Robert Rioux, a VFX artist, has released two free add-ons for Blender designed to simplify complex scenes. The Render Manager and Light Editor for Blender allow users to easily manage rendering layers and export them for compositing in programs like Nuke and DaVinci Resolve. They support 16-bit and 32-bit data passes, including Cryptomatte data.
How to Use the Blender Render Manager Add-on: Streamline Your Workflow with Better Render Layers Management
In the world of 3D animation and rendering, managing complex render layers and passes can become an overwhelming task.
Download Blender Render Manager Add-On
Step 1: Installing the Blender Render Manager Add-On
The first step in getting started is to install the add-on. Currently, it hasn’t been approved by the Blender team, so you’ll need to download it from GitHub. Here’s how to do it:
- Visit the GitHub page for the Render Manager add-on.
- Download the raw file.
- Open Blender, navigate to Edit > Preferences, and select Install from Disk.
- Choose the downloaded file, and it will install automatically.
Once installed, you can access the Render Manager in the interface.
Step 2: Setting Up Your Render Layers
After installing the add-on, you can start setting up render layers for your scene. Here’s how:
- Create a New Render Layer:
- Start by selecting a render layer, such as Background.
- Specify which elements you want to include in the layer (e.g., background, lights, camera, etc.).
- Use the passes tab to choose which passes you want to render, like the Missed Pass.
- Managing Additional Layers:
- For new layers, click + and rename it accordingly (e.g., Shop or Robot).
- Again, decide which elements should be included or excluded.
- This process can become cumbersome if you have many layers. Fortunately, the Render Manager allows you to quickly manage multiple layers with an intuitive interface.
Step 3: Efficient Layer Management with the Collection Manager
The Collection Manager is a powerful feature in the Render Manager. It allows you to manage all your layers and collections in one place. Here’s how:
- Click the Collection Manager to open the list of all your collections.
- Toggle collections on and off based on the layer you’re working on.
- You can also adjust whether collections should act as Hold Out or Indirect Only.
This feature dramatically reduces the complexity of managing large scenes with many assets.
Step 4: Streamlining Pass Management
Managing multiple passes across different render layers can be tedious. The Render Manager makes it easier by allowing you to:
- Access the Render Layer Settings interface, where you can adjust passes for each layer.
- Copy settings from one layer to another to maintain consistency.
- Set specific pass types like Normal, Vector, and Cryptomatte for each layer.
- Perform material overwrites or sample overwrites to fine-tune your output.
Step 5: Simplifying Output with Multi-Layer EXR
One common issue when rendering complex scenes is that a multi-layer EXR file can become very large, making it cumbersome to work with. The Render Manager solves this by separating your render layers into multiple files:
- One file for the Color Pass (16-bit or 32-bit).
- Another file for Data Passes (always 32-bit).
- This approach keeps your files smaller and easier to manage, with the option to re-render individual layers without affecting others.
Step 6: Compatibility with Nuke and Other Compositing Software
When working with compositing software like Nuke, you might run into issues due to Blender’s Z-up convention versus the Y-up convention used in most other software. The Render Manager automatically corrects this by creating Y-up files that ensure compatibility with Nuke’s 3D compositing environment.
Additionally, the add-on simplifies combining passes, making it easier for compositors who prefer working with separate passes like Diffuse, Glossy, and Transmission. With just a click, these passes are merged together into a single, cohesive output file.
Step 7: Denoising Per Pass
Denoising your renders is essential for getting clean images, but traditional denoising affects the entire render. The Render Manager allows for per-pass denoising, enabling you to denoise specific passes like Diffuse, Glossy, and Transmission independently. This feature ensures that you can maintain high-quality renders with less noise.
Step 8: Final Output
Once your passes are ready and denoised, the Render Manager will create a series of files that you can use in your compositing software. The output will include:
- Color Passes (16-bit or 32-bit).
- Data Passes (32-bit).
- A precomposed image (JPEG or EXR).
- Additional passes like Diffuse, Glossy, and Transmission, as needed.
You can also save original noisy passes separately if desired.
Step 9: Future Updates
While the Render Manager is currently focused on Cycles, the development team plans to expand support for Eevee in the future. This means more flexibility for different rendering workflows.
The Blender Render Manager add-on is a game-changer for anyone dealing with complex render layers and passes. By providing a streamlined interface to manage all aspects of your render layers, it significantly reduces the time and effort spent on repetitive tasks, allowing you to focus on the creative aspects of your project. I hope this add-on improves your workflow, and I’m excited to see how you incorporate it into your own Blender projects.