Transforming Objects			Setting up a Stereo Camera Rig
Chapter 8, Multilayer Compositing and 3D Effects

Topics on this Page:

Setting the Reaction Composition Format

Setting Rendering Options

Adding Motion Blur and Depth of Field to a Scene

Enabling Z-Buffer Effects in Your Scene

Because Reaction provides a 3D environment, it has its own rendering and output options that you can use to specify an output format, set certain rendering features to quickly render draft results, or set rendering effects such as anti-aliasing or motion blur and depth of field.

Setting the Reaction Composition Format

The Reaction Render tab contains the same composition format options available from the Composition tool UI.

By default, the Reaction tool inherits the format settings specified for the project. You can set them as desired for your Reaction output.

Setting Rendering Options

Depending on whether you are using the hardware or software renderer, you can set some rendering options and effects. When you use the software renderer, you can set the Depth of Field and Motion Blur effects, and specify the number of samples to take, and select a filter for anti-aliasing.

1. With the cursor over the Player, press the tilde key (~) or middle-click to display the Gate UI. Swipe through Player Options.

2. Under Reaction, select Interactivity to use the hardware renderer to preview results in Reaction. Deselect Interactivity if you want to use the software renderer.

   Note: The hardware preview in Reaction does not affect the Reaction output to any tools downstream, and does not affect the published results.

3. In the Reaction UI, select the Render tab.

4. Under Rendering, set rendering options.

   Parameter	Description
   Filter	Applies filter effects on your composition. Choices are listed in order of speed and quality: Box, Conic, Max, Quadratic, Narrow Gaussian, Medium Gaussian, Wide Gaussian, Cubic, Cook, and Mit-Net Noch. The Box filter is ultra-fast, but low quality. The Gaussian filters give more blur. The choice you make also depends on the number of samples used.
   Samples	Sets the number of samples. A larger sample gives higher quality but slower speed. This is used with the software renderer only.
   Shading	Turns on/off shading. You may want to disable shading for generating a draft result.
   Shadows	Turns on/off shadows.
   Image Filtering	Applies image filtering.
   Wireframe	Enables surfaces to render in wireframe.
   Icons	Displays light, camera, and axis icons. You must also enable Interactivity in the Player options to view the icons.

   
   
   

5. Under Fx, set the effects options.

   Note: You must have software rendering enabled. To enable software rendering, deselect Interactivity in the Player options.

   Parameter	Description
   Anti-aliasing	Smooths the edges of rounded surfaces and diagonal lines.
   Depth of Field	Includes DOF in your scene. This effect simulates a plane of maximum sharpness and blurs objects close to or beyond this plane.
   Motion Blur	Adds motion blur to your scene.
   Z-Buffer	Uses the Z-buffer in your composite. The Z-buffer works with hardware and software rendering.

   
   
   

Adding Motion Blur and Depth of Field to a Scene

When the Motion Blur and Depth of Field (DOF) effects options are enabled, you can set parameters to define how they will appear in your scene.

Note: The software renderer must be enabled to apply Motion Blur and Depth of Field effects.

1. Under Fx, select Motion Blur.

2. Under Rendering, enter the desired number of samples. A greater number of samples gives a more realistic effect, but requires more processing time.

3. Set a value for Camera Shutter.

1. Under Fx, select Depth of Field.

2. Set a value for Camera Aperture.

Enabling Z-Buffer Effects in Your Scene

You can enable the Z-buffer for your scene to create realistic spatial depth effects. The Z-buffer calculates the spatial depth for each pixel in an image to define which pixels are hidden by others.

• Under Fx, select Z-buffer.