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Reference / Effects / Utility

Updated

Extract channels

Extract channels is a Utility effect.

Four dropdowns, one per output channel, each naming a channel of the layer’s OpenEXR file: a depth pass, normals, an object id, a light group. The channel list is read off the file when the effect is added, and again only on Reload channels. On a layer that is not an OpenEXR every dropdown offers None alone.

ParameterControlRangeDefaultUnit
Reload channelsButton---
BypassCheckboxOn or offOff-
MatteLayerAny layer in the compositionNone-
InvertCheckboxOn or offOff-
ChannelDropdownLuminance · Alpha · Red · Green · BlueLuminance-

In the Effect Controls panel:

  • Matte is an input to an effect, scaling the strength. Invert inverts the mattes for calculating strength.
  • Red from, Green from, Blue from, Alpha from: which of the file’s channels each output channel is read from. None is 0, and 1 for alpha. With all four at None the layer is the picture the file opens as.
  • Reload channels: read the file’s channel list again and rebuild the four dropdowns. The stored choices keep their place in the list.
  • Bypass: show the picture the file opens as, keeping the four choices.
  • Matte and Invert drive the strength of the effect from another layer’s brightness; see Effects.