Blender Render Layers and Passes – Compositing Template

Blender comes with compositing tools that provide a wide array of options to edit your renders. However, if just getting started with these tools or if new to blender it can be a little fiddly to set up.

So to assist new users to the compositor or experienced users that are learning or moving to Blender. I’ve created a Blender file template that can be downloaded for free from Github.

For Detail Instructions for using this template – please see the article here.

This template is set up only for exporting out your renders into a folder so they can be used with a different program such as Davinci Resolve, Affinity Photo, Photoshop, Nuke, After Effects etc…

This is not set up for editing the layers internally in Blender.

Whilst I have called this a template you can simply save the file and copy, and use where ever you wish. Or in Blender > go to > File > Defaults > Save Startup File (Be careful as this will override any startup default settings you have) to save with this compositor set up.

These settings may need changing depending on your specific requirements or program you are exporting to.

1. Unzip the file and save the Blender file where is appropriate for you.
2. Open the Blender file.
3. Go to the View layers tab.
4. Check or uncheck required passes. e.g. Diffuse Direct, Indirect etc…
5. Go to the Compositing Tab.
6. In the Output node(s).
7. Make sure that the output folder is correctly selected for where you want to save the renders.
8. Make sure you have selected the appropriate color profile .e.g. ACEScg, sRGB etc…
9. Change compression settings where required and make sure it’s a multilayered EXR.
10. Click the Render button or F12 to render a single image.
11. Open the EXR in Photoshop, Affinity Paint, Davinci Resolve (or your preferred program).
12. Arrange layers – edit as required.

You can then use this set up (or however you have updated the settings) in your own CG work with Blender. Either just duplicate the file and then create your model, scene or animation, or save the Start up file to have this with every new Blender file you create.

Compositor Notes:

1. Remember to select a path in the compositor for the output(s).
2. You don’t need Denoising for the color passes and some other passes.
3. It’s only the light passes (e.g. Diffuse Direct) that create noise.
4. Data passes don’t automatically add the alpha layer so it’s been added in the different passes.
5. You don’t need denoise option ticketed in render properties tab if using the denoise node in the compositor. See further details below. This denoise option only denoises the combined pass.
6. The layers are only denoised in the output folder (not the viewer panel).
7. If you uncheck a data pass it will appear as an empty layer in the exported image unless the socket is deleted from the export node.