Setting up scene in DS4

vindazi

I want to set up the scene where the sky and ground meet and items can be placed at various positions in that reality. Can anyone point to video tutorial on setting up an infinite scene in DS4? 

JD_Mortal

That would be an HDRI setup. The illusion of a ground, using the "Ground Shadow" to extend the illusion. Possibly a large ground-plane too, if you intend to animate mobility.

There is a physical limit to the "world" in which you can render. In reality, the ground and sky meet at the horizon, which is essentially flat. Though, rarely can you ever see that far, as there is a haze in the atmosphere, just before the curvature of the Earth. This is why we use the HDRI "Skybox" or "Skydome". It will remain oriented to the "world", while your camera pans around, without getting nearer or further away, as you move along the ground. Like a rainbow, it is unreachable.

In the IRAY render settings, select...

- In the Environment area... "Draw Dome", set it to "ON", By default it is OFF. That will display your HDRI "Environment Map", which defaults to "DTHDR-RuinsB-500.hdr".

That also determines what reflections you see in chrome and on glossy surfaces, and the reflected light in the scene. The lighting is "generated", by the images values. EG, if it were a red desert, a pink sky and an orange sun... Your models would be tinted red with ornage and pink highlights.

The option for Dome Mode, has an option for "Draw ground", and there is a "Ground texture scale", but I have yet to find an actual "ground texture" setting anywhere... It just uses the HDRI image, which looks like garbage as a ground. (At-least on the default HDRI setup, which does not seem to be designed well as an actual HDRI image for a sky or the ground, actually.)

Thank mjc1016 for this great list.

https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/57531/list-of-sites-with-free-hdri

vindazi

Thanks much. 

 

ljd