- Tue May 14, 2013 3:34 pm
#367772
Hello guys
I used MW scince 2010
I join the Spanish HDRI render competition just for fun~
M used to call Maxwell render : MW Photoshop : PS background pictures : BGs
well
In my experience~For MW render works~ I always Made the 360°HDRI and the background picture by myself~ 3 years I have try many ways~
So when I got the 4 Valencia location sets~
I find some funny problems about those HDRIs and background pictures~
First: in each location set The colour balance are not the same in those 2 photos .[HDRI & BGs]
e.g. The HDRI [ma-MAG_1826]was shot and created in nature sun_light effect~But the background picture was absolutely in a cool tone color range and much less saturation. Really different with the HDRI file.I mean these 2 photos was not matching in a same color balance .
So in that case. When I finish my render, I have 2 choices: recover the background picture color as closely as The HDRI looks like or change my render picture's color range as The background picture looks like.
That means I have to do more photoshop works no matter what I wanted~
I have used the PS for 13 years~ That's not a problem for me but I want to say as a user or a custmer ~
why I should pay for your HDRI product then make more troubles for the result~
Mabe I want a warm colour result~
besides this HDRI generat the warm color lightting effect~
but you just provided a cool color background picture , Are you kidding me huh?
so finally I cut the BGs ~composite my render with cool color adjustment~
I know those kind of background pictures were made for advertising design effect~obviously for automobile advertising ~~but sometimes as a free style designer or artist, they might need some nature resources ,some original photograph as the background pictures.
Because they want creat what they wanted.
Second: there is no any useful information about the background pictures.I mean the EXIF information !! I only got the camera is [Phase One P45+].
the EXIF is really important for MW camera setting~especially for composite image works, the angle view, size of the Sense view, perspective relation, bala bala bala
If you don't want any mistake in your work,those information : such as [focal length] [focal distance] [lens type] [aperture] [EV] are really important .
The photograph shooting time[Date hour],shooting location[GPS] aslo important . because sometimes we might need to use MW physical shy to recreate the correct effect of Sun light ~
I suggest write down those useful information in a txt file as a record that provide for your buyers~That's a useful reference index, especially for MW user.
provide a PSD file as background pictures,contains the original photograph layer and the official color effect layer. let the buyer choose themselves.
Third: Those HDRI have many problem in the lighting intensity.
as I just say that we need to use MW physical shy to recreate the correct effect of Sun light~well~ Look at the HDRI file[ma-MAG_1826]~the only Sun light HDRI in this competition ~the intensity of the sun light was no in correct level.
why? how I judged it?
open the HDRI in PS see the details of shadow~shadow of peoples, trees, buildings,the tripod, sky air conditions~reflection of water surface~then you can make a judgement about the intensity of the sun light.
In my experience~this sun can be the +10 ~ +12 intensity value ~ but I find out only +6 level value in this HDRI~ besides the shape of the sun light is not correct either, because the shadow were clearly visible~ That means the shape of the sun should be a tiny point pixel.
So this HDRI will generat a vague shadow...
so when you adjust a Exposure layer you can see the intensity of the sun light or anything light were correct or not.
or you can do a simple render test~see the shadow is correct or not.
so as you want a correct shadow effect in your render by useing this HDRI~I suggest that you fix the sun light....
Those 2 night scene HDRI also have lighting problems in their details~
sth I don't know what the hell is it!
You can see it in PS that know what Im talking about.
Those lighting problems will generat some wrong result in many reflection details.
Fourth:The Connection between HDRI & background pictures
In theory, when you shoot a background pictures you have to imagine these is a CG object in some point~around that point that shoot some constructs as you want.
then after finished BG photography you have to get to that point,get into that CG object position to shoot a 360° panorama for HDRI createing~
So in that case. the HDRI that you made can feedback the accurate lighting and shadow effects matching with your background pictures~
otherwise you might feel something wrong in the reflections or the shadows.
like the HDRI [ma-MAG_1874] was shot in the left side about the background picture's camera, you can see this details in the HDRI ~ so your CG character should place in the left position so that the shadow looks like reasonable.
So I place my bumblebee in the left side in the end.
the HDRI [ma-MAG_1868] was shot in the centre of square, the light, building, ground reflection are average around 360°,but the view of background picture was shot in a part of this square,I mean the CG object position is not in the centre, but the HDRI produce the centre light effect result~
so no matter how I change the HDRI render angle in MW,the shadow always wrong~and the reflection is just a cheating result~close to the correct result~
I have made this kind of mistake before~
actually the HDRI was shot behind the bumblebee so in the end the lightting reflection and shadow effect was a cheating result~not a correct result~you might feel sth wrong with the feet.
after that I realize I have to serious about this Connection ,
so I M exploreing a way to make a HDRI industrial standard for CG works~
As I mentioned importance of those EXIF information ~
The library HDRI test
this wrok I have shot a special veiw background pictures for my bumblebee at first~then shot the 360 HDRI in the bumblebee position,
with the EXIF information and the [focal distance][camera height] [ground texture & szie]
so I can render the effect precisely~
In fact,the bumblebee was not in a right size~ it should much more bigger size~
But I don't have the CAD~ I just modeling it in Rhino for fun~
Printing test
sometimes we might not need that rigorous render~we can cheating the view effect ~
but sometimes we need to accurate to within ±20 cm. that depends on what you have[HDRI & BGs] and you want.[effect of your idea]
If I want to render a huge size of sculpture~architecture~Transformers or anything else~ those competition background pictures were not fit for these rensder requirements~
Because the photographer didn't consider there will be a CG object in their background pictures~huge or tiny things~they just finish their job and thought: it's ok ~ you can place a car here.
well we are not just creat a car~can be much more bigger ~
or a little tiny lovely things like wall-e M.O ...
this ship was render in physical sky without HDRI~I have recorded the shooting time[Date hour] , shooting location[GPS] ,so easy way to recreate the Sun light effect~
so at the beginning of BGs photography you have leave enough space for the CG objects~
this iron man was standing in the HDRI shooting position, so everything just looks OK~
the idea about this BGs I shot for a CG characters group ,Like a dancer team danceing [Gangnam Style] in this ground, but I didn't finish the characters yet~ so I just put a iron man for test the render effect~
somtimes we need some Large Depth of Field effect for showing details
here are my other MW works ,but without any Large Depth of Field effect background pictures~ those depth of field just the HDRI render result~looks like a little fake.
So in the end I hope MAGROUND can creat more types of background pictures~
CGI is not just for Automotive ~ it can be anyway as we want~
such as portrait CGI character CGI sculpture CGI ...
for ad~ for CG wrok ~ for idea design~ free art concept...
hope the MW will add the GUP render in next versions 3x.
I used MW scince 2010
I join the Spanish HDRI render competition just for fun~
M used to call Maxwell render : MW Photoshop : PS background pictures : BGs
well
In my experience~For MW render works~ I always Made the 360°HDRI and the background picture by myself~ 3 years I have try many ways~
So when I got the 4 Valencia location sets~
I find some funny problems about those HDRIs and background pictures~
First: in each location set The colour balance are not the same in those 2 photos .[HDRI & BGs]
e.g. The HDRI [ma-MAG_1826]was shot and created in nature sun_light effect~But the background picture was absolutely in a cool tone color range and much less saturation. Really different with the HDRI file.I mean these 2 photos was not matching in a same color balance .
So in that case. When I finish my render, I have 2 choices: recover the background picture color as closely as The HDRI looks like or change my render picture's color range as The background picture looks like.
That means I have to do more photoshop works no matter what I wanted~
I have used the PS for 13 years~ That's not a problem for me but I want to say as a user or a custmer ~
why I should pay for your HDRI product then make more troubles for the result~
Mabe I want a warm colour result~
besides this HDRI generat the warm color lightting effect~
but you just provided a cool color background picture , Are you kidding me huh?
so finally I cut the BGs ~composite my render with cool color adjustment~
I know those kind of background pictures were made for advertising design effect~obviously for automobile advertising ~~but sometimes as a free style designer or artist, they might need some nature resources ,some original photograph as the background pictures.
Because they want creat what they wanted.
Second: there is no any useful information about the background pictures.I mean the EXIF information !! I only got the camera is [Phase One P45+].
the EXIF is really important for MW camera setting~especially for composite image works, the angle view, size of the Sense view, perspective relation, bala bala bala
If you don't want any mistake in your work,those information : such as [focal length] [focal distance] [lens type] [aperture] [EV] are really important .
The photograph shooting time[Date hour],shooting location[GPS] aslo important . because sometimes we might need to use MW physical shy to recreate the correct effect of Sun light ~
I suggest write down those useful information in a txt file as a record that provide for your buyers~That's a useful reference index, especially for MW user.
provide a PSD file as background pictures,contains the original photograph layer and the official color effect layer. let the buyer choose themselves.
Third: Those HDRI have many problem in the lighting intensity.
as I just say that we need to use MW physical shy to recreate the correct effect of Sun light~well~ Look at the HDRI file[ma-MAG_1826]~the only Sun light HDRI in this competition ~the intensity of the sun light was no in correct level.
why? how I judged it?
open the HDRI in PS see the details of shadow~shadow of peoples, trees, buildings,the tripod, sky air conditions~reflection of water surface~then you can make a judgement about the intensity of the sun light.
In my experience~this sun can be the +10 ~ +12 intensity value ~ but I find out only +6 level value in this HDRI~ besides the shape of the sun light is not correct either, because the shadow were clearly visible~ That means the shape of the sun should be a tiny point pixel.
So this HDRI will generat a vague shadow...
so when you adjust a Exposure layer you can see the intensity of the sun light or anything light were correct or not.
or you can do a simple render test~see the shadow is correct or not.
so as you want a correct shadow effect in your render by useing this HDRI~I suggest that you fix the sun light....
Those 2 night scene HDRI also have lighting problems in their details~
sth I don't know what the hell is it!
You can see it in PS that know what Im talking about.
Those lighting problems will generat some wrong result in many reflection details.
Fourth:The Connection between HDRI & background pictures
In theory, when you shoot a background pictures you have to imagine these is a CG object in some point~around that point that shoot some constructs as you want.
then after finished BG photography you have to get to that point,get into that CG object position to shoot a 360° panorama for HDRI createing~
So in that case. the HDRI that you made can feedback the accurate lighting and shadow effects matching with your background pictures~
otherwise you might feel something wrong in the reflections or the shadows.
like the HDRI [ma-MAG_1874] was shot in the left side about the background picture's camera, you can see this details in the HDRI ~ so your CG character should place in the left position so that the shadow looks like reasonable.
So I place my bumblebee in the left side in the end.
the HDRI [ma-MAG_1868] was shot in the centre of square, the light, building, ground reflection are average around 360°,but the view of background picture was shot in a part of this square,I mean the CG object position is not in the centre, but the HDRI produce the centre light effect result~
so no matter how I change the HDRI render angle in MW,the shadow always wrong~and the reflection is just a cheating result~close to the correct result~
I have made this kind of mistake before~
actually the HDRI was shot behind the bumblebee so in the end the lightting reflection and shadow effect was a cheating result~not a correct result~you might feel sth wrong with the feet.
after that I realize I have to serious about this Connection ,
so I M exploreing a way to make a HDRI industrial standard for CG works~
As I mentioned importance of those EXIF information ~
The library HDRI test
this wrok I have shot a special veiw background pictures for my bumblebee at first~then shot the 360 HDRI in the bumblebee position,
with the EXIF information and the [focal distance][camera height] [ground texture & szie]
so I can render the effect precisely~
In fact,the bumblebee was not in a right size~ it should much more bigger size~
But I don't have the CAD~ I just modeling it in Rhino for fun~
Printing test
sometimes we might not need that rigorous render~we can cheating the view effect ~
but sometimes we need to accurate to within ±20 cm. that depends on what you have[HDRI & BGs] and you want.[effect of your idea]
If I want to render a huge size of sculpture~architecture~Transformers or anything else~ those competition background pictures were not fit for these rensder requirements~
Because the photographer didn't consider there will be a CG object in their background pictures~huge or tiny things~they just finish their job and thought: it's ok ~ you can place a car here.
well we are not just creat a car~can be much more bigger ~
or a little tiny lovely things like wall-e M.O ...
this ship was render in physical sky without HDRI~I have recorded the shooting time[Date hour] , shooting location[GPS] ,so easy way to recreate the Sun light effect~
so at the beginning of BGs photography you have leave enough space for the CG objects~
this iron man was standing in the HDRI shooting position, so everything just looks OK~
the idea about this BGs I shot for a CG characters group ,Like a dancer team danceing [Gangnam Style] in this ground, but I didn't finish the characters yet~ so I just put a iron man for test the render effect~
somtimes we need some Large Depth of Field effect for showing details
here are my other MW works ,but without any Large Depth of Field effect background pictures~ those depth of field just the HDRI render result~looks like a little fake.
So in the end I hope MAGROUND can creat more types of background pictures~
CGI is not just for Automotive ~ it can be anyway as we want~
such as portrait CGI character CGI sculpture CGI ...
for ad~ for CG wrok ~ for idea design~ free art concept...
hope the MW will add the GUP render in next versions 3x.