PSD manager 3.0 released!

[dans]

Heya
Thanks dans for this explanation, got me some thinking to do... On a side note, was the plugin tested maybe with 10k-17k tiff 16 bit files and layers? - its what I work on...
On other side it looks like autodesk has similar thing in mind too, http://area.autodesk.com/blogs/ken/s...tiveshade_iray - gotta have to w8 for release b4 jumping in to psd manager 3.
On similar note it looks like Iray Active Shaders is going to giev vray run for its ££ They cuda support might be dangerous for RT renders via iray - auc ;s

Thanks, for being open minded about it DADAL. I have tested up to 30.000 by 30.000 pixels (maximum of the PSD format) with 8/16/32-bit - no problem. If we need more I have to implement PSB which supports up to (300k).
What you pointed to is not remotely similar, but If you want to wait for 8-bit PSD output, set all your blending modes by hand each time, waist your time and memory for setting up a few selections with render elements ... then do so You might just assemble your PSD in Photoshop then. To support state sets we already introduced the new "Match Render Output" option for the PSD filename.

psd-manager is about saving you time and not going through complicated UIs just to get a few layers into Photoshop.

Daniel

[dans]

How does it work with Distributed Render? is it capable to generate a PSD file from image chunks computed in various render nodes?

Yes, of course you can use DR.

Daniel

[Olli96]

Sorry but i kinda dont understand the stuff around saving from frame buffer...read your previous post but its a bit confusing.

Does this mean that the PSD manager:
1. is not capable of saving render elements from frame buffer?
2. is able to save render elements through the VFB save dialog?
3. is only able to save PSD file from max standard save output?

Thanks

1) If you use the VRayFrameBuffer then you cant save out the render elements using the psd manager. It will write a psd file but without the elements.
2) Not sure
3) that will work without any problems and is my workflow right now.

[dans]

Sorry but i kinda dont understand the stuff around saving from frame buffer...read your previous post but its a bit confusing.
Does this mean that the PSD manager:
1. is not capable of saving render elements from frame buffer?

If you use the 3ds Max Framebuffer UI (Rendered Frame Window) everything works. If you use the V-Ray Framebuffer UI you currently can't save the render elements into the PSD, but I'm working on it. All other psd-manager features (Selections for Object & Materials & Scene Layers) work if the V-Ray Framebuffer UI is enabled.

2. is able to save render elements through the VFB save dialog?

No, you set the PSD options up before rendering in the psd-manager UI.

3. is only able to save PSD file from max standard save output?
Thanks

Yes, we follow standard 3ds Max workflow, to be compatible with all renderers.

Thanks for all the interest into how psd-manager works and to psd-manager users jumping in here helping me answer the questions.

Daniel

[dans]

PSD Manager is one tool i use on almost every job but not beeing able to use the VRayFramBuffer when saving render elements (who dosnt saves out render elements?) means that there is no need for us to upgrade. Presets and 32Bit support is not needed here, so i can stick with 2.1. But good to hear that you still make updates.

Thanks for using psd-manager 2.1 Olli96 (you are missing out on the scene layers export, batch render support, speed improvements).

Here is a little feature you may not have heard about. If you render stills and use Object-Ids and Material-Ids for your selections you can now just enter e.g. "1-100" into the ID exit box. psd-manager will figure out all IDs not appearing in the image. So you will have all your selections for Object-Ids & Material-Ids without entering the numbers and can't forget one. This is also nice if you batch render different camera views where some objects are outside the view, so you don't get layers for those.

Best Regards,
Daniel Schmidt

[Olli96]

f you render stills and use Object-Ids and Material-Ids for your selections you can now just enter e.g. "1-100" into the ID exit box. psd-manager will figure out all IDs not appearing in the image. So you will have all your selections for Object-Ids & Material-Ids without entering the numbers and can't forget one.

Thats pretty neat, it actually happend to me quite a few times that a client demanded some changes or new objects and i forgot to add those new ObjectIDs into the psd manager...i will ask my boss next week for some money

[PIXELBOX_SRO]

any idea when VFB will be supported???
as some of the things such as lens effects are only accessible through the VFB...

[dans]

any idea when VFB will be supported???
as some of the things such as lens effects are only accessible through the VFB...

It has highest priority, so I I say Quarter 4 2011 to give you something to nail me down and leave me enough wiggle room.

Thanks for your interest.
Daniel

[Dariusz Makowski (Dadal)]

Heya Dans

Thanks for info ! Yea PSD Manager looks cute and I'm quite interested it it, but as it stands atm I have to think about a bit longer and see when I can get spare ££ for it.

From other hand - PSB that wold be very needed to me... my usual psb files reach 4-10 gb in size...

Also a little note about the mask output in photoshop... Can a PSD Manager Transfer Layer order to Group in photoshop ? I have in max usually all models grouped (tree/building/street/lamps/etc/etc) would be nice if we export masks they would stick to these group/layers names instead of 1 big group with 500 objects...

Just 2 extra things that might make up my mind towards psd 3^^ + the fact u are here, hope ''actively''

Thanks, bye!

Edit - is there a Default preset for compositing ? - so it will automatically create either raw/gi/normal comp guide in psd? , also load/save presets ?

[PIXELBOX_SRO]

hehe thats perfect!!!!

[glorybound]

I purchased PSD last year, but I didn't use it much. I found that rendering to exr did the same thing for me.

[Six8]

^^I'm currently rendering to exr too.

[dans]

Heya Dans
Also a little note about the mask output in photoshop... Can a PSD Manager Transfer Layer order to Group in photoshop ? I have in max usually all models grouped (tree/building/street/lamps/etc/etc) would be nice if we export masks they would stick to these group/layers names instead of 1 big group with 500 objects...

I'm not 100% sure I understood that correct. You have many objects in your scene and want to produce PSD layers for them. Do you want to put your PSD layers into PSD layer groups (with the names taken from the 3ds Max layers)? So that your PSD layers are organized into layers like your objects?

Edit - is there a Default preset for compositing ? - so it will automatically create either raw/gi/normal comp guide in psd? , also load/save presets ?

If you look at the render elements video then you see the workflow. psd-manager sets automatically the PSD output options (like blending mode, or if you need mask/transparency, straight/premultiplied alpha) for render elements you add to the scene and also arranges them. if you dd more to the scene they will automatically appear in the psd-manager list. You can modify all the settings for a render element and tell psd-manager to now always use this options as default for a specifc render element type. So the next time you setup a render element for PSD output it will already have the options set. You can't save complete setups as presets inside psd-manager but you can use 3ds max render presets (with just render effect + render elements category) or MAXScript to achieve this. Another option for presets is merging the psd-manager effect from another max file.

Daniel

[Dariusz Makowski (Dadal)]

Heya dans

Thanks for info about the presets !

About the layers, thats what I had in mind(worth mentioning I didnt had time to go over videos fully I just watched a bit from each to see key points..) >

To see layers on left appear in mask group in photoshop...

[dans]

Heya dans

Thanks for info about the presets !

About the layers, thats what I had in mind(worth mentioning I didnt had time to go over videos fully I just watched a bit from each to see key points..) >
[ATTACH=CONFIG]7631[/ATTACH]
To see layers on left appear in mask group in photoshop...

That's what I understood from your description, I think it is a good idea. In psd-manager 2 most users didn't create so many layers, but with the faster MatteShooter algorithms now in version 3 this is becoming more likely.


Thanks for the feedback,
Daniel