I can see that HDRI's are nice for rendering certain materials but are they necessary for everything we do in Bryce?

I decided to see what would happen if I HDRI'd a seascape and just used the normal bryce lighting on the same seascape. I used the beach hdri  and rendered in superfine which took 37 minutes.

Then I removed the HDRI and readjusted the light in a second rendering of the same scene.I used superfine rendering and it took 4.06 minutes to render.
Maybe I don't have to rely on HDRI every time?

"Maybe I don't have to rely on HDRI every time?"

LOL! That's exactly my own opinion!

I may very well be wrong, but as I understand it, HDRI ("High Definition Render Intensive") is there to help in situations where the surroundings are causing subtle effects on the lighting of a scene. Such as in confined spaces (rooms, etc) or possibly city street scenes, where the buildings could cause changes to the light. Maybe forest/jungle scenes, similarly. And, of course, for "Spheres Over Water", where the HDRI can provide reflections from objects that don't exist (at least I think that's what they can do)..

Your two images illustrate the point perfectly. I can see some additional detail near the horizon (clouds?) and some extra definition in the water in the HDRI version, but nothing spectacular, and nothing that (probably) couldn't be done with a few extra tweaks to the scene..:-))

Of course, I'm probably wrong, and HDRI is going the be the next thing that is absolutely essential for winning the Turner prize, or creating the "New Michealangelo""...

Sorry, being a little too sarcastic, but it really does echo my gut feelings...(I'm only a hobbyist, after all..)

Cheers,
Diolma

While I'm sure it has its place, I don't believe it's the be-all end-all for everything. imo, good art comes from good artists.

Quality: 6
Intensity: 40
HDRI Effect: 50
Render time: 3h 39m 24s at only normal AA (1 step above minimum quality).

Attached Link: http://market.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php?thread_id=2670792

In art, it depends on the look you are trying to achieve. Since IBL/HDRI is a new Toy in Bryce 6, we are of course, Experimenting and Playing with it. Where with our own experiments, and by following along with Agent Smith and others here, we are learning how best to use this new Toy, as it were.

Once the New Toy Factor wears off, then it becomes another tool to be applied when needed, for the desired effect.

Quote -
LOL! That's exactly my own opinion!

I may very well be wrong, but as I understand it, HDRI ("High Definition Render Intensive") is there to help in situations where the surroundings are causing subtle effects on the lighting of a scene. Such as in confined spaces (rooms, etc) or possibly city street scenes, where the buildings could cause changes to the light. Maybe forest/jungle scenes, similarly. And, of course, for "Spheres Over Water", where the HDRI can provide reflections from objects that don't exist (at least I think that's what they can do)..

HDRI stands for "High Dynamic Range Image".  Put simply, it's primary use in CG so far has been to light objects using a realistic global environment light source, with greater luminance or radiance range, as can be observed in the "real world".  For instance, it's sometimes used in movie FX to composite CG objects/characters more seamlessly with live action environments.  Typically, it's not used to light the environment itself, but rather to illuminate certain virtual elements of a scene with synthetically reproduced lighting from a REAL environment.  It's also used in a similar manner to create realistic reflections on materials like glass or metal, since it provides a much richer tonal range than standard reflection maps.

Using an HDRI that was originally captured from an INTERIOR scene may not translate well to a CG scene that's staged outdoors, and vice-versa.  I don't know how HDRI is handled in Bryce, but if you're using it properly, there really should be no need for any additional light sources in your scene, unless you wanted "crisp" shadows, or are looking specifically for some otherwise 'unrealistic' effects.  Again, this is how things usually operate with HDRI in other apps, but maybe Bryce is trying to reinvent the wheel, so to speak?

:unsure:

maxxxmodelz,

Since this is brand new to Bryce, we are just learning, and Bryce isn't exactly part of the Mainstream Production Toolset.

maxxxmodelx - excellent explaination!

Quote - maxxxmodelz,

Since this is brand new to Bryce, we are just learning, and Bryce isn't exactly part of the Mainstream Production Toolset.

Hmmm.  I understand, and I'm not trying to poke fun or berate Bryce users who happen to be learning.  Just wondering (out loud) if the implimentation of high dynamic range in B6 is actually different than the industry standard(s), or just simplified.  Even if it's functionality is somehow simplified for easier use, it could impact the average user's understanding of how/when to use it in a scene, because most of the documentation surrounding it is based on techniques introduced by Paul Debevec's Berkeley thesis.

Anyway, learning is the fun part... it's practice that's the bitch.

I don't mind learning..I'm just wondering out loud.I think that I want to use it but I need to know WHEN as well as how to use it because the render times on my Athlon 64 are just too silly to contemplate in some pictures.Also do I want to use IBL to make one particular object on a scene look better at the expense of other objects in the scene?

The point that was made about using exterior HDRI's for exterior scenes is a good one..Maybe as we go through the steep incline of this learning curve some folk will point out the common sense way of using this new choice in Byrce so that we all produce better work. :)