Loading...
> >

Iray Environment Map - using JPG?

FirePro9FirePro9 Posts: 456
in Daz Studio Discussion

I have been playing with making 360-spherical images and trying to use them as Iray Environment Maps.  It appears that the Environment Map is intended for HDR/EXR images because when I use a standard JPG file as an Environment Map it appears very washed out.  The only way to improve the look of the JPG Environment Map is for me to make adjustments using the various Tone Mapping options, but these setting seem to affect both the Environment Map and the objects placed in my scene.

Just wondering if there is a way, inside DAZ Studio, to address the washed out appearance of an ordinary JPG image used as an Iray Environment Map without impacting the other objects in the scene?
Thanks!

Comments

  • SpottedKittySpottedKitty Posts: 7,232
    FirePro9 said:
    Just wondering if there is a way, inside DAZ Studio, to address the washed out appearance of an ordinary JPG image used as an Iray Environment Map without impacting the other objects in the scene?

    Not really possible — the HDR/EXR file formats are completely different from a normal image, they contain more or less multiple images with different exposure settings. That's where the "High Dynamic Range" comes from in HDR files, normal images have a very low dynamic range and are completely unsuitable as environment maps. The washed out appearance is exactly what you should expect from using a .jpg image.

    One thing you could try is rendering once with only the dud environment visible and tweaked Tone Mapping, then again with only the scene objects visible and normal Tone Mapping, then combine the two in a paint program e.g. Photoshop or GIMP.

  • FirePro9FirePro9 Posts: 456

    SpottedKitty, thanks for the HDR info.  Yes good idea/solution would be to composite the images, thank you for that!

  • FishtalesFishtales Posts: 6,161

    When using the .jpg images make sure they have a Gamma of 2.2, anything else will cause problems. To change it in Studio select the image in the scene  tab, right click it and go to Image Edit and set the Gamma to either zero or 2.2. If thst doesn't help then in the Environment Tab lower the Map or light intensity, or both, for the image and either add a distant light for the sun and adjust the Tone Maping, or a combination of all that depending on the image/render ????

Sign In or Register to comment.