Depth of field on DAZ cameras

Sertorial

I'm finding this really confusing. The f-stop slider isn't in regular camera measurement (2.8,5.6,8 etc), so I don't know which way to adjust it. Is a smaller value a larger aperture like in real life?

I want to be able to put backgrounds out of focus

Thanks

Scott Livingston

There are tutorials and a lot of good general information to be found in this thread: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/5084/

It was part of the New User Contest from a few months ago.

Edited to add: I know more about f/stop in 3D than I do about real-world cameras, but as far as I know is the same sort of scale.

Sertorial

thanks, but those are all about render settings. can I just ask if the DOF slider works in the "normal" way a camera does? ie low value = big aperture?

I have tried looking at the camera's view lines showing those two squares, but as you vary the f-stop slider the two squares (which I think mean "start of being in focus" and "end of being in focus") seem to cross over each other! What does that mean?

Scott Livingston

There's a lot more information in that thread than just render settings. I don't know as much about physical camera lenses but as far as I know, it is the same sort of scale, yes.

It helps to have your main camera selected, but look through a different camera so that you can see how the depth of field settings are working. An example is here: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/viewreply/66500/

jerriecan

DOF is very challenging in DAZ - the linked tutorials are probably the only way to accomplish the DOF effect, and the render settings are very tough to set to accomplish the effect you want. As I don't know anything about real cameras, I can't really compare how thew two work. But after you place the camera in the location you want, switching to perspective view and adjusting the area of focus from the side, so that the subject of focus is in the center of the box, seems to be the best way, at least for me.

Apologies if this isn't clear - I'm probably not explaining this well, as I don't understand it too well myself. :(

Sertorial

jerriecan said:

DOF is very challenging in DAZ - the linked tutorials are probably the only way to accomplish the DOF effect, and the render settings are very tough to set to accomplish the effect you want. As I don't know anything about real cameras, I can't really compare how thew two work. But after you place the camera in the location you want, switching to perspective view and adjusting the area of focus from the side, so that the subject of focus is in the center of the box, seems to be the best way, at least for me.

Apologies if this isn't clear - I'm probably not explaining this well, as I don't understand it too well myself. :(

thanks. Yes I do use that perspective view with the boxes, but they don't seem to behave the way I'd expect when you vary the aperture (f-stop) and the focal distance. I am a photographer btw

jerriecan

Yeah, the DOF only becomes apparent when the render settings - not the camera settings, but in the render tab itself - are very particular - that's the only way I achieved DOF at all, if they're not right you won't get the effect. The tutorials are the only way. :(

Scott Livingston

On the Render Settings, I'd go with a shading rate of 0.2 or better (lower being better) and x and y pixel samples of at least 8...16 is better and you could go even higher if you don't mind a long render.

Adam's render profiles might come in handy: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/16085/

Sertorial

Scott-Livingston said:

On the Render Settings, I'd go with a shading rate of 0.2 or better (lower being better) and x and y pixel samples of at least 8...16 is better and you could go even higher if you don't mind a long render.

Adam's render profiles might come in handy: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/16085/

Ok, thanks. I seem to have it working now.

By the way, when I change a render setting (like Max ray trace depth), does it change it for only that scene? I kind of want to optimize my settings and then leave them like that for eveyrting

BWSman

The changes are permanent (or until you decide to change them later).

Sertorial

BWSman said:

The changes are permanent (or until you decide to change them later).

that's what I thought, but each time I load a scene I have made before it seems to change the render settings (as though they got saved with the scene)

Jaderail

Here this will Help...

Sertorial

Jaderail said:

Here this will Help...

Great! Thanks!