Backdrops, Backgrounds

crossmlk_a949763252

I'm starting to feel like the worlds biggest idiot regarding backdrops, backgrounds (are those even the same thing or are they different?). I've gone through about a half dozen videos and several versions of printed instructions and I just can't make them work. Can anyone direct me to a good tutorial on the subject either in video or written? Thanks.

SixDs

In a nutshell, backdrops are usually props, while a background, in DAZ Studio at least, is simply a colour in the viewport with no user-accessible geometry. If you wish to change the background colour in DAZ Studio from the default, you may do so by using the Viewport Options Menu (the arrowhead with four horizontal lines icon) in the viewport, and choosing Change Background Colour. Pick one from the resulting popup dialogue. That colour will then appear in the background of any renders unless obscured by objects in your scene.

Backdrops can be user-added props of various sorts, or the builtin backdrop that comes with DAZ Studio. Usually backdrops use images, either photographs or other types of images. You can display an image in the bulitin backdrop by choosing the Change Backdrop settings icon (little mountain with a sun) and clicking in the image dialogue box, choosing browse, and then browsing to the desired image on your hard drive.  The image will be displayed in the viewport. Click accept to keep it. This approach has certain limitations, however, as the builtin background cannot be adjusted within DAZ Studio - what you see is what you get and the size of the image will reflect whatever size the original image had, and they will also always be oriented to face the camera in use. Actual props added to your scene upon which images can be placed, by adding them to the diffuse channel, are more versatile.

Backdrop props can be any of a number of types upon which images can be projected. The simplest are merely flat planes. Such props can not only be moved around the scene like anything else, but they can be sized as well to suit one's needs. More complex backdrops can be curved planes, both vertically or horizontally curved, hemispheres, or spheres, etc. With Iray the dome can be used to display images as a backdrop with visibility set to on.

It is not really difficult to do and the best approach is to experiment with the various options to find out what gives you results that you like, bearing in mind that the quality and resolution of whatever images you use will affect their appearance in rendering. Also bear in mind that applying flat images to anything but a flat plane can and probably will introduce some distortion - that is why images designed to be used on curved backdrop props tend to be panoramic images. Distortion can also occur even with flat planes if one does not take care to ensure the aspect ratio (width versus height) are the same for both the plane and the image being placed upon it.

One should not confuse IBL (image based lighting) with backgrounds or backdrops, since in IBL the images are used to light the scene, and are not normally visible. HDRIs (high dynamic range images) are often used for IBL since they are able to light the scene with that same high dynamic range of light.

 

IceDragonArt

You can actually add a backdrop (image) into the backdrop tab in studio.  Just be aware that there is no a lot of adjusting you can do to it, and it can make the ground when rendered look...off.  but if you have a floor or other type of ground, you can indeed drop an image into the scene.  Just click on the background tab, then click browse I believe, and find the image you want to use.

crossmlk_a949763252

Thank you guys so much for the info. I was having a total brain block on backgrounds.