Weird Graininess


https://forum.reallusion.com/Topic397103.aspx
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By plan111 - 6 Years Ago
Hi.
Whenever I export a PNG with transparency, it comes out extremely grainy and with some weird contour around the objects. If I export the image with a background, it's a bit grainy, but not as much. The problem seems to be related to the transparency. I've exported tons of PNGs with alpha before and never had this problem. It started happening after the last update.
Here are two images. One was exported without the background and then superimposed over the background in an image editor. The other one (less grainy) was exported directly with the bg from iclone. Any ideas? 
Thanks.

https://forum.reallusion.com/uploads/images/0784ae89-80f6-4553-87c5-ba40.png
https://forum.reallusion.com/uploads/images/bc7005b7-eb1a-41d4-8d95-3027.png
By wires - 6 Years Ago
The lower image is the one exported without a BG. The "Halo" effect is caused by Glow maps. You need to inspect the Materials of each item - I'm tipping that the Characters are the cause - and either remove the Glow map, or turn its strength to 0.
By plan111 - 6 Years Ago
I exported lots of the same characters and stuff and I never had this problem before. I get this with every single PNG I export, no matter what props or characters are in the project. I'll still try what you're suggesting, but I doubt that's the problem.
By animagic - 6 Years Ago
iClone now by default adds a noise effect to avoid color banding.

See manual: http://manual.reallusion.com/iClone_7/ENU/Pro/Default.htm#iClone_7/Pro_7.0/10_Scene/Effect/Using_Noise_Effect.htm, section called "Smoothing Color Band Visual Flaws".

Go to Visual > Post Effect and disable it.

https://forum.reallusion.com/uploads/images/73b6d1b2-bda3-41b4-9a07-97d6.jpg

As this is problematic for exports with transparency (this question has come up before), maybe it should not be on by default.
By plan111 - 6 Years Ago
Thanks animagic. That solved half the problem. Now when I export props I have no grain at all. However I tried it on a scene with characters, and even though I don't have any graininess in the transparency, I still have some weird "halo" around characters. This forum is amazing. I posted three or four questions this morning and had answers to all of them within minutes. You guys are amazing. I wish I could help around here as much as you do, but for now I'm a noob at this
https://forum.reallusion.com/uploads/images/c343869c-635e-4645-b2d5-b47a.png
By Kelleytoons - 6 Years Ago
The halo is, as Gerry says, a glow problem.  It doesn't matter if you actually have glow in your characters, as CC3 will put it in there (and I do believe iClone now does as well).  Just go in and delete those glow maps.
By plan111 - 6 Years Ago
There are no glow maps neither in CC nor iClone for any of these characters.
By Kelleytoons - 6 Years Ago
Can you post the iClone file?
By plan111 - 6 Years Ago
It's 316 Mb.
By Kelleytoons - 6 Years Ago
But can you post a link?  (There are lots of places to host for free, like Mega).

(In the meantime, try turning off GI and re-render and see what happens).
By animagic - 6 Years Ago
I tried this with a simple scene, and I noticed the same halo, but not everywhere.

It turned out to be a glow map on a piece of clothing. Curiously, even though the map was black, it was enough to cause the halo. Deleting the glow map solved it (setting its contribution to 0 does as well).
By 4u2ges - 6 Years Ago
The weird part about it is, that are talking about it for a few month now and it's still not in FT Whistling

https://forum.reallusion.com/381340/Another-Character-remesh-issue
https://forum.reallusion.com/376533/Mystery-to-me-involuntary-stroke-on-prop-when-rendered-on-transparent-background

I'll submit it tonight...

Update: FT Issue 5460
By plan111 - 6 Years Ago
Yay. It worked. I turned off Smooth Color Banding and removed every glow map, and it's good now.
Big thanks!
https://forum.reallusion.com/uploads/images/31c7a8d5-c1e7-4b10-b07a-f411.png