C4D -> Octane -> AE HDR -> Youtube

[boxfx]

Just wondering if anyone might have a starting point for getting hdr renders from c4d to youtube via after effects? Ideally im after a super short idiots guide of what settings need to be dialled in where.

eg. Set X colour space in octane, render with 32bit buffer to openexr, disable tonemapping. Import with X interpret settings into Ae, set X project settings in AE, export from AE through media encoder with X colour space settings.

I know a lot of things I will need to do, but its one of those things where if I miss a single setting, then the whole thing will render washed out, overly saturated, with too much contrast, with banding etc. A lot of time could be spent trying to work out which step is messing things up.

As a starting point Im fairly sure I have to say goodbye to all the convenient octane tonemapping settings and instead render into a 32bit format because presumably the tonemapping will crash everything down to a 0-255 (or 0-65000 for 16bit) range. ie. clamped.

I know i'll need to do it in a format which supports 32bit, openexr being the easy choice. IS there any problem saving via c4d's save tab into c4d's openexr format or do I need to go via octane's exr exporter? I have no intention to muddy the waters with AOVs or layers just yet.

One thing I dont know is if I need to set any specific colour space settings up, rec2020, ocio and so on, or if I am safe just rendering with defaults because none of that matters in a linear space exr file?

I assume I need to set my Ae project to 32bit colour with 1.0 gamma, and interpret footage as linear light.

One of my biggest questions I guess, is whats my best bet for replacing octanes tonemapping abilities in AE? Lumetri has every setting possible but It does slow Ae down significantly. If theres a simpler effect with a few sliders then I'd love to know what I should be using. Likewise, whats the best option for Octane's "saturate to white" and "highlight compression" replacements? I do lean heavily on these when rendering tonemapped shots. Ditto for Glow, all the built in glow effects in AE seem very primitive in my experience; am I wrong or have I missed something that's half decent?

[elsksa]

Hi boxfx,

I will share some of the same replies as in other OTOY Octane forum-threads:

Below are some my pages that partially cover this vast subject:
• https://www.elsksa.me/scientia/cgi-offl ... rvival-kit
• https://www.elsksa.me/scientia/cgi-offl ... management
• https://www.elsksa.me/scientia/cgi-offl ... mat-debunk

• viewtopic.php?f=101&t=78635&p=405831#p405831

Long story short: my recommendation would be to consider the Filmic OCIO package.
It is basically:
1. a Linear-sRGB 16-bit EXR (32-bit for beauty is overkill and is instead, appropriate for data-AOVs)
2. Filmic OCIO applied "on top" of it, so to speak (simply said).
3. From the Linear-sRGB source to Log Base Encoding, then to one of the "Contrast Looks" for "display referred" conforming, again, simply said.

AE is not the most ideal post/composition solution for radiometric-like linear "scene referred" floating-point compositing/"imagery". Nuke or Fusion would be more appropriate.

Do not hesitate to ask any questions you may have.