Using channel outputs

[Earthling]

First off, this is my first post. Also, my first week or so using VRay. Love the program and all of you on this forum have been ultra useful in ironing out my issues early on. This is a great community and you all are very encouraging to new users.

Okay, my question has to do with the channel outputs that Vray produces. When I use the Mado settings, I get a lighting channel and a shadow channel output. I imagine these are useful in post processing, but I haven't figure out exactly how to use them in photoshop. I've tried the various blending options, but I don't see the usefulness of these outputs. Does anyone have any suggestions on the various ways to use all the different channel outputs that come out of the VFB channels?

Thanks in advance.

[dalomar_cg]

Re: Using channel outputs

Well, technically those channels are used to properly composite renderings, but we actually don't have all of the channels that are needed to do that. There are some that are useful with the most widely used one being the Alpha channel. There are some other ones that I've used in the past...Shadows, GI, and Diffuse are probably going to be some of the more useful ones. As far as actually using them, thats more of a photoshop/compositing question than a v-ray one and depends largely on what your trying to do with them.

[Earthling]

Re: Using channel outputs

Thanks Dolomar. That makes sense. I make use of the alpha channel alot, I was just wondering if there was some clever trick to using some of the others.

[dalomar_cg]

Re: Using channel outputs

mmmm...there are one or two, but its not like you're missing out on anything. For me at least, those are backhanded tricks that I only bring out once every blue moon. As I said, there are a few that are useful, but useful in terms of what is for you to decide.