Hi,

I am working on a shot which has some render intensive objects, and I want to render a beauty pass along with some extra image planes or passes, as follows:
Diffuse Pass (without shadow)
Specular Pass (without shadow)
Reflection Pass
Shadow Pass

I am using extra image planes for this, but don't know how to get diffuse and spec witout shadow. In one of my tests I wrote a diffuse shader with illuminance loop, which outputs diffuse without shadow. But changing all my shaders for all my objects, is a lot of work. Is there any simpler solution?

Could you make separate shadow lights that you turn on and off as appropriate (ideally using Takes)?

This set up should cook you up what you want

Notes:-
Refer to OS tips for texport use and expression testing
Example uses a global expression set in houdini.env file
Switch shop use the $RENDERPASS to toggle 1 zero
Example uses takes to switch the shadows for the beauty pass to off

Render ROP is chained and uses a pre and post render script to drive the switch shop.

pre render script is set RENDERPASS = 1; varchange
post render script is set RENDERPASS = 0; varchange

On a side note from a lighting point of view I never ever split off a separate shadow pass if anything I just split off fill lights where needed in production.

what he said