HDR LightStudio 4 on MAC

[flappinfish]

Sorry to beat this dead horse, but I cannot find an answer as to whether Keyshot 4 on a MAC will work at all with HDR LightStudio 4. I understand the "live link" is not supported, tho don't understand why.... But can the LightStudio software be used at all, as in "stand alone mode" ?

[TpwUK]

Yes there is a Mac standalone version of LightStudio ... http://www.hdrlightstudio.com/standalone.htm

Martin

[flappinfish]

Thanks Martin for that link. I bought the software not being aware that it wasnt going to work on a MAC as expected. Now I'm learning unfortunately the issue. I still cant figure out tho how to use it in Stand Alone mode. I don't see any documentation any where for this workflow relative to Keyshot. I'm assuming some sort of export needs to happen and then re-import into Keyshot..but what that is is a mystery to me.

[TpwUK]

The user guide should have been installed with the LightStudio .app - check in the documents folder of where LightStudio was installed. If you still run into problems with its use visit http://www.hdrlightstudio.com/support.htm.

To be honest with you though, if you have KeyShot pro version, you can do pretty much the same thing with the inbuilt hdr editor and KeyShot offers to save the environment when you save the scene, so you can use the custom hdri over and over again

Martin

[flappinfish]

Thanks again Mark! I see ur point, I'm a newbie to Keyshot but saw today that its features are similar. I also own Modo which I was hoping to use LightStudio for but turns out im SOL on that front also because there seems to be only  compatibility with vs. 701. So what to do with my $500 software now.....

Thanks for ur help tho.

[TpwUK]

Hold on to it, or ask for refund as not suitable for purpose. Personally I would say hold on to it, i don't know what the delay is with KS to LS  but there definitely seems to be a communication issue between both companies, sadly the only looser is the end user like yourself. If you can afford to sit it out, do so, if not then try for the refund.

Martin

[KeyShot]

Unfortunately, based on recent communication to us from Lightmap, it does not seem likely that we will support it on the MAC.

[flappinfish]

Thats pretty disappointing to hear and is not the general expectations I've read on a number of different forums. From my searches on the topic and other MAC users I work with, many of us were very excited by the possibilities. I work as a retoucher for advertising photographers in the San Francisco Bay area and we need to not only provide  photo realistic rendering but we need lighting to compete at the level of professional product photographers. HDR lightStudio looks like a great solution to provide true to life studio lighting. Keyshot does a great job overall, but we need to be able to control the lighting exactly, a highlight here, but not there kind of thing.

Can I ask why? Because it feels a little like MAC users are getting shafted here. Is there some technical hurdle  between MAC and PC?

[flappinfish]

Just to give an update of where we are.  I have spoken with HDR LightStudio owner Mark Segasby and he feels that his advertising of the compatibility of Keyshot on a PC vs non-compatibility on a MAC is clear and he refuses to refund my purchase. This is in lieu of the fact that when one purchases the software you tick of what software you will be using it with and what your operating system is. In my case Keyshot, Modo on a MAC platform. It is true that a disclaimer exists about the non compatibility of MAC OS. Here you can clearly find it on this page:
http://www.hdrlightstudio.com/workflows/plugins/keyshot

Lame beyond belief customer service in my opinion.

[TpwUK]

That really is crabby support and stinks of thanks for your cash now go away. Was it a purchase and download, or a boxed set ?

On a brighter note, there might be a way round your predicament - No promises it will work, but it may be worth the try ...

Create/import model in Modo, use Modo to trigger the LightStudio - Develop the HDRi from there. I don't know if the next bit will work, needs confirmation from KS, but you can export from Modo as FBX, that should in theory then have the camera position imported with it into keyshot, and hopefully will drag in the HDRi with it. Like i said, never tried it so don't know if it will work. Even if that way don't work, you should be able to save the HDRi and load it into KS, where the environment tools of size, height and rotation should get you back to where you was or want to be.

Give it a try and let me know please, it's a workflow I am considering here.

Best of luck with it ...


Martin

[flappinfish]

Maybe I give it a try but I havent installed HDR with Modo yet. Because when I went to install it I couldn't figure it out because the necessary custom buttons that were provided with the "demo" version were not included with the purchased version.

When I inquired with HDR how I was supposed to use it they provided me the link to use with 701 Modo. I don't own 701 I own 601. I contact HDR and they said "oh we eliminated that workflow version" Essentially the demo I downloaded 2 months ago is no longer supported. So the owner Mark said "maybe I can dig around and try to find those buttons for you somewhere"

Are you kidding??!!

He found the buttons for me and e-mailed them. It was a total pain in the ass the first time because the instructions made no sense. You actually have to script the UI and install custom buttons. I'm dreading having to try and figure it out again. There is no documentation in the provided PDF manual as to how to use the software in stand alone mode in Modo prior to 701. At least none that I've found.

I don't know I actually have to go to work, not spend my time trying to figure out the bugs in peoples software. Its been a total disappointment! Not to mention waste of time and out the $500 bucks.

Thanks tho for your help and comments.

Regards

[flappinfish]

Unfortunately, based on recent communication to us from Lightmap, it does not seem likely that we will support it on the MAC.


Please help us MAC users understand why we are being kept out of the loop?

[KeyShot]

I sent you an email.

[TpwUK]

Can you send me one too ?

Martin

[KeyShot]

Just did.