Hey guys,

Looking forward to trying this software out but still deciding for a number of reasons.

I'd like to ask if there is a simple solution without plugins and downloading of shaders to get a depth pass for DOF Pro, since the luminance map option is gone with Maya 2009. I've tried creating a ramp but due to liquid simulations, the ramp is giving un-expected results rendering that method moot as-well.

Also does DOF pro work well with anti-aliased depth maps? and it should ideally be .bmp with 16-bit? What would be the best options for DOF to get best results?

Hey kinematics;

Yes, you can easily create a depth map using your 3D app's fog feature: http://www.dofpro.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27

Yes, DOF PRO works with anti-aliased depth maps - or rather, presents the user with options to remove the anti-aliasing as well as provide tools for enhancing the aliased edges.

The BMP file format was a limitation before but you can use any 8 bit image now. However, BMP is still the natively supported format so it will read and write this faster and without the use of the included image converter.

-Richard