Chapter 12

Rendering for Compositing

Maya offers a number of options for dividing the individual elements of a render into separate passes. These passes can then be reassembled and processed with additional effects using compositing software such as Adobe After Effects or Autodesk Composite. In this chapter, you'll learn how to use Maya's render layers and mental ray's render passes to split rendered images into elements that can then be used in your compositing software.

For best results when working on the project files in this chapter, you should copy the chapterl2 project folder to your local drive and make sure it is the current project by choosing File Set Project. Doing so will ensure that links to textures and Final Gathering maps remain intact and that the scenes render correctly.