Some help with environment maps please

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geloui
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Joined: Thu Sep 01, 2011 7:02 am

Some help with environment maps please

Post by geloui » Thu Sep 01, 2011 7:20 am

Hello everyone. I am new to the forum and need your help.
I am trying to render a building, using an environment map as a background and light source, that I downloaded from openfootage.net. The problem is that when I render, the building is tiny compared to the surroundings, it is as tall as the grass and the trees look like giants next to it :(
What am I doing wrong? I am using v.2.4.13 by the way. Appreciate your help!
Geloui!

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galinette
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Re: Some help with environment maps please

Post by galinette » Thu Sep 01, 2011 8:50 am

This is normal. The environment map is just an infinite sphere.

If the distance of the objects in the envmap is not much bigger than the dimension of objects in your scene, they will look huge, and your scene will look tiny. Here the distance of grass (a few meters) is quite smaller than the dimension of your buildings ( a few 10m ) so the "infinite distance" approximation looks totally wrong.

Solution : you must model a ground in your scene, that will mask the envmap's ground (such as a big concrete slab).
Also, for architecture visualization, you must not use envmaps that show objects which are too close (houses, trees) but rather an open landscape (such as plains).
Envmaps cannot replace modelling of environment in all cases! Only when the envmap objects are much farther than all your scene detail (including the camera-object distance).

Best envmaps have only sky, and eventually some far horizon (mountains, ...)

For indoor renders, the choice is wider and you may have trees, neighbor houses, etc... in your envmap, because your scene dimension is only a few meters large.
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geloui
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Joined: Thu Sep 01, 2011 7:02 am

Re: Some help with environment maps please

Post by geloui » Thu Sep 01, 2011 9:29 pm

Thank you very much for the information. I have tried it and it works!
I am glad I joined the forum. Your advices are by far better than any manual!
Geloui!

geloui
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Joined: Thu Sep 01, 2011 7:02 am

Re: Some help with environment maps please

Post by geloui » Tue Sep 13, 2011 9:05 pm

Hello again. I am trying to render a cottage with the sea as a background. The Environment Map that I got from Openfootage.net is very dark. It is called 'Open sea'. I do not get the effect of light that I would like so I decided to render it with Sun and Sky and I get this.
Does anyone know a good, free, sea environment map? One that is bright enough to give the feeling that the picture was taken in the morning and not late in the afternoon (as the effect I got when I rendered it with 'Open sea').
Any other ideas how I can make this render more successful?
Thnx guys!!!
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Cottage.jpg
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Pibuz
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Re: Some help with environment maps please

Post by Pibuz » Thu Sep 15, 2011 12:54 am

The base modeling is good enough. Now, to enhance the viz you have to model more details. All the architectural details deserve some further attention, such as window frames, better wood planks (ore some better texture and mapping), the roof frame, the exterior paving..and now that I see it, the chair too is very lowpoly atm..

Then, you should work with external meshes to insert some more detailed vegetation (the bushes on the right are really..naif), and grass. Work a little on the composition too, maybe moving the subject on the right a little would work (remember the rule of the 1/3).

Don't be too stubborn in wanting to use an env map: the lighting is good indeed! You only need a good background image, which must match the overall image tone.

geloui
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Re: Some help with environment maps please

Post by geloui » Thu Sep 15, 2011 1:25 am

Ouaou so many things! They sound so difficult to me since I am not an architect nor a designer. I do it for fun and as a hoby. I will try and figure out what it is you just said :P
Geloui!

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galinette
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Re: Some help with environment maps please

Post by galinette » Thu Sep 15, 2011 6:02 am

I cannot see this envmap, could you link to it? Please also post your renders with the envmap!

Etienne
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