Sky Dome & Realistic Renders
kksmith6515
Posts: 201
Hello,
I'm going to be working on out door scenes using 22 Parker Road and I would like to be able to do it all from within Daz Studio, rather then in post render. The problem is I have very little experience with Sky Dome or what it can do. My assumption was that simply by turning it on, you would instantly get blue skies and puffy white clouds. Clearly, that wasn't the case.
I guess my question really is can you create realistic skys from within Daz Studio simply using the default Sky Dome or does that require the purchase of an additional third party app such as
https://www.daz3d.com/light-dome-pro-r
Thanks!
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Comments
You have to decide wheter you want to use Iray or 3Delight for rendering out your scene. The product you linked to won't work in Iray. Generally using skydomes work in 3DL, as you can turn shadows off for them so sunlight will pass through, Iray uses "virtual " skydomes. In render settings you can specify if it uses the sun&sky or an HDRI image as a light source, or if it also uses additional lights, which you can create yourself. Iray is an unbiased renderer, meaning if you use a regular skydome, light will be bloccked, resulting in a black render;)
Skydomes were popular before HDRI was created. A much better option for you would be to search for "free HDRI maps", or they might be called HDRI environments, HDRI skydome, or whatever. Anyway, you can download free ones without registering or signing up for anything, and they replace the standard DTHDR-RuinsB-500.hdr in Daz Studio. Some companies offer you a lo-res version, hoping you'll like it and buy their high-res stuff.
You can find environments with or without a ground, depending on what you need, and they usually include a light source.
Search for HDRI Haven, IMO a great source for free high quality HDRIs;)
I still like using skydomes sometimes with Iray.
This is a cool system:
https://www.daz3d.com/iray-skydome-super-pak
HDRIs are sometimes easier, and sometimes you realize you've been screaming at the computer for an hour trying to get ground and lighting to mesh.
Thanks for all the great feedback!! Sven, to answer your question, definately Iray! I wasn't aware that Light Dome Pro didn't work in Iray, thanks for pointing that out!
Kitsume, Yes, I have heard about HDRI's before but have limited experience when it comes to using them. Do you know of any tutorials specifically related to how they work inside Daz Studio? So, if I understand you correctly, it sounds like if I used an HDRI along with the Skydome in Studio that would product a realistic sky?
Ok, I think I'm getting the idea. Take a look at this. I know it's a little out of scale. Not sure how to correct that. I got the free image from here: https://hdrihaven.com/hdri/ They let you choose from 6 different sizes so perhaps I choose the wrong size or just didn't load it correctly.
Just a head's up that the Super Pack needs https://www.daz3d.com/iray-worlds-skydome which I use for at least 90% of my outdoor renders. Simple to use and very effective, but be aware that the ground plane is tiled, so it is best viewed/rendered from close to the ground, not up high.
Sven Dullah!
Never heard of HDRI Haven before! Here's the link:
https://hdrihaven.com/
Everything I have in DS hs been downloaded and installed via the DIM, so how does one load a free HDRI into DS?
You just download the files and save them somewhere (I created a folder in my Daz Library called "HDRI"). Then on the Environment portion of your Iray render settings, click on the Environment image and browse to find the file you downloaded.
Once you've loaded it, you can also save it as a Render Settings Preset so that you can automatically load it again without the browsing step.
Here you are.
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/57531/list-of-sites-with-free-hdri/p1
Re each HDRI image on HDRI Haven how many files download? Initially 2 appeared in my Downloads folder, but then one vanished on my leaving the site, leaving only one .hdri file. I then created an HDRI folder in my Daz Library (the folder apears in DS), but on following the instructions above nothing appears under Environment or in any part of Render Settings. Surely it first has to be imported somehow?
PS: are the HDRI Haven files only useable with Iray? I use 3DL 99.9% of the time.
If you have the IBL-Master by Parris you can use them no problem. You need to select the control sphere and go to the surface tab, find the diffuse color channel and click on the little triangle, then browse to your HDRI folder and load one. Then you can save the IBLM as a sub set. Make sure that the HDRI is in .hdr format, IBLM won't accept .exr. Fortunately 99% of those HDRIs are .hdr:s. I figure you can also use them with UE2, haven't tested, but should work. The new aweSurface also works with both HDRI and even jpegs.
I don't think the downloads are limited. Try again;)
For Iray I figure you first need to go to render settings/environment and browse to you HDRI folder the same way, then save as a render preset? Or use IBLM, they are synced, so if you load an HDRI in either slot, it will show up in both renderers.
The file I have is .hdr - I don't have IBL-Master.
Are you using UberEnvironment2 in 3Delight? Or just regular skydomes? I think you can use HDRI with regular skydomes as a diffuse texture, but it won't emit light in that case. So you need additional lights (distant, spots etc).
Edit: I checked. Select your regular skydome and go to the surface pane and load your HDRI into the ambient color slot, set ambient strength to 100%, color to mid gray - pure white and go from there. If you want to use an HDRI with UE2, select the UE2, go to parameters/light and load the HDRI into the light color slot.
Where exactly is the ambient color slot? I see one for the environmental map but that's about it.
That's the 3Delight def shader, Prince Wao mentioned he's rendering mostly in 3DL;)
I tried the above with ambient and DS didn't like it at all - lots of "not responding" and other problems, inc' I got the .hdr to render but it was skewed and all red (I use regular sky domes, boxes, etc). Earlier today I spent 3 hours searching online re importing HDRIs and it seems there are various ways but all are hassles/finicky. I want to go to Content Library and click and load what I want, not spend forever slecting this, that and the other and then having to change various settings. Also impractical for me is an HDRI loading but not being visible in the viewport, only on the render, which means too much faffing around placing characters, props, etc. If there's no easy way - say, like importing a jpg image and creating a primitive plane so the image can be used as wall art in a render, all of which is simple - then I just can't be bothered with it!
But I'm surprised there isn't an easy import sytem (as with importing a jpg). On one video I viewed the guy had (I think) a plug-in which seemed necessary, but then I got baffled as he had both .hdr and .jpg images. Here's the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okaYS1jeAew
I figure you can create a sub-folder inside you content library to have the textures show up there.
If you just want to use it on a primitive plane, no problem. Create a plane, turn off shadows for it in the parameters pane/display (IIRC), go to the surface pane with the plane selected and pop your sky texture into the diffuse color and ambient color slot. Set the colors to pure white, for the DS default shader. You will probably have to adjust the tiling values to get it to look right. If you're using some other shader like UberSurface or AoA SSS, let me know and I can have a look at it.
Edit : Ok I had a look at it again, with the DS def shader you have to load the HDRI into both the diffuse color and the ambient color. You need to set specular strength to 0% to avoid getting spec. highlights on the dome, here is a screenshot with the dfault ruins HDRI, and the surface settings. Hope this helps:
If by "skyboxes" you mean those sold by Flipmode in the older "Easy Environments" range - yes, they are cubes UV-mapped to have six individual (square) faces - so you wouldn't be able to put a typical HDRI on there (you'd get a set of squished-up identical images on each face).
Thanks all! As I wrote above, "If there's no easy way ... then I just can't be bothered with it!" Pet hate: faffing around! I don't know if that's
, 
or 
! Today I've had cloud issues with this site again - every page taking ages to load - and it's taken close to 3 hours to select 10 sale items when normally I'd have everything bought and installed by now. I nearly gave up on the purchase as I loathe wasting time. Re backdrops and environments I want to select, click, load and start creating. Once a project is going then I don't mind how long it takes to finish as I love the creative process, but I avoid unnecessary faffing to get something simple to work. I'm a writer/self-publisher - 5 of my book covers created purely in Daz other than the lettering - and I use saved templates for various book and cover sizes as it saves ages faffing around formatting everything from scratch. Practical workflow.
I've been closely following this thread closely because it relates so well to a project I'll be doing about two projects from now. I can completely relate to this issues of Studio skewing or the HDRI just not looking right with the set. I'm not sure if that's something that can really be corrected for or not.
One thing I've wondered about though is rather then simply downloading a free HDRI off the web and basically hoping for the best, would purchasing a product such as
https://www.daz3d.com/iradiance-hdr-resources-country-pasture or https://www.daz3d.com/terradome-3-iray be more effective and yeld better results?
Thanks!
I'd say it's a matter of personal preference. If you like the textures and are willing to pay, go for it. As long as you stick to high dynamic range HDRIs the lighting will work as expected. The products you linked to are most likely of high quality, but the dynamic range is not specified. If you check out HDRI Haven you'll notice that the range is specified for each HDRI. There are also sample pictures so you can see what kind of contrast, whitebalance and shadows it will produce. I'd wish that this info was included in the DAZ shop. There's always the 30 days return policy if you aren't happy with it;)
I've used the Yosemite HDRI as it works with 3DL and had great results. I've avoided Iray mainly because the way it renders doesn't suit my workflow. EG: I begin with a prototype of the scene I'm creating using a small canvas, so for most ratios I start with 1200 pixels across as a render will show the entire width. I do a lot of spot rendering in the process, but as my LT screen is small I'll often need to check either the top or bottom sections of the image so I'll do what is mostly a quick full render. On Iray sets I've used it takes way, way too long just to check an area, whether via full or spot render. I just don't like the way it renders and prefer the left to right and top to bottom renders of 3DL. Once I have my basic scene set I then do a UHD version at 4000 pixels across, and it's only when rendering at this size that all of the anomalies that can't be seen on a smaller scale come to light. The most common fault which can't be see on a small image is feet (or props) which are either too high off the ground or a tad below it. Also props seeping into a wall or other surface, or too far away; and also often shadows fall in bad places. I'd use many more HDRIs if I could render them in 3DL, thus a question:
Will this product allow a decent HDRI rendering in 3DL?:
https://www.daz3d.com/rssy-iray-to-3delight-converter-and-merchant-resource
You REALLY need to look into the IBL-Master,https://www.daz3d.com/ibl-master-for-daz-studio
Commercial thread with loads of good tips: https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/215066/released-ibl-master-image-based-lighting-control-for-both-renderers-a-new-ibl-for-3delight/p1
To answer your question : No it will convert Iray shader presets to UberSurface. UberEnvironment ships free with DS, you can use HDRIs with it, with some fiddeling around, and there are some issues with light direction and slow render times, but it's possible;)
Thanks for these links, Sven. No added to mywish list!
NP;) Enjoy!