What you'll learn

In this NUKE tutorial we'll learn how to combine depth maps to create correct layering between two renders. This allows us to split out scenes into multiple render layers while keeping the correct pixels on top. We'll begin by taking a look at what is depth-based compositing, or layering, and why we would want to use it. Then we'll learn about some of the downsides of using this technique. We'll then dive into NUKE and create a matte for our foreground layer using its depth map and the background depth map. We'll then learn how to work with depth maps, including combining maps from different scene scales, using depth-based layering to fix interpenetration issues, and making depth maps human readable and error-free.