Free Friday Tutorial #12 Easy Depth of Field in Maya (DOF)

Integrating 3D models with photography

Interested in integrating your 3D work with the real world? This might help

Watch

# 1 30-04-2012 , 11:48 PM

SM Tea Boy
Join Date: Apr 2002

Location: Prague

Posts: 3,228

Free Friday Tutorial #12 Easy Depth of Field in Maya (DOF)

In this tutorial we create a simple camera rig to give you an easy visual way to control DOF in Maya.

Easy Depth of Field in Maya (DOF) - YouTube

Njoy
Dave

From a readers' Q and A column in TV GUIDE: "If we get involved in a nuclear war, would the electromagnetic pulses from exploding bombs damage my videotapes?"

Quote

# 2 01-05-2012 , 01:18 AM

EduSciVis-er
Join Date: Dec 2005

Location: Toronto

Posts: 3,374

Friday already! That was a quick week.
Great little tut. Very cool. I wonder about creating two stacked planes to simulate the actual width "in focus" region (DOF), but I guess that could get tricky because that also depends on cam distance from object.

-stwert

Website - Blog - YouTube - Vimeo - Facebook - Twitter

-->How to Effectively Ask Questions on Forums<--

Quote

# 3 01-05-2012 , 01:29 AM

Lifetime Member
Join Date: Feb 2010

Location: Australia

Posts: 4,255

This looks interesting David....will have a go later on.

cheers bullet

bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes

Quote

# 4 01-05-2012 , 01:45 AM

SM Tea Boy
Join Date: Apr 2002

Location: Prague

Posts: 3,228

Friday already! That was a quick week.
Great little tut. Very cool. I wonder about creating two stacked planes to simulate the actual width "in focus" region (DOF), but I guess that could get tricky because that also depends on cam distance from object.

Originally Posted by stwert

Here is a scene file that will do about that with physical_lens_dof in MR

Same setup as before but with 2 planes the closer they get together the shallower the depth of field. Second plane controls in focus region first one focus depth.

Just took two small expressions and it's far from perfect, just a quick 2 mins to see if it was in any way feasible. If you want to play with it and fix the parenting and what not please do.

But here it is if you want to take a look at a version that will work with MR

Dave user added image

From a readers' Q and A column in TV GUIDE: "If we get involved in a nuclear war, would the electromagnetic pulses from exploding bombs damage my videotapes?"

Quote

# 5 01-05-2012 , 01:50 AM

SM Tea Boy
Join Date: Apr 2002

Location: Prague

Posts: 3,228

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/11468835/dof_version_2.ma

Link would help, btw that one only comes with the 'it works for me guarantee' user added image

Dave

From a readers' Q and A column in TV GUIDE: "If we get involved in a nuclear war, would the electromagnetic pulses from exploding bombs damage my videotapes?"

Quote

# 6 01-05-2012 , 11:21 AM

The thin red line
Join Date: Aug 2009

Location: England

Posts: 4,472

Nice little tut thanks Dave..................dave

Avatar Challenge Winner 2010

Quote

# 7 04-08-2012 , 10:03 PM

Subscriber
Join Date: Mar 2011

Posts: 4

depth of field

thanks Dave, great tutorial!

Quote

# 8 26-02-2013 , 07:10 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2004

Location: Minneapolis

Posts: 1

focus distance issue

When I drag and drop the distance icon intot eh focus distance slot, the focus changes automotically to one, not to the distance between the two distance points(which is ten units)...

www.starwars.com

Quote

# 9 12-03-2013 , 02:14 PM

Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2012

Posts: 293

This is so much more simple in cinema 4d user added image

But that was a nice tutorial user added image

Quote

# 10 12-03-2013 , 02:19 PM

SM Tea Boy
Join Date: Apr 2002

Location: Prague

Posts: 3,228

simple != good

From a readers' Q and A column in TV GUIDE: "If we get involved in a nuclear war, would the electromagnetic pulses from exploding bombs damage my videotapes?"

Quote

# 11 12-03-2013 , 05:09 PM

Technical Director
Join Date: Feb 2004

Posts: 2,988

simple != good

Originally Posted by David

Now, now, be nice user added image

He can use a piece of software that isn't very popular in visual effects and animation if he so chooses user added image

Imagination is more important than knowledge.

Quote

# 12 11-04-2013 , 03:16 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2011

Location: Sliema Malta

Posts: 497

On the flip side it is much better to have the depth pass and use Frischluft...

Quote

# 13 11-04-2013 , 07:36 AM

SM Tea Boy
Join Date: Apr 2002

Location: Prague

Posts: 3,228

On the flip side it is much better to have the depth pass and use Frischluft...

Originally Posted by Chavfister

it's faster and it's always good to have a depth pass user added image

but it's not better, real 3d dof is pretty much always going to look better than something done in post.

That said if it's more than a few frames i almost always fake it, real 3d dof is bloody slow!
Dave user added image

From a readers' Q and A column in TV GUIDE: "If we get involved in a nuclear war, would the electromagnetic pulses from exploding bombs damage my videotapes?"

Quote

Reply to this thread