This depth of field option in Bryce is excellent, when I first tried it I was unhappy with the result because the whole render came out blurred. It wasn't till a few weeks later that I discovered from reading somewhere that the depth of field is determined by an object within the scene.
For those who are unaware..... select an object and click on the button 'Set to current position' in the render properties. Also, I have found that a lens radius of 0,05 is particularly good for this type of scene.... http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1573167 

When your scene has rendered, the object in question and all other objects in that plain will be in focus and all others will be blurred (dependant on distance or closeness of course)

It's fun finding new ways to add enhancements to your render.

Is this option available in 5.5 version of Bryce?

Thanks..I'm still learning and I didn't know about this.  I'm going to give it try.  :)

Quote - Is this option available in 5.5 version of Bryce?

Indeed it is.

Quote - > Quote - Is this option available in 5.5 version of Bryce?

 

Indeed it is.

I got to try it... Or at least will do so when my mouth stop hurting... Paid a very painful trip to the mouth torturer (dentist). Of course they give you pain numbing things needles and all but it is the aftermath that's the killer...  :b_overwhelmed:

Excellent render! Arent bryce's premium render options (included in version 5.0 and higher) great??

Another method of using this procedure is placing an object in the scene where you want the focal point to be, choose a simple material, make that simple material completely transparent (invisible). Select that object to create your focal point in the scene.
Also try experimenting with resizing/disorting the shape of  the focal point object to change the focus in that area.

Quote - Another method of using this procedure is placing an object in the scene where you want the focal point to be, choose a simple material, make that simple material completely transparent (invisible). Select that object to create your focal point in the scene.
Also try experimenting with resizing/disorting the shape of  the focal point object to change the focus in that area.

Yes, I was aware of that but I didn't know about the sizing of the object having any connection to the size of the focal point... thanks.

And it is expensive, renderwise. Thanks for the tip, tho. I will resort to it when absolutely necessary.

You can also experiment with multiple focal points.

Quote - You can also experiment with multiple focal points.

Thanks. i use this technique with my camera, and it makes sense to utilize it in Bryce.

Quote - You can also experiment with multiple focal points.

How do one do the mulitple focal points? 1 maybe, but multiple??? How do you set it up?

I think probably multiple renders to be combined in photoshop later on?

As far as working with DOF in postwork, I use various methods utilizing blurred layers with gradient masks. For those of you not familiar with Photoshop, it's not difficult and you can use the DOF alpha mask renders in Bryce to enhance the accuracy.

There are a few images in my Gallery with successful DOF's.

There is also a Program that Agentsmith posted a thread to some time ago.
It's called Depth of Feild Generator Pro.

Here are 4 that have varied forms of DOF

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1422731&member

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1413381&member

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1399483&member

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1373649&member

In the near future I'm going to check out the DOF Gen Pro.

2 points I have using DOF in Bryce is that the level of control is less than detailed manipulation
and I get impatient waiting, and if there's something I want to change...have to Re-render.

I'm presently Running a Multi focus object scene, 79% done. Will post a final and the Wire with settings.

Going to try with Photoshop alone, and possibly even crack open the piggy bank and spring for "Depth of Feild Generator Pro".

There's also a depth of field option in photoshop CS2 itself. Its under filters/blur/lens blur.
You can set various details about the camera's setup, as well as blur intensity, and you can load a depth map from the mask layer. It'll also allow you to blur your layers seperately, may you want to do so. The results are quite good :-)

Quote - Depth of feild in Photoshop using the Lens Blur function, the Alpha mask used in Lens blur is a Bryce DOF mask.

There is a vast difference in the appearance of DOF when it's Photoshopped(is that a word?) and when it is natively applied within Bryce.

Wow!!! :b_shocked:

Faster in Photoshop too with lots more control over so many different variables.

Hey guys, I am still a little fuzzy on how to use Bryce's DOF mask in photoshop. Can you give me a clue?

Do you use it in the Alpha Channel and how do you do that?  With the Lens Blur filter in PS, how is that used?

Is the DOF mask rendered seperately from the regular render and then copied and pasted into the regular render as a seperate layer in the Channels?

Render me "confused" :b_confused:

Photoshops lens blur is different from the usual blur filters. Unlike applying a mask to a gausian blurred layer, it doesnt fade the blurred image into the sharp image.
Instead it actually locally adapts the blur radius if a depth map is applied.
There are several options to set the focus point, and some options to tweak specular highlights, add noise (to simulate ISO noise and such) and adjust the 'iris' settings.
The iris settings can affect the way the blur looks. Generally, the more sides the shape has (= the more blades the iris has) the more smooth the blur intensity will be, less sides will generate some different more edgy blur patterns. It's hard to explain the visual result exactly, but its sometimes a very clear difference. This setting is for simulation of a camera's iris. The maximum blurryness is controlled by the iris radius, and will therefore probably be one of your most important controls.

• When in photoshop, open the depth mask, and the render you wish to apply DOF to.

• Select the entire depth mask, and press ctrl+c (copy).

• Now go to the render, and press the little grey square with a dot in it, on the bottom of the layer panel. This assigns a mask channel to the image.

• Go to the channels tab in the layer panel.

• Click the mask channel. make sure the eye icon is on, this means you will be actively working in the mask channel.

• Press ctrl+v (paste) to paste your depth mask into the mask channel. If render sizes of mask and render are equal it should automatically be aligned correctly.

• Go back to your layers tab, and right click on the mask. Disable the mask so it wont make the render transparent.

• Go to: Filter / blur / lens blur

• In the lens blur menu that will now load, select "Layer Mask" in the "source" dropdown box from the Depth Map settings.

• Your depthmap will now control the blurring. Set the vocal distance slider to control the point of focus. Anything closer to, or furder from this point, will blur. The blur radius increases as you get further from the focus point, and maxes out at the amount set by the iris radius.

Thanks... I did it and the result is rather astonishing... I played around with the technique before I worked on THE render. I have upload it and here's the link to it so you can see what I did.

TS

Cool beans!