Blackmagic Forum

Is it possible to use the depth map effect in Resolve 18 in leu of a green screen? Is the key that precise? Or will it be possible?

Michael McCaffrey wrote:Is it possible to use the depth map effect in Resolve 18 in leu of a green screen? Is the key that precise? Or will it be possible?

I will say no.

I would agree that only in very specific scenarios, Depth Map might give you something usable to key out.


By the way there is a Plugin for After Effects (Windows only) called "Goodbye Greenscreen" that can do that. The algorithm has still a long way to go before Digital Artist can retire, but it does indeed remove Backgrounds or Greenscreens with AI. The Results are OK most of the time.

It's not good enough for complete background replacement (the same applies for the magic mask)
It can be used to add some overlays in the background like particles etc.

Philipp Glaninger wrote:I would agree that only in very specific scenarios, Depth Map might give you something usable to key out.


By the way there is a Plugin for After Effects (Windows only) called "Goodbye Greenscreen" that can do that. The algorithm has still a long way to go before Digital Artist can retire, but it does indeed remove Backgrounds or Greenscreens with AI. The Results are OK most of the time.

this has exactly the same problems as magic mask and depth map with fine lines or hair.
where magic mask is even more suitable for this than depth map

useful for a funny social media video, not for anything else,
and therefore a greenscreen (bluescreen) is not replaceable by such a filter.

Mark Foster wrote:

Philipp Glaninger wrote:
this has exactly the same problems as magic mask and depth map with fine lines or hair.
where magic mask is even more suitable for this than depth map

useful for a funny social media video, not for anything else,
and therefore a greenscreen (bluescreen) is not replaceable by such a filter.

What about depth map being used in place of roto?
My view is it has to be as good, if it's not, it doesn't get used, so useless. The synthetic green screens are popular on tiktok, less popular on gaming streams, they look terrible, but the audience finds them acceptable because the alternative would be no background replacement

The Magic Mask would be good enough for a background replacement like the one by Zoom or OBS.
But if you are used to movies with professional VFX, both look like crap.

I wouldn't say they are useless, but intended for a different purpose. DR is a color grading application before anything else. You can use both Magic Mask or Depth Map for grading a person differently from the background or give a landscape atmospheric depth or the like. Other than in VFX, you normally want the edges of such separations to be soft when grading.

AI has still a long way to go to produce precise separation from the limited info in consecutive 2D frames.

Uli Plank wrote:

I wouldn't say they are useless, but intended for a different purpose. DR is a color grading application before anything else. You can use both Magic Mask or Depth Map for grading a person differently from the background or give a landscape atmospheric depth or the like.

I found magic mask disappointing because although you can tune it perfectly for a single frame, it needs the perfect conditions to get the mask correct on all frames. I notice when BM are demonstrating Depth Map the new AI's at events they're using the identical videos as seen on the Resolve18 Launch. To me it says they don't have much confidence in it currently. I won't be using it until close to release date, so more improvements to come