realising I could just click the aces tonemapping option) is likely what caused this.

A way to just simply bring all the standard color options for ACES tonemapping with sRBG colorspace will likely fix the problem.
skientia
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Last edited by skientia on Thu Jul 24, 2025 12:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
leave2
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So yeah, I just changed $(OCIO) to $(DEFAULT) in the color management settings, and now it all works perfectly. Literally a three second fix.

Honestly, I assume you were trying to help and not to troll, but you have to surely know that every single thing you wrote was completely impenetrable jargon that overcomplicated what was an utterly simple fix. It wasn't at all relevant to anything I was experiencing, and it comes across slightly like you're doing it intentionally, because I told you twice that I was a complete novice at this side of things. I dunno, I'm sure you were well-intentioned, but it almost came across as maliciously unhelpful.

For anyone whoever discovers this thread and is having this problem, just go into your scene settings, go down to Color management, and set it to Linear sRBG. Then tick the "Aces Tone Mapping" in Octane Settings->imager tab->imager tab. (Whatever you do - DO NOT FOLLOW THE OTOY GUIDE ON OCIO, because it doesn't NOT work for the current version of Cinema 4D, as the new version removes multiple options required to make it work.)

You can then just export to photoshop as a TIF, and apply any color profile you wish, but the default will likely be identical if you've set it up like I have.
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