alpha render?

[Dune]

Why is there always an extra alpha render in the output folders? Automatically, you can't disable it. I never use these alpha's, and I'd prefer to have a choice for the automatic (from render) extra output, like Surface depth, which can be used to get DOF.
I know I can use render layers, but I tend to just hit render, and it would be great if we could choose this automatic extra output without the need to add another node, and think of hitting render to disk.

[digitalguru]

I agree - it would be good to have the option to turn it off

[sboerner]

I never see the extra alpha files unless I have a render layer set up . . . but I always hit Render to Disk, regardless of whether I'm using a render layer or not. How are you rendering and saving your files again?

[Dune]

I hit render and when finished I save by hand, wherever, but usually in the folder that I have the tgd in. So, I actually don't bother with the output files and folders much, just have to delete them all once in a while. But such a feature would be handy, and then I would use the output more I think.

[sboerner]

OK, I guess I'm confused. When I render and save manually (from the render window) I just get the beauty shot, no alpha. If there's no render layer node and I hit Render to Disk, the beauty shot is sent to the output folder, but there is no alpha. The only way I get an alpha by default is if I use Render to Disk along with a render layer. (And I agree it isn't absolutely necessary but, like you, I clean out those folders eventually anyway.)

I'm a big fan of the output folder. In my startup scene I have a relative path and tokenized filename already entered in the filename field. It has a time-date string built in and I just update that as needed. Always hit Render to Disk, only use manual renders for quick tests that I don't save. I don't like to think about filenames or where the renders are going to end up. One of those little micro-decisions I let the computer handle. 

[sboerner]

So if you usually save renders in your scene folder you could type this in the output field and use Render All to Disk:

./${TGDNAME}.%04d.exr

. . . or .tif or whatever.

If you save this filename in your startup file it will always be there.

[Dune]

Strange, if I hit render, also for short croptests, and not save, I still end up with rows of beauty files, and rows of corresponding alpha's. I have to reconsider my workflow, though it's not a big nuisance. It's probably a setting in prefs.

Actually I just did that yesterday; made my own startup scene, with a render layer (depth checked, not alpha) but I must get my head around naming and where it ends up. I easily get confused by all this stuff.

So if I type in your connotation, I don't have to change anything when I start a new scene (in a new folder)? Not even 'saving' it, I mean going to that folder from the little button next to it? Have to try it...

[sboerner]

Should work by just typing it in. You might want to append some sort of render number (I use date and time) to prevent renderings from overwriting.

I actually use a much longer string (you've probably seen it on some of my image files) that includes the tgd name, camera and render node names, render time, and the hand-entered date and time. That way the filenames are sort of self-documenting, and they sort nicely if I have a folder full of them.

Haven't tested this yet but maybe you could use the filename variables as folder names and sort renders into folders by render node and so forth:

./${RENDER}/${TGDNAME}.%04d.exr

But I wonder if Terragen would create the folder if it didn't exist already. Maybe not. Anyway this is pretty wonky even for me. 

Edit: Had to try this. TG created the folder on the fly and saved the file in it. Hmm . . .

[Dune]

It worked, great. So now I have a default scene, with a render layer with depth pass, so the ability to DOF every image I render.

I'll add the date strings, and perhaps the folder. Interesting. I must get used to it a bit, but I think this a good way of working.

Could you post the complete string you use, with date? Or do I understand from your last post that you have to add dates manually?

[sboerner]

Here is what I've been using:

../images/${TGDNAME}_${CAMERA}_${RENDER}_${IMAGETYPE}_20210407-1352_${RENDERTIME}.%04d.exr

This puts the renderings not in the scene folder but in a sibling folder named "images." The date string has to be updated manually. The "%04d" before the extension is required by TG.

This one is saved in the "Write to GI cache file" field:

../gicache/${TGDNAME}_${CAMERA}_${RENDER}.%04d.gic

It stores all of the cache files in a sibling folder named "gicache," and will make a unique cache file for each camera/render combination.

Regarding your original question (about the extra alpha files), I found a checkbox named "Automatically save all renders" in the Preferences/Rendering tab. I'd forgotten all about it. Do you have this checked by any chance?

[Dune]

Thanks very much, Steve.

Yes, that's been checked, just to be sure I don't loose anything, and occasionally I had to dig up something lost from there. But you can't choose for no alpha, or something else (like depth) instead. Which was what I also meant in my original question.

I'll experiment with the strings.

[Mossalasf]

What does alpha render mean? Please tell me.