https://vimeo.com/98734595

Is it possible to render Deep Compositing Data in Maya using Mental Ray? Well, truthfully, not really. True deep images are not supported with the current mental ray renderer. However, there is a track that can get you approximately the the effect of using deep data in your composites through using a clever array of render passes.

Simple video shows you how to generate deep images in Nuke out of Maya using Mental Ray passes

Deep image compositing is a fairly new method that expands on the simple Z-Depth premise, giving you much more control over the z-space of image compositing. Each pixel in a deep image contains multiple opacity and color samples. Nuke’s deep compositing tools allow you to work with deep images, making it much easier to work with volumetric effects and deals with composite edge artifacts in a much better way. Deep images also makes creating hold out mattes a thing of the past.

eosacro has contributed some great content looking at rendering and compositing with Nuke, and here he presents his technique for creating deep compositing images in Maya using mental ray  render passes. As eosacro notes, it’s not true deep images that you are generating, but a way to get a fairly similar result in a clever way.