What is this Product?
Hi,
I found this:
https://www.daz3d.com/iradiance-pro-series-16k-hdris--abandoned-mine
and... I dont get it, WHAT is it? :D Is it a backdrop? ( I am really confused that... simply images are sold :D ) and does it have more as just the backdrop or what?
I mean the photos looks awesome! Does this things preset my render settings, so my scene get a better quality?
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Comments
Fancy pictures that can be used on the Render Panel for the Dome, source of light - and if draw Dome is on, then for a background. Includes presets for scenes to help set it up.
It's a special kind of backdrop.
It's spherical (rather than a flat plane), so you can move the camera around and it's supposed to always look good.
There's limits to this, though. With certain camera angles the background will just not look right.
It also provides its own light. So let's say the light in the background comes from a certain direction. Your figures in the scene will be automatically lit from the same direction. They will also be lit with the same kind of light (intensity, colour, temparature) as the background.
Lastly, because they are spherical they provide your characters with realistic reflections. Say you have a knight in very shining armour in your scene. If you just put a planar background behind him his armour will look odd, because there's nothing off panel for it to reflect. If you use an HDRI the armour will have off-panel elements to reflect.
HDRI's are great for certain things but they have their limits. If you want to experiemnt with HDRI's you probably have already some in your library. Look under Light Presets -> Iray HDR Outdoor Environments -> Backgrounds.
If the background stays white after applying the preset go to Render Settings -> Environment and make sure Environment Mode is on Dome & Scene and Draw Dome is On.
So this images are better than just "images" for backdrops? Because I was already confused why you can buy simple images here :D I mean if I just want an image I can go to pixabay or something and grab a lot free background images. (legal free indeed!)
I don't know about "better", they're just not the same thing.
Here's one of many threads about it: https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/347586/why-the-heck-didn-t-anyone-teach-me-about-hdris/p1
Hmmm okay... looks good :D
I wonder how much VRAM those 16k HDRIs use vs. a single character w/o hair.
The main value of an HDRI is as a light source, not a background. Not only do they create a very natural, even illumination with perfectly filled-in shadows and fantastic skin specularity, but they also create natural reflections in metal and other reflective surfaces like water and the surfaces of the eye. The fact that they CAN be used as backgrounds is an additional perk, but to be used as a complete environment involves a lot of set-up tricks like adding "shadow-catcher" planes or small 3D set extensions that let the 3D figures cast simulated shadows on the 2D landscapes, cameras that are placed at the optimum angles so that the figures appear to be the right scale, etc., which you're getting ready-made with a set like the one you indicated. What HDRIs CAN'T do, on the other hand, is change the position of the illumination relative to the other elements in the same image... at the end of the day they're still a 2D image. However, you can tilt and rotate the dome that they're on in the Envoronments tab of the render settings, so a lot of us will use HDRIs as a primary form of illumination but not use the image as an actual background.
But... does the HDRI's come with some effects that give the light or is it just the "Gamma power" of the image, because its bright at special places? I mean aren't they at the end just big Images?
And... so much Light settings you mention... I need right now sometimes HOURS for just placing my 2 peoples correct -_-....
Sometimes I wish i had something like an Voice Support so I can say "move right hand up" or "Grab his shoulder" :D maybe... 2050...but I don't guess it will happen until 2.100
DAZ studio's Iray rendering engine... and many other 3D software... are designed to use the HDRI as a light source automatically. Here's a video that shows the basic process.