Render support for Canvases (in Daz Studio)

Are Canvases (render passes; EXR files) supported on Boost for Daz? How do I render my Canvases using Boost for Daz?

Boost for Daz - with its integrated support of Iray Server - does work with Canvases, but only in Queue mode.

Canvases are an Iray feature for multi-pass rendering. Daz Studio projects that include Canvases generate additional files (e.g. EXR files) that can be processed further in another application, like Photoshop. When rendering with Iray Server in Queue mode only the EXR files will be generated. And when rendering with Iray Server in Streaming mode only the regular render is generated and sent back and no additional canvas render passes are saved.

Here’s how to get Canvases to work using Daz Studio and Boost for Daz:

(1) Set up your Canvases in your Daz Studio project (as shown below)

(2) Set up Daz Studio to render with Boost for Daz

(a) Sign in to Boost for Daz, using your registered Google account.

(b) Select the NVIDIA GPU you want to use to render your project.

(c) Once your virtual Iray server has been created, you will see the Iray server credentials displayed on your Boost for Daz Dashboard.

(d) Follow the instructions on the dashboard to:

Step 1: Configure Daz Studio to connect to your Iray Server on Boost for Daz

In Daz Studio, go to: Render settings > Advanced (Tab) > Bridge (Tab)

Copy and Paste the following from your Dashboard into Daz Studio:

• Iray server Address

• Uncheck Protocol (Secure) checkbox

• Iray Server Username

• Iray Server Password

Configuring Daz Studio to connect to the Iray Server on Boost for Daz

Step 2: Select a Render Mode

To use Iray Server Render queue with your Boost for Daz Iray Server:

In Daz Studio, go to: Render settings > Advanced (Tab) > Bridge (Tab)

• Uncheck Protocol (Secure) checkbox

• Uncheck Rendering (Enabled) checkbox

• Click Add to Queue [...] button, and give your queue job a name (Iray Server requires you to use only alphabets and numbers; no special characters are allowed)

Adding your Daz Studio project to the Iray Server Queue on Boost for Daz

• Set MAX TIME (secs) to 0 (zero) - To ensure uninterrupted rendering, the MAX TIME parameter should be checked and reset to zero before rendering - every time. (The MAX TIME parameter can be found by going to Editor (Tab) > Progressive Rendering group).

Setting MAX TIME parameter to zero (0) is important

(3) Render your Daz Studio project.

Once you have completed the previous steps, click on the Render button in Daz Studio.

Once you press the Render button, Daz Studio will begin to create the ‘render package’ (combining all the files and assets in your project) and upload it to your connected Iray server for rendering.

Note: But to start and complete your render you need to login to the Iray Server Admin page to manage your render process.

Here’s how you access your Iray Server Admin page for your Boost for Daz session.

(4) Using Iray Server Queue to render and access your Canvases

So your Daz Studio project with Canvases is in the process of being rendered - on the Iray server you are connected with in Boost for Daz.

Here’s how you view and download your Canvases:

• Click the OPEN IRAY SERVER ADMIN PAGE button in the Step 1 section of your dashboard to open Iray Server Admin in a new browser tab. (Logging into Iray Server Queue Admin is required to START / STOP Queue and to download your render results).

Button on Dashboard to open Iray Server Admin. Refer to Iray Credentials to sign in.

• Copy & Paste Name and Iray Server session password from the dashboard into the Iray Server Admin page. (This is the same information you entered into Daz Studio earlier).

• Once you are logged into the Iray Server Admin page, click on Queue on the left navigation menu. Your job will be in the Jobs queue.

• Click on Start Queue to start the render process.

• When the render job is completed, it will move to a DONE queue below, and a zip file will be created that will contain your EXR (Canvases) files. Click on the Resources link (in the navigation menu on the left), to view the different Canvases (Canvas Buffers) in your project along with associated information like Format and Bit Depth.

Illustrative Iray Server Admin screen with Canvases (EXR) generated in downloadable Zip file

• Download the Zip file. Click on the job and download the zip file to your local drive. All Canvases (render passes) are included in the ZIP file, and can also be downloaded individually as EXR files from the Iray Server Admin web interface.

• Stop your Iray Server render queue by clicking on the orange Stop Queue button

Note: Recall that rendering a Daz Studio project via Iray Server queue will only generate the EXR files. If you want to render the regular image, then you can use the same Boost for Daz session to do that as well. You just need to 'uncheck' the Canvases checkbox and resubmit the project to the Iray Server render queue. You may also choose ‘Render on Cloud (Streaming)’ in Step 2 on your Boost for Daz dashboard, and follow the steps. In Streaming mode, with canvases enabled, only the regular render is sent back and no additional canvas render passes are saved.