DoF and glows

[chris_rw]

While this is not a strictly VRay problem, I'm hoping to get some help here. I've been working on an animation for a few years now, and I'm to the animation/rendering phase of it all. My problem lies with rendering some neon lights in the background of shots. I'm using Max's Lens Effects -> Glow to make make the glows around the ligts.



Example 1: When rendered without DoF, the renders look amazing! The glows are correct, they 'fit' the objects they're glowy to perfectly, ect.

Example 2: Faked DoF. I just took Example 1 into photoshop and faked the DoF with a Guassian Blur. Again, this looks fantastic.

Example 3: When I turn on DoF in VRay and render the scene, the glows go to glow-hell! The brightness of some go wacky, they no longer fit the objects they're glowing (the neon tubes glow in the example here shift down) and some glows will only appear on half of an object, the other half is glowless (not in this example).

I'm sure the issue lies with the fact that the glow is being applied at the end of the render, after those objects have been blurred. I'm hoping to get some help on some workarounds, fixes, ect. I'm REALLY hoping I don't have to do DoF in post, the film is 10 minutes long, incredibly detailed, and being able to use VRays (fantastic) DoF would save a lot of time and energy on my part!

Thanks!

www.cwanimation.com

[Undersky]

Have you looked up final Dof? A plugin from Cebas, but I think it should work in V-Ray aswell.
http://www.cebas.com/news/read.php?U...33-788&NID=301

Of course there are a bit of a hassle to do the dof in post, but it's easier to go back and change it if you're discovering something you'd like to change.

I use Lenscare for animations:
http://www.frischluft.com/lenscare/lenscare.php

You could also look up Depth of Field Generator PRO
http://www.dofpro.com/

[visumporec]

I use lenscare PS plugin from Frischluft with Z-dept render pass and work very well

[RErender]

Hard to say without seeing the scale of the full frame but the bokeh looks about right.

[joconnell]

Yup indeed - real depth of field will make the light sources bleed out over everything else and also have a bit of a hard edge, not like the soft glow fall off.

Check out how the Signs fall off here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/motionid/2587114710/

[JeffG2]

Chris,

Ever find a descent answer to this?

[peterguthrie]

yep, the vray DOF looks the best

[stevesideas]

Old thread I know but its relevant to my question. Is there no control over how enhanced the bokeh look is when using vray DOF ?

[MoonDoggie]

There is, you need to adjust your camera's (VRayPhysCam) aperature to control the amount of blur. (I'm sure you already knew this), if this isn't what you were asking, you can also control how many blades the bokeh effect has in the camera's "blades" setting.

[stevesideas]

Its more to do with the brightness of the bokeh. Im assuming this is because of the physical correctness that vray produces. In something like DOF pro you can enhance and change the threshold so that some bokehs are brighter...it just gives it a certain type of style and creates more interest and contrast in the blurs.

[MoonDoggie]

Yeah, no control over this I'm afraid.

[stevesideas]

Bugger. Oh well, I guess its dodge and burn in post.