Maya shaderfx custom techniques question

brurpo

Hi there, been doing a lot of research with shaderfx for realtime applications inside maya, doing my own uber shader, mainly for crime reconstitution etc.
Now its supporting triplanar textures, z_pass, IBL from lat-long environments, lots of artistic options and controls.
If you guys dont mind I have a couple of questions.

1. Is it possible to create a custom shadow technique? Like cascaded shadow maps? Or can shaderfx  only alter the shadow map provided by maya?

2. Is it possible to create screenspace effects? can shaderfx read a framebuffer from a camera? Like using it to make screenspace reflections?

Thanks a lot for your time!

kodde

I'm interested in this as well.

shaderfx

1. You can only alter the shadow map generated by maya through a separate pass.

2. Not really. In DX11 you can create a 'full screen' pass that render on a quad with Shaderfx. This allows you to do 'some' limited full-screen effects. But you won't be able to implement screen space reflection this way.

brurpo

Thanks a lot for your time!

Basically, if I understand it correctly, you can make "overlays" but shaderfx is not aware of other objects besides the one the shader is applyed to?

Is there any other thing maya parses to shaderfx besides the shadowmap?

Sorry to bother again!
Thanks!

shaderfx

correct!

If you create a "Pass" node in shaderfx (only visible in advanced mode) then you can see the passes under "pass context".
These are the passes currently exposed in shaderfx to which you can 'do something' when Maya is rendering that pass.

Also, it is not at all a bother for you to ask questions
(I might sometimes miss posts on this forum though)