I am trying to find out how to use the Multiplane camera option and how to render to layers so I can add shadows to an otherwise flat surface. Coulld some kind person please point me in the direction of where to fin such help.
Sincerely
Simon Edmondson

Simon,
I think you may be confusing Multipass and Multiplane a little here.
Multiplane isn't a camera option.
Multipass doesn't render to layers (well... not in the way you seek). It may need to be toggled on to achieve the shadows though.

To achieve Multiplane effects you can use images rotoscopes, layers and decals and patch imagery on geometry as well as place 3D objects in your scene. This gives the multi-plane effects that Disney ushered in with movies like Bambi, etc.

Multipass on the other hand is a means of increasing quality, blurring images (motion blur for instance) and creating effects. Its necessary for getting light and shadow buffers rendered out separately.

Rendering to layers separately is still mostly a manual labor effort.
You can hide (or turn off) that which you don't want in an image for compositing later.

The exception to this is lighting and shadows which can be filtered for use with A:M's Compositor. The settings for this are in the camera under Options/Filters (I think) Look for these as well as the Alpha Channel option at the very bottom of the dialogue box. When you speak of adding shadows the Shadow buffer is what you need. I think this is what you need.

There are several tutorials on the subject here in the forum.
As I don't know the specific requirements you are looking for I'm not sure which ones to point you to.

If you pick a specific goal to achieve and outline it here I'm sure you'll get at the information.

If you pick a specific goal to achieve and outline it here I'm sure you'll get at the information.
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Rodney

Thank you kindly for your reply.
What I am trying to do is exercise a visual 'play' between 2D and 3D in the form of a visual illusion. If you draw a Cube in outline form using an orthographic rather than perspective method, the resultant 'figure' can be read in many different ways. If an animated figure is added to that it can change your perception of the frame as it moves through it...

Thats the basic idea anyway. a bit like the American painter "Al Held" who used what I think were called 'necker' cubes as the basis for his work.

To achieve the result in AM I've tried two methods so far,

made a 2D frame( very flat ) that can read ambiguously - a rectangle with the sides mid points connected to form a rhombus-

made a black framed 3D cube which, viewed against white, achieves the same result.

The idea was to render the space as flat, except for the area with the animated figure, which would read differently, because the AF had a shadow and it moved through space, ( I could try to upload a screen shot to show you what I mean here ? ) .

I rendered the frame, rendered the flat panels, rendered the walking figure ( all with Alpha channels ).
Then tried to render the shadows only, so I could to add to the mix as a layer ?

I tried it on the complex scene first ( mistake ) then tried it on a simple shape but still couldn't get it to work. I think that what I'm after is a way to render out the shadows only, so I can add them to a scene later as a layer to achieve the illusion I'm after...

Does that make sense?

Thank you for your time and help.
regards
simon

Can you show what it is you're trying to do? The description is a bit ambiguous.

There used to be a part of A:M called Multiplane but, as Rodney points out, that functionality is now done with "layers" and "rotoscopes".

Can you show what it is you're trying to do? The description is a bit ambiguous.

There used to be a part of A:M called Multiplane but, as Rodney points out, that functionality is now done with "layers" and "rotoscopes".
[/quote]

Thanks for your reply.
I will try to get an example to upload later on today ( UK time ) as my rendering machine is in the studio in the back garden. Its always better to be able to show what i'm trying to describe !







Ps
A bit like the old party joke of "Try to describe a spiral, without using your hands "?

Can you show what it is you're trying to do? The description is a bit ambiguous.<<


Here are some jpg's which ( I hope ) show what I mean


Click to view attachment

I'm not sure if these will show but, I hope they do?
simon

hmmm... i'm more confused now. Where does the shadow part come in?

hmmm... i'm more confused now. Where does the shadow part come in?
[/quote]


Gosh you're quick off the mark. Thank you for your reply.
The idea is to composite in a flat plane with a shadow on it that gives one 'reading' of how the grid is aligned.
The figure will then walk out of the frame and come back in another way which makes the grid read a different way.
If you look at the black cube it is difficult to know which way it is up or down and which side is coming forward and which going back ?
The figure makes it read one way but can,, when changed, make it read another, contradictory, way...

Simon

Multiplane camera ??

maybe you want it

maybe you want it
[/quote]

Cronos

Thank you for your contribution.
I am beginning to think that what I'm after is an explanation of how to render shadows only so I can then put them into the scene in a composite afterwards, perhaps using the orthographic option on the camera for the final rendering of the layers ?

black frame > flat white > shadows only > figure moving = final composite ?

In other words, you want to trick the eye; to use the ambiguousness of the cubes' projection to flip the viewer's perception depending on how the figure and its shadow falls on the cube. Am I getting this right?

If not...ignore this post.

If so...the last thing you want is to use multiplane or multipass effects to cue the viewer about distance. To get the shadows to work the way you want, it may actually be necessary to change the cube from one form to another, and the viewer will see that happening and you'll give the game away. In other words, the illusion depends on the crudeness of 2D modelling, and now you're working with a tool that won't let you conceal what you're doing.

An unusual circumstance may require an unusual solution. A method that might work is to make a copy of the figure and paint it a dark color. Then animate it separately, so it works like a shadow. In other words, fake it.

...

In other words, you want to trick the eye; to use the ambiguousness of the cubes' projection to flip the viewer's perception depending on how the figure and its shadow falls on the cube. Am I getting this right? <<

Thank you for your contribution.

Yes, exactly so.
What I'm trying to set up is a 'nightmare' were what reads one way is suddenly turned upside down as the viewers perception changes.

The intention was to render the cube against a plain alpha background, composite in a plain white matte, which left a 'hole'
the stick figure would then be rendered against an flat background which fitted the 'hole', and the shadows added for effect.

There is lots of faking it going on

If someone can explain to me how to do a shadows only render (?) I'll try that and see if it works. If it does I will report back.


PS
Why a stick figure ?
Simplicity.


regards
simon