Custom Depth Mattes in C4D
A Cinema 4D workflow for creating custom depth mattes so you can control depth-based compositing and render passes more deliberately.
Control depth instead of fighting it
Depth mattes are useful when you want more control in compositing than a single automatic depth pass gives you. This tutorial focuses on building mattes that match the shot and the way you want to grade or composite it.
It pairs naturally with masking and matte workflows, especially when a scene needs isolated areas or cleaner post-production control.
Use it for
- Custom depth ranges for compositing.
- Cleaner control over atmosphere, grade, and object separation.
- More intentional C4D render passes.
Related workflow ideas
Better depth control
Create mattes that are designed for the shot instead of relying only on defaults.
Cleaner isolation
Separate scene areas for more flexible post work.
Matte workflows
Connect this technique with masking tools and Quick Matte Pro.
Explore matte tools and freebies
Use the Freebies page for related downloads and Quick Matte Pro for the plugin-based matte workflow.