Digital Art Zone

HeraldOfFire - 10 March 2013 07:17 AM

You’ll notice that the actual environment map is far more vivid. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, it’s using HDRI and therefore has a superior light range to work with. Secondly, it reflects light as if it were surrounded in a sphere of that material. On the left, what’s happening is 3Delight is taking whatever reflections it receives and then tinting their colour to match the environment map.

Are you using the same image in both?

Remember, Uber anything is still 3Delight…you are making it sound like it’s not. 

Also, no matter where the map is, if it is attached in any way to the reflection channel, it is NOT a raytraced reflection.  HDRI doesn’t matter…the default DS shader will accept an HDRI image…and any HDRI image, no matter what format it is in to begin with will end up the same after tdlmake runs on it…a tif image.

The Environment map in US is not quite the same as plugging the same map into the reflection channel…but it’s awfully darn close, because both use the same rsl code for the image files (or at least they appear to based on looking at the compiled code and rib files…so I’m about 95% certain the maps are the same).

There is something else going on,  though, as the maps are not oriented identically.

Which one is US and which one is DS default?

They are both using the same map (as a matter of fact, dumping the scene to a rib generates only one file name for the map).  They are sitting right next to each other.  You will also notice that neither is showing any other reflections…like each other, so yes they are both using ‘mapped’ reflections.

The one on the left is UberSurface. You do seem to be correct, so perhaps I was hasty in my assumption. That said, the UberSurface version is noticeably superior and far more accurate than simply plugging a map into the reflection color channel. However, to use your sphere example, here’s another example, both using the same TIF image. No prizes for guessing which one of these is UberSurface.

HeraldOfFire - 10 March 2013 03:35 PM

The one on the left is UberSurface. You do seem to be correct, so perhaps I was hasty in my assumption. That said, the UberSurface version is noticeably superior and far more accurate than simply plugging a map into the reflection color channel.

Yep…the one on the left.

The interesting thing is that between 140 and 150% Reflection strength they match (at least color/light intensities)..the one the right is at 140…I’ve been bumping it up 1% at a time and rerendering.  It appears that there is something extra or the ‘math’ is different between them.

Flipping to raytraced…you get some rather interesting things showing up…

HeraldOfFire - 10 March 2013 03:00 PM

I have the upgraded UberSurface2 shaders and I make no secret that I really love it. To say it’s good for ALL surfaces would be a lie though. I also use pwSurface2 for a good number of things as well, as well as pwEffect. Poseworks really does have some simply amazing shaders for all kinds of purposes, so check them out if you’re interested in getting new styles.

I presume the only way to get UberSurface2 tho is to buy the $94 Uber shaders pack… a bit pricey for my limited budget

http://www.daz3d.com/software/shaders-materials/ubersurface2-layered-shader-for-daz-studio

HeraldOfFire - 10 March 2013 03:00 PM

I have the upgraded UberSurface2 shaders and I make no secret that I really love it. To say it’s good for ALL surfaces would be a lie though. I also use pwSurface2 for a good number of things as well, as well as pwEffect. Poseworks really does have some simply amazing shaders for all kinds of purposes, so check them out if you’re interested in getting new styles.

I see that on the UberSurface shader, you can plug the map into either the envirnoment map channel (as you suggest) or the colour channel.

What’s the difference? They look similar

(or don’t I need to worry about this level of detail?)

I’m not sure.  But what I do know…don’t put it in both locations…that strange things.

Sertorial - 11 March 2013 03:47 PM

HeraldOfFire - 10 March 2013 03:00 PM

I have the upgraded UberSurface2 shaders and I make no secret that I really love it. To say it’s good for ALL surfaces would be a lie though. I also use pwSurface2 for a good number of things as well, as well as pwEffect. Poseworks really does have some simply amazing shaders for all kinds of purposes, so check them out if you’re interested in getting new styles.

I see that on the UberSurface shader, you can plug the map into either the envirnoment map channel (as you suggest) or the colour channel.

What’s the difference? They look similar

(or don’t I need to worry about this level of detail?)

In UberSurface, the reflection map does exactly as expected and does indeed tint the light based on the environment map. Here I used a red wallpaper in the reflection color map and an environment map plugged into the environment map. Reflection mode was set to Environment map. As a comparison, I’ve also included two others. One has the environment map on its own. The other has the environment map (a TIF file) plugged into the reflection colour. The one with mapped reflection color was set to raytrace because it would not render any reflection otherwise.

All renders used the same light setup.