Due to the different characteristics of the available output formats, the required extra channels for exporting, and the Multilight options, you have a wide range of export options depending of the needs of your project.
We can show all the possibilities in this tree:
Multilight Disabled
Regarding the light emitters: you will get one single file with the contribution of all emitters merged in one single image (RGB or RGBA if your output format supports embedding alpha and you enable the alpha channel exportation).
Regarding the extra channels for exporting: you may want them to be
- Embedded into the main output file if its format supports this:
- EXR, TIFF and MXI will embed all the enabled extra channels into the main render file.
- TGA and PNG can embed only the alpha channel into the main render file (RGBA). The rest of the extra channels will be stored in independent files.
- JPG, BMP, JPG2000 and HDR do not support embedding alpha or any extra channels. All the extra channels will be exported to independent files.
- Separate, getting independent files for all the required extra channels in all cases (all formats).
Multilight Enabled
Regarding the light emitters: you may want to store each emitter contribution to independent files or have them all as layers in one multi-layered file:
- Composite: all your light emitters will be stored as different layers in one multi-layered file, in those formats that allow multiple layers (EXR, TIFF and MXI). For the rest of the formats (TGA, PNG, JPG, BMP, JPG2000 and HDR) the emitters will be stored as independent files, as those formats do not support multiple image layers.
- Separate: you will get a collection of individual files corresponding to the different emitters in the scene.
Regarding to the extra channels exportation: you may want them to be
- Embedded into the main output file if its format supports this:
- EXR, TIFF and MXI will embed all the enabled extra channels into the main render file.
- TGA and PNG can embed only the alpha channel into the main render file (RGBA). The rest extra channels will be stored to independent files.
- JPG, BMP, JPG2000 and HDR do not support embedding alpha or any extra channels. All the extra channels will be exported to independent files.
- Separate, getting independent files for all the required extra channels in all cases (all formats)
Keep in mind that in order to get the alpha channel embedded in the main render file (in those formats that support embedded alpha), you have to set the exportation of the alpha channel at the same bit depth as the main render file. Otherwise it will be exported to an independent file with the indicated bit depth and format.
The MXI files (containing all the emitters and all the extra channels) can be opened in Maxwell Render, or in Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effects and Nuke through the Import MXI connection plug-ins
Note: If you need to adjust the color of your emitters in your postproduction platform (rather than in Maxwell Render), then you don't need to launch your render with the Color Multilight mode (which is only involved in the color adjustments inside Maxwell Render). You may prefer to use the Intensity Multilight mode, as it will preserve all your color adjusting capabilities in postproduction, while generating a much smaller MXI file.