...you'd think i'd have render layers mastered by now...

but anyway, i have a transparent bubble and when i use render layers the stuff behind it doesn't show up in the diffuse pass, and i have a refraction pass which shows all the refractions and everything behind the objects with transparency

so the question is, if i have a layer with all the refractions and the alpha channel covers everything then how do i composite it onto the diffuse?

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that's a "Ch" pronounced as a "K"

Computer skills I should have:
Objective C, C#, Java, MEL. Python, C++, XML, JavaScript, XSLT, HTML, SQL, CSS, FXScript, Clips, SOAR, ActionScript, OpenGL, DirectX
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i don't really know what you mean by refraction pass tbh, but you could switch the alpha channel with which ever one you want. just do a quick ID pass.

what are you using to composite?

by refraction pass i mean a layer that just has what you get from the refractions on it

(it seems necessary since the diffuse pass just rendered the transparent object as white which i suppose is what we'd expect?)

i was trying it with photoshop first, but it's an image sequence so i'd be compositing it in AE or FCP

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that's a "Ch" pronounced as a "K"

Computer skills I should have:
Objective C, C#, Java, MEL. Python, C++, XML, JavaScript, XSLT, HTML, SQL, CSS, FXScript, Clips, SOAR, ActionScript, OpenGL, DirectX
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hey man, post up a screenshot.
I'm not sure you need a refractions pass. you could just add it into your beauty pass. you could maybe just do a reflections and a specular and a beauty.

i've never made a bubble tho...

will post when i get home

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that's a "Ch" pronounced as a "K"

Computer skills I should have:
Objective C, C#, Java, MEL. Python, C++, XML, JavaScript, XSLT, HTML, SQL, CSS, FXScript, Clips, SOAR, ActionScript, OpenGL, DirectX
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eeh, i don't think there's any point in posting the images

well.... one i'm too lazy,
and two, none of the passes have an alpha channels other than the master beauty

maybe i did something wrong with the rendering, the command line did throw a lot of warnings when it went to render stuff...

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that's a "Ch" pronounced as a "K"

Computer skills I should have:
Objective C, C#, Java, MEL. Python, C++, XML, JavaScript, XSLT, HTML, SQL, CSS, FXScript, Clips, SOAR, ActionScript, OpenGL, DirectX
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well here are some that i did after your posting

the render layer were just a series of reflections



it didn't take long which is why they are not great

I'm confused on it too tbh. A reflection pass on every surface should get the same results (or as least as far as every render I've done it does)

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"No pressure, no diamonds" Thomas Carlyle

reflection gives the same results as refraction?
uh, i think you just lost me

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that's a "Ch" pronounced as a "K"

Computer skills I should have:
Objective C, C#, Java, MEL. Python, C++, XML, JavaScript, XSLT, HTML, SQL, CSS, FXScript, Clips, SOAR, ActionScript, OpenGL, DirectX
Maya, XSI, Photoshop, AfterEffects, Motion, Illustrator, Flash, Swift3D