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If you save all render elements into one multichannel EXR instead of separate files, LayerWise handles it automatically. Pick one in either workflow and it’s split into its layers, each treated as a separate render file. No extra software needed, and it works the same on Windows and macOS.

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How it works

When you browse a folder or pick files, LayerWise reads the EXR’s header and lists every layer inside it as its own file, named like a single-layer render: a Reflection layer in cam01.exr shows up as cam01.Reflection.exr. From there, matching, templates and updating work exactly as with separate files.
A multichannel EXR's channel list and the render elements LayerWise matches from it

One multichannel EXR becomes one render file per element

The layers are only extracted when you start the job. You’ll see Splitting cam01.exr in the progress overlay, and you can cancel it. Each EXR is read once for all the layers you need from it.

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Layer rules

  • Only the beauty pass keeps its alpha channel. All other elements are written without alpha.
  • Cryptomatte layers don’t become layers. They feed Cryptomatte masks instead.
  • Corona variance (Sqr) layers are skipped.

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Where the split files go

  • For embedded smart objects, the split layers are temporary files. Once placed, they live in the PSD.
  • For linked smart objects, the PSD needs the files on disk. If you picked a folder, LayerWise writes them next to the EXR in a folder called <name>_layerwise and links them from there. Folder scans skip this folder, so nothing gets picked up twice.
  • If you picked individual files and use linked smart objects, LayerWise can’t write next to them, so the layers stay temporary and the job warns you. For linked layers, browse the folder instead.

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Supported EXRs

LayerWise splits scanline EXRs with no compression, RLE, ZIPS, ZIP, PIZ or PXR24 compression. These are the defaults of V-Ray, Corona and FStorm. EXRs it can’t split get a note: can’t be split (multi-part, tiled, deep, or B44/DWA compression), and their layers can’t be used as render elements. To fix this, re-save them from your renderer or frame buffer with a supported compression, or save the elements as separate files.
Splitting a large EXR takes a few seconds (roughly 5 seconds for a 4K image with 14 layers). Linked output is written compressed and takes longer.