I've been trying to figure out how to get a match between what I see in the Render View (with ACES), and the images that actually get written to disk.

If I turn off ACES in the Render view, and put the gamma to 2.2, that is what my exported images look like when I open them in an image viewer. I've tried using a VOP COP filter with the OCIO Transform to apply the ACES to my renders, (from space: ACEScg --> to space: Utility - linear - srgb). But I can never get a match. The colors actually look very wrong after I apply the OCIO transform, not even close to what the Render view looks like with ACES applied.

The only way I can get the same look, is if I do a screen grab

So I'd really appreciate some help getting the colors to match the render view with ACES, and what actually gets exported. Seems like there should be a simple solution, if the Render view is already showing the image correctly, how do I get that baked into the image, so when I open it in Windows image viewer, it looks the same as the Render view with ACES?

There must be a way for the export to match exactly what is shown in the viewer. I have asked some very experienced Houdini artists, but had no luck finding an answer.

OCIO transform should match 99%. I think there is a difference in black resolution for the viewport, but the OCIO transform is the ground truth.

Loudsubs
If I turn off ACES in the Render view, and put the gamma to 2.2, that is what my exported images look like when I open them in an image viewer. I've tried using a VOP COP filter with the OCIO Transform to apply the ACES to my renders, (from space: ACEScg --> to space: Utility - linear - srgb). But I can never get a match. The colors actually look very wrong after I apply the OCIO transform, not even close to what the Render view looks like with ACES applied.

You have to use the correct transform of course. Utility - linear - srgb is for ingesting linear srgb albedo textures and is guaranteed to be different from the display transform. Use the Output - sRGB transform to match the sRGB display transform. Lastly, on the cop render node, make sure gamma is 1 and convert colors is disabled.

jsmack
OCIO transform should match 99%. I think there is a difference in black resolution for the viewport, but the OCIO transform is the ground truth.

Loudsubs
If I turn off ACES in the Render view, and put the gamma to 2.2, that is what my exported images look like when I open them in an image viewer. I've tried using a VOP COP filter with the OCIO Transform to apply the ACES to my renders, (from space: ACEScg --> to space: Utility - linear - srgb). But I can never get a match. The colors actually look very wrong after I apply the OCIO transform, not even close to what the Render view looks like with ACES applied.

You have to use the correct transform of course. Utility - linear - srgb is for ingesting linear srgb albedo textures and is guaranteed to be different from the display transform. Use the Output - sRGB transform to match the sRGB display transform. Lastly, on the cop render node, make sure gamma is 1 and convert colors is disabled.

LoL, Thank you!! Yeah I was using the wrong output... Switching the ocio transform vop to "output - sRGB", I get a match. Thank you for showing me the light!