Improved Definition of HDR Light pins

br3ttman · February 26, 2013, 11:21:46 AM

I love your HDR editor! However, if you add a light pin to your HDR that you'd like to see in a reflection, it reflects a very jagged edge on the model. Can this be improved?

Obviously, I can create a reflection or emissive light card to get the same effect, but it's so much faster to position a new pin in the HDR. Usually, when I create a reflection card its well outside of my frame. So I have to zoom out to a distorted perspective, make awkward positional and scale adjustments to my reflection/light cards and then return to my camera view to see if the reflection is falling where I want it to. With the light pins, I smoothly and quickly position them in the HDR editor while staying within my camera frame and watching the realtime update.

DriesV · February 26, 2013, 11:28:23 AM

Are you getting the jagged edge while editing the EV with pins?
Do you see them as well when you generate a high resolution map or after you saved the EV hdz file?

If you always get them, you can maybe try starting anew from a higher resolution EV?

Dries

br3ttman · February 26, 2013, 11:45:45 AM

Sorry, what is 'EV'?

PhilippeV8 · February 26, 2013, 11:47:59 AM

Yes, I think 2000x1000 isn't much for a HDRI ..

DriesV · February 26, 2013, 12:14:34 PM

Quote from: br3ttj on February 26, 2013, 11:45:45 AM
Sorry, what is 'EV'?

Sorry, EV is my short version of environment.

Dries

br3ttman · February 26, 2013, 12:35:26 PM

Here's a second experiment. This HDRI is 8000 x 4000. Maybe a little better with the higher resolution, but still fairly noticeable. I don't know if KeyShot could allow for light pins with feathered edges or even just allow for higher definition than what's in the sourced HDR.

DriesV · February 26, 2013, 01:32:16 PM

Have you saved your edited EV this time around? It is normal for KeyShot to use a lower resolution version of the HDR while you're editing it. KeyShot generates a high quality HDR when you save the HDR or when you explicitly generate one inside the HDR Editor.
I just tried something myself.

1st image is while setting pin in KeyShot HDR Editor, resolution HDR @ 2000*1000
2nd image is after Edit > "Generate high resolution for KeyShot" in HDR Editor, resolution HDR @ 2000*1000
3rd image is after Edit > "Generate high resolution for KeyShot" in HDR Editor, resolution HDR @ 4000*2000
Can you still see some jaggies?

Dries

br3ttman · February 26, 2013, 05:38:26 PM

DriesV,

Ooooh, that's cool!!!!!!!!! I owe you a coffee, and lunch, and a beer. I had never seen that save option in the HDR editor. Thanks for pushing and for the further explanation! In particular, we design a lot of products with LED and/or touch displays. It's so nice to pull a quick reflection through the glass in the rendering. Can always do it in Photoshop, still it's nice to do it with actual lights so that adjacent materials read appropriately.

So, how did you double the resolution for your 3rd image? In Photoshop?

Thanks again!

DriesV · February 26, 2013, 10:37:17 PM

Quote from: br3ttj on February 26, 2013, 05:38:26 PM
...
So, how did you double the resolution for your 3rd image? In Photoshop?
...

I just picked a higher resolution HDR from the KeyShot library. I think it was some outdoor EV.
So I had to bring the HDR's brightness down to 0 in the HDR Editor.

About Photoshop comment:
I did make a 8000*4000 fully black image in 32 bit mode in Photoshop that I saved out in HDR format.
I always use that HDR as a 'build from scratch' EV when I plan to light my scenes with pin lights only.

Glad I could help!

Dries

DriesV · February 27, 2013, 02:14:23 AM

If anyone's interested...
Here's my 8000*4000 high res 'scratch' HDR.

Dries