Way to simulate an interior HDRI 'dome'?
SnowSultan
Posts: 3,773
in The Commons
OK, let me see if I can explain what I'm looking for... :)
Is there a product or a workaround that would allow something like the domes from the Ghost Light 2 set to emit light based on an HDRI map? What I'm hoping to do - and what I think a lot of people would find useful - would be to be able to use HDRI environmental lighting in a completely enclosed interior environment. The Ghost Light dome can be placed within a room and emits general light, but it's very flat and doesn't cast shadows. I thought maybe the Finite Dome Mode in Iray would do this, but I can't seem to get that to work.
Thanks in advance for any help.

Comments
Use Finite Box and use the dimensions of the room and then shrink it slightly so it fits inside and then, after adding the HDRI set Draw Dome to off.
The second way is to use the existing walls and ceiling set to be Emissive and then lower the Lumen to just a glow (start at one and increase it until you get the light you want) and use the Diffuse map as the colour.
In this one I used the ceiling and an HDRI for the outside view.
2017-08-23 05:49:17.704 Total Rendering Time: 17 hours 23 minutes 18.98 seconds
Click on image for full size.
This one I used Finite Box for the ambient light.
Here you go.
https://www.deviantart.com/heroineadventures/art/Iray-Interior-Camera-V1-3-758604718
Added a couple test shots. Test 1 (91%) shows the scene using the interior camera, the two included overhead lamps, and HDRI lighting from https://www.daz3d.com/iradiance-studio-hdris-for-iray (Dome and Scene lighting). Test 2 I canceled after 18%. It shows the same scene with only the two overhead lamps for light (scene only lighting). The set is from https://www.daz3d.com/modern-living-attic-bedroom .
Couldn't get that to work Fishtales, strange. Thanks though.
AnotherUserName, I'd forgotten all about section planes, good idea! That works well enough. Nice job setting up the multiple planes too. I don't remember, can you set section planes on a light to make it shine through walls too?
Even though I haven't had a need for this (yet), there is some nice info in this thread.
SnowSultan, I just found your canvases tut over at DA since I was needing a solution that it fixed, so thanks for that!
Oh, I'm glad that tutorial could be useful! I forget half the stuff I learn; I actually spent some time experimenting with section planes a while back and then completely forgot they existed until this thread. :)
I had to download 7zip to open the zip but it was worth the extra effort - I love this camera! Thank you so much for the link! :D
I wouldnt know to tell you the truth. Ive only ever used it in its default setup. I wouldnt see why not, but I couldnt say for certain.
Its a cool camera for sure. You're welcome!
Diva, FYI for future reference, Winrar will open Zip files, 7zip files and RAR files. It's like the GIMP of opening files, LOL.
Winrar is like $30 though right?
Almost 100% positive that there is a free version.
...or, at least there was a free version once apon a time.
7zip opens all those formats, too
I downloaded winrar and it has yet to stop working, just nags me to buy it every time I open it.
I also love the iray interior cmera. Once I started using it, I've not used a regular camera, not even for outdoor scenes. It speeds renders up quite a bit :)
Section planes and their uses have been discused several times in the forum. A similar camera was also available for download, although I forget the creator. The demonstration was on a castle tower and was pretty impressive. The planes were adjustable.
One could also use section plane to remove the roof, allowing the HRDI to illuminate the interior, or just use sun-sky, or several other options.
"A similar camera was also available for download, although I forget the creator. The demonstration was on a castle tower and was pretty impressive. The planes were adjustable."
OMG, I don't believe it...that was me. I did it in a Youtube tutorial on a watchtower by Dante78. See what I mean when I said I forget stuff? ;)
Lol!
Ill check that out for sure.
ROFL! Made a thing and forgot you made the thing. Asks how to make a thing on the forum - and gets referred to the very thing that you made. lol That's full circle right there. haha
And impressive forgetfulness that sounds like something I would do. lol Welcome to the memory loss club! lol
It's stopped working for me and now when I try to use it it blocks me and tells me I need to purchase it to use it. :(
Yes, it was you.
A great solution.
Diva's comment almost made me spit tea all over the keyboard. I definitely sympathsize
I'm on version 4.11 64bit. When I open a zip or even just winrar itself, I get a popup saying "please purchase" but I just x out of it and continue on.
That's weird, when I just x out of it it closes it all down. It won't let me continue on - just closes all of it.
Edit - Ohhh Never mind! It's a different zip program that it tries to open it with by default (I thought it was WinZip). /doh!! Now I feel stupid. lol It does work when I go to "open with" then pick WinRar and then when the popup comes up saying to purchase it I just X out and it WORKS! Yep, I feel pretty dumb right now. lol
LOL, yeah I find it both funny and a little worrysome at the same time. ;) I hadn't worked with 3D for about a year and half since then though, so maybe it just slipped my mind. Thanks to everyone for helping me remember the thing I somehow managed to forget I made a tutorial for. :)
Heres the only issue that ive ever had with this camera. I sure wish there was a fix but im afraid that it is a technical thing.
Mirrors.
Mirrors will ignore anything that is behind the camera. Take a look at the pic below. There is a wall in this scene behind the camera just like the one in the front view. The scene is fully enclosed. And, just to make sure that the mirror wasnt just casting a strange reflection of the wall, I put a large gargoyle statue in front of the back wall, well in view of what the mirror should be reflecting. Oh well.