Okay, I know I've asked this question at least once. But I haven't been on renderosity in a long time, and it's also been awhile since I've posted anything in my gallery too. Anyway, I still need some help with adding backdrops/backgrounds to scenes for my outdoor scenes and scenes involving windows where I may need to include an outside environment reflective from the inside. I tried using the "add background" feature on Poser 7, but backgrounds look terribly flat and pasted that way.

I'm not Photoshop suave so I don't know how to photomanipulate to where I can blend images together, is there a way of doing this? Though I understand it will require some knowledge and use of the program for stuff like adding sunrays through windows. Lately I've been investing in buying special effects which will eliminate the use of me having to do that with photoshop for my action scenes that may require fire, smoke, flash bangs, etc when I can just buy these effects easily and add them in a scene quick. I love that, and I know it may sound like I'm just too lazy to do it the hard way with Photoshop, but I'm a busy person and I do A LOT of heavy writing for my scenes so time is important.

I tried to look for tutorials for creating backgrounds into my renders but a lot of the steps you have to take just to do that is too much for my taste. I know some people that have done this within seconds without having to go through 20 and above steps through photoshop just to get a realistic blended image effect for adding a sky or other backgrounds into their work. I don't know if their doing this in the preview without rendering, or they render a scene without anything in the sky above the scene and then go into photoshop and just blend a background/wallpaper image into the scene that way.

The example is shown at the top of the sunset environment, You see how well and perfect the backdrop is blended in with the render of The Folly scene? There are a lot of images like this on Daz featuring outdoor environments, and indoor environments with windows of a scene outside of the window blended to make it appear as if that is what appears to be on the outside of the house, castle, etc. Not knowing how to do this seriously limits my ability to do scenes that involve being able to see in the sky and beyond. I do a lot of my renders in close up or only with the cameras mostly focused on the characters so you only get to see what's above them when they are indoors, such as the roof. When they are outdoors in an environment like the alley scene I normally use, I never face the camera up at the sky or anywhere else where there is plain nothingness because of the lack of photo blending skill that I have.

If anyone can explain this to me, I can try to attempt doing it tonight. If I must use Photoshop, then are there any good steps to help with doing this with Poser scenes? Most tutorials only tell you how to blend the image that they are using in the tutorial, not how to blend in general. 

There are a lot of backdrops/Backgrounds that can be bought here, some of them look great. Judging by the way characters are blended into those backgrounds. I am still trying to figure out how it's done properly. I also added a link to an art piece by Maddelirium where they blended a background scene with their figure. Not sure if the platform she's standing on is an actual scene or a background with the figure blended onto it. 

you can use a sky dome or Bagginsbill's Evirospere

here is an example with the Envirosphere

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=2429975&user_id=23947&np&np

 

and a link to his website

https://sites.google.com/site/bagginsbill/

you can get the 360 degree images on the web usualy for free

in my example i have IDL turned on and am using no poser lights in the scene. IDL is lighting it up from the sphere. that is what is blending the figure and props to the backdrop.

other folks are gonna be better at this stuff than me and will probably have a better explanation on how and why.

He's using Poser 7 so IDL isn't an option.

I'd put the background image on a plane primative or a free background plane and scale/position it. Turn off cast shadows for it and make sure the light direction matches that of the scene. Alternately, render to png with a transparent background and expreriment placing it over different backgrounds.

sorry, didnt read carefully enough. You might also find a newer version on the cheap, some good prices on older versions that would be new to you.

One of the biggest problems for making the background look convincing is making sure that the lighting of the background matches the scene. For example, if the sun or lightest part of the sky is to the right of the scene the shadows should go from right to left.  That is a very simplist example I know, but I see so many finished renders where the lighting of the background means it could not have possible lit the scene in the real world.

Using a sky or enviromental dome in Poser can help to avoid this problem.  The other way is either to have in mind which image you are going to use for the background and light the scene accordingly or render as a .PNG and keep going through the images available to find one that matches but that is a long 'hit and miss' process usually. 

I prefer to do backgrounds via post work and then use layers to add the background to the render.  Using this method, there is any depth of field in the render I am able to apply blur to the background layer so it matches.  You can also change the colour balance to match the render in the same way.  Again there are many examples where the render starts to lose focus into the distance and then the background is sharp or the colours simple do not match the scene.  After a while you begin to know what is needed so the time spent in postwork is quite short.

Quote - One of the biggest problems for making the background look convincing is making sure that the lighting of the background matches the scene. For example, if the sun or lightest part of the sky is to the right of the scene the shadows should go from right to left.  That is a very simplist example I know, but I see so many finished renders where the lighting of the background means it could not have possible lit the scene in the real world.

Using a sky or enviromental dome in Poser can help to avoid this problem.  The other way is either to have in mind which image you are going to use for the background and light the scene accordingly or render as a .PNG and keep going through the images available to find one that matches but that is a long 'hit and miss' process usually. 

I prefer to do backgrounds via post work and then use layers to add the background to the render.  Using this method, there is any depth of field in the render I am able to apply blur to the background layer so it matches.  You can also change the colour balance to match the render in the same way.  Again there are many examples where the render starts to lose focus into the distance and then the background is sharp or the colours simple do not match the scene.  After a while you begin to know what is needed so the time spent in postwork is quite short.

 

You're lucky, I wish I could afford Pro 2014, I've seen Pro 2012 for around 100 and something...But it's so hard to buy a previous version when the latest has just arrived. You end up wanting the latest version instead. I'll probably end up getting Reality 3 or Reality 4/5 if they come out with one. As for the Post work you mentioned. Yeah, I don't understand layers good enough to do it that way. 

Quote - you can use a sky dome or Bagginsbill's Evirospere

here is an example with the Envirosphere

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=2429975&user_id=23947&np&np

 

and a link to his website

https://sites.google.com/site/bagginsbill/

you can get the 360 degree images on the web usualy for free

What about bought backgrounds that people use to blend with their characters? I have heard of Sky Domes before though, I'll take a look at some of them. Eventually I'll still need to learn how to use backgrounds either way. 

Some of stonemasoset data come with skydomES.  

 

You're lucky, I wish I could afford Pro 2014, I've seen Pro 2012 for around 100 and something...But it's so hard to buy a previous version when the latest has just arrived. You end up wanting the latest version instead. I'll probably end up getting Reality 3 or Reality 4/5 if they come out with one. As for the Post work you mentioned. Yeah, I don't understand layers good enough to do it that way. 

Investing time in learning layers would be well worth the time as even the effects you mentioned earlier really need an understanding of the layers to be successful. For a start, using layes allows you to paint from the lower layer onto the top layer to blend the two together.  For example if you have a figure on the top layer and a background with a railing on it painting the railing onto the top layer puts the figure behind the railing and 'welds' it as part of the overall picture.  It has limited use with backgrounds but a real plus with smoke and flame effects. 

While I understand that I am lucky to be able to afford Poser 2014 and have a decent system to run it on it is only a tool.  Yes is very complex tool, with lots of options, but it is no good without imagination, not only with thinking of the scene you want to create but also how you are going to create it with the tools you have.  I am sure there are many out there creating art far better than me and still using Poser 5 or 6.

Have you tried "doubling up" on your renders? Render the background without figures. Save the camera and lights Apply that render to a background prop or import as a background image. Next create your "foreground" like adding figures and other stuff. Using the saved camera and lights just render. Sometimes, depending on your image or the background prop, there might be a obviously visible horizon line twixt the 'foreground'. Thats easily fixed by hiding it with a prop like a wall or hedge. Or just postwork it out. You can also play with this further by rendering it as 3 'planes' background, midground and foreground. Then import each plane in a transmap. For a nice toon effect, dramatically adjust the blur levels on each plane.

BB's envsphere is perfectly useable in P7.  IIRC, it was initially developed for P7 before the next iteration was released.  However, IBL would be the mode to introduce ambient lighting to the entire scene to match the skydome lighting.  HDRI for both lighting and skydome also useable in P7.  Glaseye has several excellent skydome image packages over at Sharecg.  No need to buy.

You can also use a cove such as (IC3 rdna, MPC daz , NERD3D's Backdrop-think DAZ etc).  Short tutorial on some aspects of IC3 here http://www.ShareCG.com/v/67377/view/3/PDF-Tutorial/IC3-Mini-Tutorial

I think MPC came with free DS3 and earlier, not sure about 4

Bill

Look for background sets that include ligts. 

EmmaAndJordi have a number of sets that have backdrops, lights, and props.  They can give you an idea on how to match background lighting to Poser lighting.

Quote - You're lucky, I wish I could afford Pro 2014, I've seen Pro 2012 for around 100 and something...But it's so hard to buy a previous version when the latest has just arrived. You end up wanting the latest version instead. I'll probably end up getting Reality 3 or Reality 4/5 if they come out with one. As for the Post work you mentioned. Yeah, I don't understand layers good enough to do it that way. 

 

Reality 3 needs at least Poser 9.  :sad:

You can find Poser 9 for $45-$60

Amazon has Poser 8 for $23....