Merger

Description

The PresenZ Merger Utility is a tool that combines the .przRender files created by PresenZ into a single .PRZ file compatible with the PresenZ VR Viewer. This .PRZ file can then be dragged and dropped into the PresenZ Dashboard for viewing.

The Merger Utility comes installed with the authoring tools and can be found in the following standard locations based on your plugin version:

  • For 3dsMax: C:\Program Files\PresenZ\PresenZ For ...\presenz_merger.exe

  • For maya/Arnold: C:\Users\<username>\PresenZ\Maya20xx\MtoAx-x-x\utilities

  • For maya/Vray: C:\Users\<username>\PresenZ\Maya20xx\Vrayx.x\utilities

Besides merging .przRender files, the Merger Utility can also apply a color profile to your final image.

Launching the Merger Utility

There are four ways to merge your files. The first two methods will execute the merger utility within your 3D Authoring Software. The following two allow you to execute the merger through the command line with custom parameters.

1. Activate the option in the PresenZ authoring tool

When using the PresenZ Render Dialog in your 3D authoring software (for instance 3Ds Max) you will see that there is an option “ Merge files after rendering “, simply check the box to automatically merge the files at the end of the render phases.

../_images/RenderDialog_01.PNG

2. Merge button in the PresenZ authoring tool

Alternatively, there also is a Merge button in the PresenZ Render Dialog. This button will merge the files located in the output directory you defined, without having to re-render first.

../_images/RenderDialog_02.PNG

3. PresenZ Merger Toolbar

In your 3D authoring software, in the PresenZ Toolbar there is a merger command button.

../_images/ToolbarMerger.PNG

This button will open a commmand prompt window at the location where PresenZ is installed, making it easy to set your own command line merging parameters.

../_images/CmdMerger.PNG

4. Open a Command Prompt

The last method to merge your files is to execute the presenz_merger.exe file in a command prompt outside of your 3D authoring software. This file is installed in the desired location you specified when you installed the PresenZ authoring tools. The default location being C:\Program Files\PresenZ\PresenZ For ...\presenz_merger.exe .

../_images/MergerFolder.PNG

PresenZ Command Line Merging

The PresenZ Merger allows you to specify which .przRender files to merge and some additional parameters such as a color corrections before the merge. Manually merging .przRender files through the presenZ_merger.exe allows for more flexibility. For instance, if you just made a glass render and would like to re-merge without also relaunching all the other render passes.

  • Press the merger command icon in the floating toolbar or run the presenz_merger.exe file in a command prompt.

  • Give the path for the file you want to merge, containing the przDetect and przRender folder

  • Optionally, specify additional parameters

  • Press Enter for the merge.

  • Example command line: presenz_merger C:\Sten\Testing\Testing_Box3

  • You will be left with a .PRZ image as output. This is the file you use for viewing your scene.

The following two sections give commonly used command flags for the merger.

V-Ray 4.X Frame buffer color correction

If you are using the VFB’s color correction tools, PresenZ will automatically export the settings into a vfbColorSettings.vccglb file. This is useful in the case that you want to convert your image to sRGB, or for a simple exposure correction.

If you are manually merging through the presenz_merger.exe you will have to add this file with the --VFBPreset flag.

When pressing merge it will add your VFB color corrections to your file.

Warning

Since V-Ray 5.0, PresenZ is unfortunately not compatible with the new vrayFrameBuffer Color Corrections yet. We are trying to solve this issue.

VFBCC manual export

In case you are happy with your rendered result, but you wish to only adjust the color settings for your render. You can do so by doing the following.

Inside the V-Ray frame buffer there is a large button above the settings Globals… , with this button you can save your file as a .vccglb.

../_images/vfbglobals.PNG

Now that you have this vccglb file you can use it with the --VFBPreset flag, without having to render all over again.

Command-line Flags

Here you can find a complete list of all the possible flags that can be used with the merger.

  • h, --help, --usage: Print this usage message.

  • input ( Arg0,[ArgN] ): [string] root directory path to the input przRenders.

  • --output Arg: [string] path to the output of the prz file.

  • -r Arg0,Arg1: [unsigned int] Frame range.

  • --OCIOconfig Arg: [file] Path to an OCIO config file.

  • --OCIOColorSpaceFrom Arg: [string] Define the original OCIO colorspace of an image.

  • --OCIOColorSpaceTo Arg: [string] Apply this OCIO colorspace transform to an image.

  • --OCIOviewTransform Arg: [string] Apply this OCIO view transformation to an image.

  • --OCIOLook Arg: [string] Apply this OCIO look to an image.

  • --OCIOdisplayGamut Arg: [string] Define the original OCIO colorspace of an image.

  • --convertBackToLinear Arg: [bool] If your final space is not linear, convert the final value back to linear (assuming sRGB as input).

  • -l Arg: [unsigned int] Specifies the verbose level of information printed to the standard output. (default : 3)

  • -x: If present, overwrite existing prz.

  • -b --backgroundImage Arg: [file] Specifies a background (.PNG) to embed in the Prz.

  • --zovIdx Arg: [short] As a last resort, in case of multiple types of ZOV in input, allows you to merge the ZOV you want.

  • --zovOffset Arg0,Arg1,Arg2: [short] Specifies the ZOV to create.

  • --texQuad Arg: Use texture quad.

  • --force: Files with a different frame number will be merged together.

  • --logFile Arg: [string] Specifies a file to record merger events.

  • --lutFile Arg: Apply the color corrections from the LUT to the rendering.

  • --ect: Export the Camera transformation Matrix (TRS) in the prz. A sequence of przRender is required in input.