Digital Art Zone

Hello,

How can i load a hdr map in daz studio (preferably ds3)?
...hmm…yeah, that’s it basically… short ‘n sweet

Thanks,
Elele.

Hi Elele…

I assume you want to use the HDR map on UberEnvironment ?  If so, then if the HDR map is in .hdr format, use the HDR to TIFF converter that is in the UberEnvironment folder in the content library to convert it to .tiff. Then you can just change the environment map for UE to your converted HDR in the UE settings.

If you are wanting to use it another way, more info might be needed as to how you want to use it.

Hope this helps…

So there is no way to use the hdr format directly? (it’s no problem, just wondering)

I’d like it to show up in the render
1. as background
2. so that it creates reflections on objects with reflection
3. so that it casts light depending on the map color

Actually i think i just found it, i just load the map in the diffuse color of the sphere in the surface tab?

Elele - 08 July 2012 05:45 PM

So there is no way to use the hdr format directly? (it’s no problem, just wondering)

I’d like it to show up in the render
1. as background
2. so that it creates reflections on objects with reflection
3. so that it casts light depending on the map color

Actually i think i just found it, i just load the map in the diffuse color of the sphere in the surface tab?

Yes using it as a map in the diffuse channel will work for points 1 and 2, but not 3. But maybe converting the sphere to an area light and inverting the normal to point inwards might work to use the map as a light reference. Not sure though.

Yes, doing the sphere, invert, rotate methodology with UberAreaLight as the surface shader will work.  You’ll still need to convert it to an HDR tif and not a .hdr.

Put the resulting .tif in the light color channel with the light color set to 255,255,255 and you’ll get your colored lights.

So there is no built in way to do this?

What about the presets that come with the UE. They contain maps that cast light, no? Isn’t it possible to just change the map in one of them.

Elele - 09 July 2012 09:04 AM

So there is no built in way to do this?

What about the presets that come with the UE. They contain maps that cast light, no? Isn’t it possible to just change the map in one of them.

The HDR’s in UE are in .tif format and that is what the HRD to Tif script is for that is in the UE presets folder. Studio and UE do not natively read .hdr. The script converts the .hdr to a .tif that UE can then use as the light map just as adamr001 said.

I hope that made sense…. 

Using tiff is fine for me too. But there is no built in way to use the tiff map as light source directly?
I mean without inverting stuff…
Just load the map in a color channel somewhere and it casts light?

Elele - 09 July 2012 03:31 PM

Using tiff is fine for me too. But there is no built in way to use the tiff map as light source directly?
I mean without inverting stuff…
Just load the map in a color channel somewhere and it casts light?

If you use the UE, then the light sphere is already setup for the most part and you can then just load your HDR tif into the light color channel and set the color to 255,255,255.

If you make your own surface light using the UberAreaLight, then you need to make sure that the surface normal is pointed towards your subject and you can also load a HDR tif map into the same channel for that surface. The example of using a primitive sphere and turning it inside out and turning it into a UberAreaLight is just another way of making your own UE.

ok, thanks
i’ll give it another go.