VFB+ : A Feature-rich Extension to the 3dsmax Frame Buffer
Version:
2.81
Date Updated:
07/14/2017 VFB+ v2.81 is now completely free!
Click for Change Log
Introducing VFB+ v2.81, the advanced virtual frame buffer for Autodesk 3dsmax.
VFB+ works with any renderer which uses the native 3dsmax frame buffer, such as Scanline, Mental Ray, Final Render, IRay, VRay, Corona (when not using the renderer's custom VFB).
The frame buffer has been designed and heavily tested to fit smoothly into any production pipeline, and to streamline the rendering workflow for anyone who renders in 3dsmax.
Version 2.8 is the most powerful and feature packed release yet!
A partial list of features:
- 32-bit per channel color correction.
- Various correction controls including exposure, gamma, multi-channel curves, vignette, chromatic aberration, bloom, glare, blur/sharpen, speckle reduction, noise reduction, etc.
- Depth of Field based on Z-Depth.
- VFB+ is active while rendering, including tweaking of color correction and stamping.
- Captures Render Elements, G-Buffer channels, and RTT elements as well as the main pass.
- Composition guides help you tweak your image.
- Pixel Aspect Ratio correction display.
- 4 different A|B comparison modes.
- Display modes for all channels.
- Support for 3D color LUTs.
- Realtime RGB Histogram.
- Rich WYSIWYG stamping system with virtually any imaginable variable including arbitrary MAXScript expressions.
- Fully documented.
- Customizable interoperability options.
- MAXScript interface provides access to almost all features.
See the link for download and complete details.
Version Requirement:
3dsmax 2009-2018
Comments
you're right, it is annoying
you're right, it is annoying to have to turn split mode on every time. I'll try to make it sticky.
Laziness is an engine of progress
to moulder6:
You can see that both ideas solve the same problem: do not have to click on the icon 20x when you are tuning render.
Really? That lazy?! Does it make that much of a difference that u have to move ur mouse a lil up to actually press the button, coz i honestly don't see another difference to the way it works right now. Shortcuts are nice things, that's for sure but in this particular situation, i wouldn't say one is needed. What i'd suggest is that if A|B is on, and u render another frame, it should stay on, showing in "A" the new rendering and in "B" what was last shown/or the previous "A".
Thanks
I've logged all the bug reports in my spreadsheet, and will fix whatever I can for closest release.
Wow
First of all, thanks for taking the time to write your very well-put opinions in such detail. I plan to deal with the whole stamping issue not in the very next release, but the one after that, as it's quite a bit of work, but your ideas are always good and I will make good use of them when the time comes.
"Always on top" bug?
Just wanted to report, that if u have "Always on top" on and u press render, VFB is again on top of all the windows even if 3ds max is in the background.
That happens once the VFB+ window takes focus.
If u r to close the render window, reopen it from the appropriate UI button and click "render" str8, without clicking into the VFB, it behaves.
Another thing, that's kinda annoying is, that if u have the render region visible inside the VFB it changes according to the selected viewport, which is wanted, except if u have locked the render view. It does render the correct region for the locked render view, but it's a lil bit confusing when u see it changing though it's locked.
I've contemplated this
In situation when I see only one render (A mode) and left click on the image, would it be possible to auto set the A/B mode and instantly can move the line?
Really? That lazy?! Does it make that much of a difference that u have to move ur mouse a lil up to actually press the button, coz i honestly don't see another difference to the way it works right now. Shortcuts are nice things, that's for sure but in this particular situation, i wouldn't say one is needed. What i'd suggest is that if A|B is on, and u render another frame, it should stay on, showing in "A" the new rendering and in "B" what was last shown/or the previous "A".
I've contemplated this feature in the past, but was worried about turning the tool into something else. If you say there is really a need for it, I will try implementing it.
Ok, i should admit, that i had the same thoughts in mind... Probably the stamp functionality would be better to implement as a separate render effect. To me it really doesn't feel like a logical part of the VFB. Though it sounds attractive to have every tool needed in one place, I'd rather leave this one out, not to turn VFB+ into a mess, of unrelated things, quickly put together.
On the other side we already do have the render time stamp (which by the way doesn't turn on/off with the "Toggle UI Overlays" button anymore) and a whole bunch of render settings listed into the "render settings browser". It's to be expected that someone would occasionally want to stamp them onto the frame itself. So an option for it, doesn't sound that irrelevant, after all... The thing is that the eventual implementation should be very well considered, to keep thing consistent with the already available toolset. Here are some basic ideas, how it might be nice to put it, in case u decide to go for it (not saying u have to). Hope it makes sense:
- In the "render settings browser" u are able to select which render settings u want to reaply to the current rendering - u can simply add another toggle button/check box in the browser, stating "Stamp selected settings". It will show a separate overlay, similar to the layers/curves in the bottom part of the image with the values per image. This could be a lil confusing, though, since we don't want the info for a previous rendering stamped onto the current image.
- On the overlay itself add two buttons "x" to turn it and the "Stamp selected settings" button off, and another one, to save the overlay with the image.
- In preferences add "Stamp text" font selector (that's better to be separated from the general overlays' text); U could consider changing the "on screen controls color" to "overlays background color" and adding a separate color swatch for the text. Another option would be to keep the "on screen controls color" the way it is and add somewhat contrast multiplier for the text. This way we could have darker background with a contrasty and readable text on top. Right now if u select a darker color, the text in the overlays is hardly, if at all visible.
- There are some things that are unavailable right now in the "render settings dialog" coz they r irrelevant with the current implementation, but will be worth adding them to extend the stamp functionality:
One thing that i am guessing is that with the absense of access to the frame buffer at render time stamp functionality is probably not going to work with rendering animation sequences. But it isn't sumthing that i'd personally miss. Yet, this is one of the reasons to better have stamp stuff implemented as a render effect, than as a part of the VFB.
This came out pretty long... Hope u'r not bored :) As usual easier said, than done... I personally still hasitate if it needed to have it as a part of the VFB+ but this is what the dialogue is for.
Thanks for ur time! Keep up the great work!
Pete
In situation when I see only
In situation when I see only one render (A mode) and left click on the image, would it be possible to auto set the A/B mode and instantly can move the line?
I'll try it out and see if it doesn't disturb anything else
The question about hidding your toolbar. I don't know if somebody is using the old vfb during rendering, however I prefere your new vfb even with no/black image. Still there is on/off button in your toolbar.
The problem is that you won't be able to turn it on/off during rendering... and for example if you want to see the alpha channel of the image being rendered, you won't be able to, because the original vfb toolbar will be hidden...
What do you think about
What do you think about this?
In situation when I see only one render (A mode) and left click on the image, would it be possible to auto set the A/B mode and instantly can move the line?
The question about hidding your toolbar. I don't know if somebody is using the old vfb during rendering, however I prefere your new vfb even with no/black image. Still there is on/off button in your toolbar.
I've contemplated this
I've contemplated this feature in the past, but was worried about turning the tool into something else. If you say there is really a need for it, I will try implementing it.
"It would be nice to have a
"It would be nice to have a checkbox to save the render time stamp with image file when click on Save Image button."
Or push it a lil further to a complete stamp/watermark function? Where u can add custom text, image or even sum of the rendering attributes that were used for rendering the image - take a look at this one:
http://www.scriptspot.com/3ds-max/scripts/render-info-strip
- particularly good, but it would be far better to have it integrated str8 inside the frame buffer.