Filtering Z Depth with Adaptive DMC

[ruffstuff]

I've been working with Zdepth passes in post for quite a while, somewhat successfully. This is due to using Adaptive Subdivision and checking the Object Outline option. This will anti alias your depth channel. However, when i switch over to Adaptive DMC sampling, that option is gone.

Is it possible to filter the zdepth channel with Adaptive DMC?

Fred

[pingus]

Yes it is.

ZDeph in render elements can be aliase or not with DMC.

[instinct]

Keep in mind that depending on the zvalues filtering might not be visible. (if you filter a pixel with depth 0 and a pixel with depth 25 then you will prolly still end up WAY above 1 and hence it will still LOOK unfiltered).

[ruffstuff]

So it just does it, there is nothing to really turn on with DMC?

I think it might be what instinct is saying. Im seeing it against a very deep background, and maybe its just too much distance to anti alias properly. I think I will add a physical background plate and pull into a reasonable depth and see if that helps.

[Deflaminis]

Hi Fred. There's a on-going thread about this here: http://www.chaosgroup.com/forums/vbu...der%20elements

In the past I've simply switched to scanline renderer to do my zdepth passes at HD with no aliasing problems. I've also had luck doubling my res and scaling down in post, which is of course a hack and might not work well for what you are doing if it's mondo complicated and you're on 32 bit. (if you are)

Maybe a self-illuminated material with falloff map on Distance Blend as an override? Word is DOF will get weird from this but can help get the pass out.

There's another thread here that seems to talk about similar issues: http://www.gfxtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24333

[instinct]

Well there is filtering in the ZDepth element available so i dont know why you'd switch to scanline when you can get it for free. Too get a z depth similar to the scanline one you have to tweak the min/max settings to your camera's near/far settings. If you really want that is a different question. In general filtering z-depth does NOT mean filtering but instead moving pixels in z. Wich is not really desirable.

Regards,
Thorsten

[vlado]

It might also help to turn on clamping for the Z-depth.

Best regards,
Vlado