V-Ray RT: Production Rendering

Find out how to use V-Ray RT in 3ds Max as a bona fide production renderer, even in a compositing-based pipeline with After Effects.

Find out how to use V-Ray RT as a bona fide production renderer in 3ds Max, even in a compositing-based pipeline. V-Ray RT has caught up to the standard production renderer in Max, with an engine that can take advantage of CPU and GPU processing; it's no longer just a tool for quick preview renders. This course shows how to set up V-Ray RT as an ActiveShade renderer and start adding geometry and cameras, creating animations, applying materials and lighting, and adjusting render settings for a professional-looking, efficient render in 3ds Max. Brian Bradley teaches all these techniques as he progresses through a mini-project, concluding with a brief chapter on compositing your final render in After Effects. The examples help show how V-Ray RT can be put to use in a simplified real-world production scenario, where speed and flexibility are equally important.

Introduction

• Welcome
• What you should know before watching this course
• Using the exercise files
• The 3ds Max project structure
• Gamma and file unit handling

1. Introduction to V-Ray RT

• What is V-Ray RT and who should use it?
• CPU- vs. GPU-based rendering
• Using RT as an ActiveShade renderer
• RT options overview
• Taking the options further

2. Project—Setting Up the Scene

• Project brief and learning goals
• How the studio backdrop was created
• Adding In the product geometry
• Adding in the cameras
• Composition is key

3. Project—Creating Animation

• Adding a simple camera rig
• Setting up the dolly animation
• Creating the truck move
• Staging the dolls
• Setting up the particle system
• Adding deflectors and forces to the scene
• Setting up the standard deflectors
• Adding deflectors for the dolls
• Filling out the operators
• Adding some tests to the flow
• Finishing up the settings

4. Project—Setting up the Lighting

• Setting up RT for ActiveShade use
• Setting up the key light
• Adding in the fill lights

5. Project—Working with Materials

• Texturing setup
• Fabric backdrop material
• Texturing the main doll
• Adding materials to the secondary dolls
• Texturing the petals

6. Project—Working with V-Ray RT & Render Elements

• Using the Chapter 6 Exercise Files
• Understanding render elements
• Adding in the elements
• Render element parameters
• Assigning object IDs
• Setting up the multimattes
• Using state sets to create a unique matte
• Material tweaks
• Scene tweaks
• Animation tweaks
• Strengthening the poses
• Rendering out of state sets: Part 1
• Rendering out of state sets: Part 2
• Getting our footage into After Effects

7. Project—Compositing in After Effects

• Working with the lighting passes
• Adding in the reflectivity
• Color correcting the petals
• Adding a Depth of Field effect
• Applying motion blur to the shot
• Final tweaks and rendering out

Conclusion

• What's next?