Software:
Fusion 9
When importing transparent graphic files, depending on the way the file was saved, you may encounter rough white edges at the transparency border.
In this case the image colors must be multiplied with the Alpha channel values.
In the Import tab of the Loader node,
Check Post Multiply by Alpha.
Note:
You can use a Matte > Matte Control node to further refine the edges.
Example image from:
www.mrcutout.com
Software:
Fusion 9
To Clamp (limit / clip) the color values in a Fusion flow:
Software:
Unreal Engine 4.18
Related:
Software:
Blender 2.79
By default, in Path Tracing Integrator Mode, Cycles traces one ray randomly between all lights (per each camera – AA sample).
So if some lights in the scene are more important than others this will cause inefficient light sampling.
* Especially if there are a few important lights and many unimportant ones.
Light sampling can be set per light by switching the Integrator Mode to Branched Path Tracing, making sure Sample All Direct Lights is checked, and the setting the number of samples per light in the light parameters.
* The option to set the number of samples at the light parameters is only available in Branched Path Tracing Mode.
In the example below there are 3 lights.
The light on the right has 64 a samples per AA sample, while the 2 other lights have just 1 sample.
More on Cycles sampling:
https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/dev/render/cycles/settings/scene/render/integrator.html#sampling
Software:
Fusion 8.2
Right Click the Flow view background and choose:
Force All Tile Pictures
Software:
Blender 2.79
A quick Cycles rendering tip:
There are situations in which we need to render an animation with changing lighting complexity, and as a result, parts of the animation need more samples than others to be effectively rendered.
For example when the camera starts it’s movement on the outside in an exterior scene, and moves into an interior space like house or a cave, or a vehicle, in many cases, the exterior part of the animation can be rendered with much less samples than the interior part.
In such cases, rendering the whole animation with the higher sample settings will demand unneeded render time in the simpler parts of the animation.
One possible solution would be to simply render the animation in two separated render jobs with different sampling settings, one for the less demanding part and another for the more complex part and than append the two parts in an editing / compositing software. but that requires more work on the shot, more management etc.
A simple solution is to animate the sample settings in Cycles.
Make tests at different times along the animation to determine how many samples are needed at each part, and key-frame the settings accordingly.
Software:
Fusion 8.2
The quest to find an affordable Node-Based Compositing software
I generally prefer doing compositing for video and 3D animation using Node Based Compositing software.
In the past I worked happily with Autodesk Combustion, until it was discontinued, than I went on working with Autodesk Composite (Toxik) which was also kind-of discontinued, and was installed as part of the 3ds max package, and can still be downloaded for free at Autodesk Exchange.
Autodesk Composite is an awesome compositing technology, and I did a lot of work with it, but the only reason I could afford it in the first place was that Autodesk stopped actively developing it and shipped it as a (rather powerful) ‘goody’ along with 3ds max and Maya. while I can still go on working with Autodesk Composite, Its lack of active development is showing, and I decided to look for a better solution.
Obviously, this discussion can’t be serious without mentioning The Foundry’s Nuke compositing software, which as far as I understand the leading node based compositing solution in the VFX industry today.
But in my small indie studio perspective Nuke is expensive, and for my compositing needs, there’s simply no justification to make the investment.
Another node based compositing software that must be mentioned here is the open source software Natron.
Natron is a very serious development, there’s a growing community around it, and it seams to me that it might be on its way to become the ‘Blender’ of the compositing industry.
I did some tests with Natron 2.1.4, it’s interface is very similar to Nuke’s interface, and from the way the interface is designed, its approach to reading and processing 32 bit float multi-channel EXR file sequences, and it’s current library of available nodes, it’s pretty obvious that this development effort is aiming to be a high end VFX node based compositor.
But for me, there are still some key features missing, like 3D compositing, a vector blur node and more.
* It should be noted that you can add Re-Vision Effects ReelSmart Motion Blur plugin to get vector blur functionality and other features like motion estimation.
Enter Blackmagic Fusion
Fusion is actually not a newcomer in the field of node based compositing.
Initially developed by Eyeon software, it was named ‘Digital Fusion’, than just ‘Fusion’, and in the past decade was heavily developed in the direction of 3D compositing.
If I remember correctly, Fusion was also expensive, I think it cost around 6000 dollars…
But than magic happened..
A couple of years ago Blackmagic Design, which is by-far the most disruptive company in the production and post-production gear industry, has purchased Eyeon software, continued developing it, integrated it into their product pipeline and made it available as a free edition of the software and a more heavily equipped ‘Studio’ edition of the software, that costs 299$, which is absolutely accessible in small indie studio terms.
I downloaded the free edition of the software, and immediately started working with it, getting used to the interface while working on actual animation projects in the past year,
And to cut the long story short, it’s awesome and it’s a very happy ending to my quest for finding a compositing solution, for the following reasons:
In conclusion, my opinion is that it’s a no brainer,
If your looking for an affordable, robust node-based compositing software that’s well equipped for 3D animation needs,
Blackmagic Fusion is the answer.
Software:
Premiere Pro CC 2018
It turns out that even with many years experience in video editing with Adobe Premiere Pro, I wasn’t aware of the Audio Clip Mixer panel.
I did a lot of work with the Audio Track Mixer, but for individual clips I would set the volume and pan in the Effect Controls panel.
It’s pretty simple to explain the difference between the two panels,
The Audio Track Mixer lets you design the audio mix of a whole audio track, while the Audio Clip Mixer lets you set the mix between individual audio clips in an audio track.
It just so happens, that in Premiere Pro CC 2018, the Audio Clip Mixer is the one that’s open by default, so thinking by mistake it was the Audio Track Mixer, I started using it to set the mix, only to be surprised that the volume I set is changing as I scrub the timeline..
First I thought that maybe automation is on from some reason, and key-frames are being created, but the the key-frame display for the Audio track didn’t show any changes.
I was quite baffled for a couple of minutes, until I realized that the mixing panel I’m working with is actually titled Audio Clip Mixer, and opened the Audio Track Mixer to work as I’m used to.
* One of the reasons it’s confusing is that the Audio Clip Mixer panel displays volume controls per audio track (which makes sense, it just affects the individual clip within the track at the point in the editing timeline)
The Audio Track Mixer:
The Audio Clip Mixer:
Software:
Blender 2.82
Note:
The objects that will be created will all have their mesh data linked to the original Dupli-Object (they will be instances of the particle object chosen in the particle system Render Settings)
Software:
Unreal Engine 4.18
Right click the texture asset in the content browser and choose Create Material.
