I’m trying to composite an image from two render passes to try to combine outlines (and maybe other effects) with the main image render. I’ve corresponded a bit with one of the developers, and I’m getting closer, but I’m still not quite getting it to work. Here are the hints I have so far:
- Use the existing scripted rendering example to generate one or more outline images (there are different methods that can be combined)
- As one part of this, modify the addOutLineIDsToMaterialsProperties() function in the OutlineGlobals.dsa script to set each node (object in the scene) to have a different Color ID
- Write an imager shader that takes the outline image(s) as uniquely named parameters and composites them with the render (I know how to do this part with Shader Mixer).
- In the script, set the image input properties on the imager camera to the outline file(s) before you execute a newly added “standard pass” at the end
Here are the parts I don’t know how to do. If anyone could point me toward documentation—new, old, examples, RiSpec, whatever—I’d really appreciate it!
1 - To set the newly created OutlineColorID property in the materials of each node, I have in mind to add a line inside the k loop that looks something like this:
Here, i is the node number. I’m not sure about oMaterial.setFloatValue or its parameters, though. Should I be using oColorIDProp instead?
2 - Assuming I have a Shader Mixer camera that can layer the images, and it is the active camera, how do I assign the parameters of that camera to the appropriate filenames generated previously from within this script? Or should I not be using Shader Mixer, and instead write that part of the imager in the script?
Could someone at least make a guess as to when the scripting documentation will be updated? The DS 3.x docs that come with the Script Development Kit don’t seem to cover this area.
I’m trying to composite an image from two render passes to try to combine outlines (and maybe other effects) with the main image render. I’ve corresponded a bit with one of the developers, and I’m getting closer, but I’m still not quite getting it to work. Here are the hints I have so far:
- Use the existing scripted rendering example to generate one or more outline images (there are different methods that can be combined)
- As one part of this, modify the addOutLineIDsToMaterialsProperties() function in the OutlineGlobals.dsa script to set each node (object in the scene) to have a different Color ID
- Write an imager shader that takes the outline image(s) as uniquely named parameters and composites them with the render (I know how to do this part with Shader Mixer).
- In the script, set the image input properties on the imager camera to the outline file(s) before you execute a newly added “standard pass” at the end
Here are the parts I don’t know how to do. If anyone could point me toward documentation—new, old, examples, RiSpec, whatever—I’d really appreciate it!
1 - To set the newly created OutlineColorID property in the materials of each node, I have in mind to add a line inside the k loop that looks something like this:
Here, i is the node number. I’m not sure about oMaterial.setFloatValue or its parameters, though. Should I be using oColorIDProp instead?
2 - Assuming I have a Shader Mixer camera that can layer the images, and it is the active camera, how do I assign the parameters of that camera to the appropriate filenames generated previously from within this script? Or should I not be using Shader Mixer, and instead write that part of the imager in the script?
Thanks in advance for any pointers!
1. For this you want to:
a. Get the Materials from the node
b. Find the property (findProperty should work for this)
c. Set the value of the property (setColorValue() is probably what you want unless
you changed the property to a float property in which case SetValue is what you want)
2. For this:
a. Name the images properties you want to set for your camera something original using the
properties tab in shader mixer
b. Get the active camera
c. Call find property with your original name from step a
d. Set the image on the property
e. Render final pass
1. For this you want to:
a. Get the Materials from the node
b. Find the property (findProperty should work for this)
c. Set the value of the property (setColorValue() is probably what you want unless
you changed the property to a float property in which case SetValue is what you want)
Ok. In the OutlineGlobals sample script, which I’m working from, there’s a loop in the function function addOutLineIDsToMaterialsProperties() that starts
for( var k = 0; k < oShape.getNumMaterials(); k += 1 ){ var oMaterial = oShape.getMaterial(k); if( oMaterial ){ var oColorIDProp = oMaterial.findProperty( g_sOUTLINE_COLOR_ID_PROPERTY_NAME ); ...
How do I format the color value here, where I’ve entered XXXX?
I want to manipulate this value with i, so it will change per object in the scene. But I’ve tried a couple of different values and generally the scene turns out all black or the render crashes.
setColorValue takes first a colour, or a time and then a colour, as far as i can see - it looks as if you are passing a string, then trying to add a colour value. I think you want to just put a randomised or procedurally generated colour value in there, with not other values.
The DAZ Script 2 reference (.../Program Files/DAZ 3D/DAZStudio3/docs/DAZScript/class_color.html) has the constructor as just “Color”, so would I do something like this?
var TheColor = Color(r, g, b); // where r, g, and b are defined integers 0-255 oColorIDProp.setColorValue(TheColor);
Sorry if these are dumb questions, I’m just having a lot of trouble wrapping my head around this scripting language, especially with changes that still don’t seem to be documented yet….
That looks right, yes. As I said, it took me a couple of attempts to make it work and it was answering a forum question rather than a script of my own so I don’t have it to refer to.
Ok, I’ve pretty much got the unique ColorID part working. The modification to the function addOutLineIDsToMaterialsProperties looks like this:
... oColorIDProp.setPath( "Outline" ); var iColor = i*19+16; var jColor = j*19+16; var kColor = k*19+16; if (iColor > 255) {iColor -= 255;} if (jColor > 255) {jColor -= 255;} if (kColor > 255) {kColor -= 255;} var TheColor = Color(iColor, jColor, kColor); // where r, g, and b are defined integers 0-255 oColorIDProp.setColorValue(TheColor); ...
I’ve attached sample images of the default 3Delight render, the render produced by the Scripted Renderer, which creates an image of flat colors using the ColorIDs, the outline file using ColorIDs, and the outline file using Normals. I still don’t know if using the ColorIDs would be all that helpful, but it might add some enhancement over just Normals. Anyway, I’m happy to have figured out how to get this working, whether or not I end up using it.
One thing that still confuses me is that the cube, a DS primitive, doesn’t seem to get a ColorID other than (0,0,0), even though I’ve deliberately set the starting point of all ColorID components above 0. Is a DS primitive not a regular node/shape in the scene tree?
Progress. I had to switch out the display setup to render the outline images as jpg rather than tif in OutlineRenderScript.dsa, because I couldn’t figure out how to multiply tif images with the regular render to get the outlines, but this is what I have now… first I have to switch to scripted 3Delight and pick the outline script I want to use, render, then switch back to regular 3Delight and render again with my custom camera to pick up the pre-named image and combine it with the regular render.
So next up, I need to figure out how to get a normal render, rather than the color ID render, in the OutlineRenderScript.dsa script. And then I need a script that pulls in the custom camera and alters the Render Engine to Scripted 3Delight and selects my script. Getting closer! Thanks to everyone who has helped. :)
Progress. I had to switch out the display setup to render the outline images as jpg rather than tif in OutlineRenderScript.dsa, because I couldn’t figure out how to multiply tif images with the regular render to get the outlines, but this is what I have now… first I have to switch to scripted 3Delight and pick the outline script I want to use, render, then switch back to regular 3Delight and render again with my custom camera to pick up the pre-named image and combine it with the regular render.
So next up, I need to figure out how to get a normal render, rather than the color ID render, in the OutlineRenderScript.dsa script. And then I need a script that pulls in the custom camera and alters the Render Engine to Scripted 3Delight and selects my script. Getting closer! Thanks to everyone who has helped.
I use a loader script to swap out the 3Delight for my own. This opens the door for tons more addons and render engines.
