Setup Multi-Layer OpenEXR Render Passes in Blender

Exporting all render passes into a single Multi-Layer OpenEXR file streamlines the post-production and compositing pipeline by packaging beauty, depth, cryptomatte, and lighting data into a unified, high-dynamic-range container. This guide covers how to enable your required view layer passes, configure the render output format, and save an organized Multi-Layer OpenEXR file directly from Blender.

Step 1: Enable the Required Render Passes

Before configuring the output file, specify which data passes Blender should calculate during rendering:

  1. Open the Properties panel and select the View Layer Properties tab (stacked planes icon).
  2. Scroll down to the Passes section.
  3. Check the boxes for the data and lighting passes you need:
    • Data: Z (Depth), Mist, Normal, Vector, UV.
    • Light: Diffuse (Direct/Indirect/Color), Glossy (Direct/Indirect/Color), Transmission, Volume, Shadow, Ambient Occlusion.
    • Cryptomatte: Object, Material, Asset.

Step 2: Configure the Output Format

Once the passes are selected, set the file format to support multiple layers:

  1. Navigate to the Output Properties tab (printer icon) in the Properties panel.
  2. Under the Output sub-panel, choose the destination folder path where the rendered files will be saved.
  3. In the Format settings, change the File Format dropdown to OpenEXR MultiLayer.
  4. Adjust the format settings:
    • Color Depth: Choose Float (Half) (16-bit) for general compositing to keep file sizes manageable, or Float (Full) (32-bit) for high-precision depth and vector data.
    • Codec / Compression: Select a compression method such as ZIP (lossless) for standard workflows or DWAA (lossy) for smaller file sizes with minimal quality loss.

Step 3: Route Passes Through the Compositor (Optional)

By default, selecting OpenEXR MultiLayer in the Output Properties automatically packs all enabled View Layer passes upon rendering. However, if you need to rename passes, include custom data, or composite nodes before exporting:

  1. Switch to the Compositing workspace and check Use Nodes.
  2. Press Shift + A and add an Output > File Output node.
  3. Select the File Output node, press N to open the sidebar, and go to Node > Properties.
  4. Set the format inside the node to OpenEXR MultiLayer.
  5. Click Add Input in the sidebar to create distinct slots for each pass, then connect the corresponding outputs from the Render Layers node into the new inputs on the File Output node.

Step 4: Render and Verify

  1. Press F12 to render the frame or Ctrl + F12 to render an animation sequence.
  2. Blender will automatically write the complete Multi-Layer OpenEXR file containing every enabled layer to your designated output directory.
  3. To verify the layers, open a new Blender file, go to the Compositor, add an Input > Image node, open the generated EXR file, and inspect the available pass outputs on the node.