Shade 9 DepthPlus

DepthPlus

DepthPlus Overview

DepthPlus is included only in Shade 9 professional and used to apply the depth of field effect using a post effect process.

The depth of field is a focused range of distance. Objects located before or beyond the focus point can be rendered relatively clearly if they are within the depth of field.

The depth of field is mainly specified by three elements; the F. number, the focal length (angle of view) of a lens, and the distance to the objects. Since DepthPlus simulates these parameters, the blur of the depth of field even for the same scene will greatly vary if the scale or focal length is changed.

To deepen the depth of field, the following items are important.

• Increase the f stop (narrow the aperture)

• Shorten the focal length of the lens

• Increase the distance to the objects

As for the depth of field, depth of focus, and focal length (angle of view), refer to the Camera section in the Shade User Guide.

DepthPlus Features

• Works faster than the depth of field effect using Path Tracing (also available with Scan Line)

• Reproduces a photo-realistic effect by using the real color

• Simulates the shape of the camera aperture (Shape, Edge Blur, Smoothing, and Rotation can be customized)

• This effect can be previewed

• Supports animation of focus position

• Controls parameters using joints

Specifying the DepthPlus Object

1. Let’s create a scene in the Figure window as shown in the figure below and setup DepthPlus.

2. Choose DepthPlus FocusObject from the Create tool in the Toolbox.

3. Create a sphere as a focus object at the place you want to specify the focus.

4. In the Browser, “DepthPlus Focus DP” is displayed.

Tip: The focus object can also be created using the DepthPlus window. For more information, refer to the “Creating a focus object with the Preview window” section in the “Making the DepthPlus setting for still images” section below.

5. To create a joint to control the parameters, choose DepthPlus Controller from the part tool in the Toolbox.

6. In the Browser, DepthPlus Controller part is displayed, with each parameter contained in it.

Enabling DepthPlus

DepthPlus will process a rendered image when the Keep Z and Real color check boxes of the Misc. tab in the Rendering options are on.

Thus, when you will use DepthPlus, turn on these check boxes.

1. Choose the Image window to display the Rendering options and click the Misc. tab.

2. Turn the Keep Z and Real color check boxes on, then render the image.

DepthPlus Settings for Still Images

Setting DepthPlus

1. Right click (Win) / Ctrl + click (Mac) in the Image window on the completion of the rendering to display the contextual menu and choose DepthPlus....

2. You can also choose DepthPlus from the Effector pull-down menu of the Effects tab in the Rendering options and click the Set... button.

Note: When you choose DepthPlus from the Effector pulldown menu in the Rendering options, a rendered image that has automatically saved the Z value and Real color information is created even if the Keep Z and Real color check boxes are off in the Misc. Rendering options. The DepthPlus process will be applied to this rendered image.

Setting the Parameters

3. In the DepthPlus window, specify each parameter. The parameter settings can be checked in the Preview window on the left side of the DepthPlus window before executing DepthPlus.

Note: For an image rendered with the Keep Z and Real color check boxes off, DepthPlus is not applied to the preview even if you press the Preview button in the DepthPlus window. When no rendered image exists, no image will be displayed in the Preview window, thus, the preview the DepthPlus process is applied to cannot be created, even if you choose DepthPlus from the Effector pull-down menu in the Rendering options.

When you turn on the Auto Preview check box, the preview window is automatically updated as the parameters are changed.

Important: The DepthPlus parameters displayed and specified via the Image window are linked with the parameter setting in the DepthPlus window that is displayed by choosing from the Effector pull-down menu in the Rendering options.

For the parameter settings, refer to the DepthPlus Reference below.

Creating a Focus Object with the Preview Window

When no focus object exists, you can create a focus object in the Preview window of the DepthPlus window after rendering an image.

1. Render an image and click any object in the Preview window.

Note: If you click the background in the Preview window, no focus object is created.

2. A dialog appears asking you to confirm the focus object creation. Click OK.

Changing the Focus Position

1. To change the focus position, just click the new position to be focused in the Preview window.

Note: When the focus position is changed by clicking within the Preview window, the spherical object specifying the focus position that was created with DepthPlus FocusObject is also moved in sync in the Figure window.

2. After completing the setting, click the Start button to start the DepthPlus process.

Image before DepthPlus is applied

Image after DepthPlus has been applied

Animating With DepthPlus

DepthPlus supports animation.

Creating an Animation

1. To create a joint to control the parameters, choose DepthPlus Controller from the part tool in the Toolbox to create a joint, and make a Motion setting for the joint. This allows you to change each parameter dynamically.

View of the Browser window when creating a joint

The Motion Setting

2. Choose Motion from the View menu to display the Motion setting window. In the Motion setting window, parameters (F. Number, Front D.O.F., and Rear D.O.F.) serving as joints are displayed.

You can make Motion settings for the parameters serving as joints.

DepthPlus Settings

3. Choose DepthPlus from the Effector pull-down menu of the Effects tab in the Rendering options and click the Set… button.

4. The DepthPlus window appears. Specify each parameter and click the Start button.

For the parameter settings, refer to the DepthPlus Reference below.

Creating an Animation

5. After setting the other items in the Rendering options, choose Create Animation… from the Rendering menu to start the animation rendering.

After each frame has been rendered, DepthPlus is applied.

Tip: When you put an object specifying the focus into a joint such as a Slider and make a Motion setting, you can create an animation in which the focus changes.

DepthPlus Reference

DepthPlus Window

The view displayed in the Preview when each effect is selected from the pull-down menu next to the Preview button is shown below.

D.O.F. Selected

Z-Buffer Selected

When Z-Buffer. is selected, the background will be displayed in green.

Real Color Selected

Alpha Channel Selected

Preview

Preview Button

Used to display the preview to which each parameter setting in the DepthPlus window is applied.

Auto Preview Check Box

When this check box is on, the Preview window is automatically updated when the parameters such as Depth of Field (F. Number) or D.O.F. control (for Front D.O.F. and Rear D.O.F.) in the Depth of Field tab are changed

Focal Distance

Used to set the distance between the eye point and the focus object. This parameter allows you to type in a value directly or fine-tune the value using the spin buttons.

Depth of Field Tab

Depth of Field

Specify the depth of field using an F. Number. A smaller value will increase the degree of blur.

Each time you click the spin button next to the F. Number text box, the value will be changed in multiples of the square root of 2, as it is for a real single-lens reflex camera.

When the F. Number is set to less than 0.001, it will be corrected to 0.001.

When the Use Joint check box is on, the value of the joint in the DepthPlus Controller is used.

D.O.F. Control

Depth of Field can be controlled for the Front or Rear depth of field individually. When 1.0 is specified, the blur is totally eliminated.

When the Use Joint check box is on, the value of the joint in the DepthPlus Controller is used.

Background

When the Reflect check box is off, no blur is applied to the background. The Distance parameter allows you to specify the distance to the background.

Effect Tab

Diaphragm

The shape of the aperture can be customized.

Shape

You can select from Circle, Triangle, Quadrangle, Pentagon, Hexagon, Heptagon, Octagon, or Enneagon. The process will be slightly delayed except in the case of Circle.

Edge Blur

Smooths the aperture shape by blurring the edge.

Smoothing

When the aperture shape is a polygon, it can be rounded off. Specifying 1.0 will make the polygon a perfect circle.

Rotation

You can rotate the aperture shape to any angle.

Exposure Control

These parameters allow you to adjust the finished quality, as when adjusting the exposure on a real camera.

Specular Slider

Example of adjustment with the Specular slider

Whole Area Slider

Example of adjustment with the Whole Area slider

Etc. Tab

Option

Anti-aliasing

Since jaggies occur at the border between focused and not focused areas, this post-process is performed to correct it.

Anti-aliasing Off

Anti-aliasing On

Output Real Color

The processed result can be produced in Real color, too. |