Render Channels

["Gene Crucean" <emailgeneonthelist(at)gmail.com>]

Who here uses Render Channels? I do... but I mainly use them for small things like a matte for an object, a singled out rendered object or quick AO pass for a single object. I see these as a HUGE time saver and really want to see it progress
into a mature feature. Everyone rendering passes should be interested
110%. For those of you who use them, feel free to post your ideas on how to improve integration and workflow. For those of you who DON'T use them, why?


Here are a few of my comments:

• Better management control. Instead of mushing the current Render Channels Output ppg group into the Default_Pass Output tab, why not create a whole management ppg for them like the Render Manager. Make it easy to control every aspect of each channel. What objects are assigned to each channel. What shader and overrides are contributing to each channel.
• The default channels NEVER work. Make it so you can tweak them at a minimum to actually get them to work.
• Is there a reason to not have a Render Channel setup exactly like passes? To keep things consistent with the rest of XSI maybe integrate them with a similar setup. IMO, this takes precedence over the Render Channels PPG (1st bullet point).
• I like how you can break out parts or all of a shader and make that into a channel... and would hate to see that get the boot.
• Something I forgot about was how the channels are put together in this video. http://www.softimage.com/products/xsi/videos.aspx?video_id=27 I watched the video when it was released and quickly forgot about the technique because it's not implemented like it should be. Obviously it's a wonderful thing that you can use code to squeeze more out of the channels but just to get a global AO pass? Hmm. We shouldn't HAVE to though. IMO, SI has the best render channels setup available so far. There needs to be an interface and intuitive workflow that lets everybody actually use these powerful channels.

Personally I see passes fading off into oblivion. Maybe a legacy feature thats nice to have if you just want to quickly render a matte pass or whatever. That way you don't have to render the whole wad.

Those of you who don't use them. Would you if they were implemented like passes?


[/gene]