Attached Link: http://www.debevec.org/

Since it looks like this topic is going to be popular for a while, I thought I would open a new thread to include in the Backroom later. So... what is HDRI ? What can it do ? where can you find more about it (including .hdr files) ? HDRI stands for High Dynamic Range Image. Basically, it is a way to encode the colors in an image with gradual values between 0 and 1 instead of integers between 0 and 255. This ensures a High Dynamic range to the picture, which means the dark areas remain dark when the brightness of the picture is increased, and that the bright areas remain bright when the brightness is decreased. That particular format has become popular in 3D because of the spectacularly realistic results it creates when it is used with Image Based lighting. Image based lightin means that you are using every pixel in an image (usually the background or the sky dome) as a light source. E-on's approach to HDRI has a few unique aspects : - they tried to simplify settings down to a couple of parameters, mainly the Gain and Quality Boost. - their system maps automatically the ground seamlessly with the sky to create a real envelope to your objects - their image based lighting is not limited to .hdr files but can also use regular photographs of skies (with a loss of dynamic range for sure, but the results are still better than regular lights). So.... to get you started with HDRI, here is a link to the person who started it all : Paul Debevec

Attached Link: http://www.ict.usc.edu/graphics/HDRShop/

... and his popular software : HDRshop

Attached Link: http://www.lightworks-user.com/hdri.htm

Check out the HDRI Starter guide with some explanation about the technique and sample .hdr files to use in your scenes. Make sure you read their license agreement before downloading these samples.

Attached Link: http://www.blochi.com/gfx/hdri/

And if you feel up to it, take the HDRI Challenge

This thread is open to any other link you may have found about the subject, especially if the linked site contains free .hdr files :)

Attached Link: Ulead Photoimpact 10

An application which sports a full procedure for creation of HDR images, including the creation of camera profiles, and costs only $90 ($50 if upgrading).

Attached Link: http://www.hdri.wz.cz/

I found this site, but unfortunaltely can't read it because I don't know the language.... but.... You click on HDRI MAPY in the bottom menu and starting on page 4 you can download 17 samples of hdr files.

They work fine in Carrara, so they should work in Vue 5 :)

Elaine

Message edited on: 10/04/2004 20:33

Attached Link: http://www.avalonarts.co.uk/hdri/hdri.html

Here are 2 samples made from pictures from Mars :) Elaine

Attached Link: http://www.sachform.de/download_EN.html

And a last one.... They are selling cds of hdr maps, but you can download 3 samples to try them out :) Elaine

Attached Link: http://www.cgtalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=76542

This is one I posted here the other week, good resource links & conversation on HDRI.

Rokol.

Hi Folks!

a lot of free maps here:

kelsolaar.3dvf.net

3dweave.com (for IBL only)

www.cs.kuleuven.ac.be

(don't forget that "free to download" doesn't mean "copyrights free"!)

Enjoy!

Hi Orio,

PhotoImpact doesn't support high dynamic range image. It can't load .hdr file or .OpenXR, neither any image encoded in floating point units.

Its "high dynamic range" tool is just a way to automatically mix together images with different exposure into a single 24 bits image (8 bit per channel). It's a totally low dynamic range process!

If you're looking for a true floating point high dynamic range image editing software, try PHOTOGENICS from Idruna softwares.

:) Eric

Photogenics = $700! A wee bit too steep for me. I was about to take the plunge with Ulead's PhotoImpact 10 which claims to produce .hdr files. Irrespective of what it does in theory, does anyone know how it operates in practice i.e. with Vue5?

PhotoImpact is an image editing software, just like PhotoShop or PaintShop Pro. Like I said earlier it doesn't support the high dynamic range format, in theory and in practice! You won't be able to read/edit/write .hdr file with it.

Download the demo and try...

:) Eric

Attached Link: http://www.andrew-whitehurst.net/hdri_tut.html

Eric, my apologies, you're absolutley right.

Photoimpact is great for creating evenly exposed 2D images from bracketed camera shots but the ".hdr" files it creates are not liked by Vue 5 at all. Maybe the next version of PhotoShop.....?

Great little tutorial for HDRI generation on the cheap at the above URL.

Attached Link: http://www.hdrimaps.com/

For all you Vue'ers just getting into HDRI, later on you may want to expand your library of HDR images. Here's a good site to purchase some unique, extremely high quality HDRI's on disk.