If you use depth map shadows, by default Maya calculates at least one depth map for each depth-map enabled light source and for each frame of the animation during rendering.
In some cases, you can reduce rendering times by saving and reusing a light’s depth map. See the following table to determine if reusing a depth map is advantageous for your particular circumstance.
Maya saves depth map files in the renderData/depth directory of the current project, by default.
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Rendering a single frame several times, each time making adjustments to object or light properties, but not moving lights or objects. (The depth map does not change and can be reused.) |
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Rendering an animation in which the light or the objects it illuminates do not move (for example, a camera fly-through). (The depth map does not change from frame to frame and can be reused.) |
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Rendering an animation in which lights, the objects they illuminate, or both do move, the depth map changes from frame to frame. If you are rendering the entire animation several times, each time making adjustments to object or light properties, but not changing the way lights or objects move, the depth maps for each frame is the same as in the initial render and can be reused. |
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Rendering a single frame or an animation, have previously saved depth maps to disk, and have moved lights and, or the objects it illuminates. The depth maps are now different, and you cannot reuse the depth masks on disk. |
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