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HDRI Domes


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Can anyone tell me how to use the HDRI 'dome' backgrounds?  I've searched everywhere and there's no information about them specifically.  What are they for and how does one use them?  I've trying to find a way to create effects of spectral sunlight through trees - to have the sun be visible.  Is this possible?  Can anyone provide examples of what say the HDRI cury dome is used for?

 

Thanks

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To me the HDRI backgrounds in general provide more ambient than direct lighting.

 

To get the look that you seem to after, I would likely use a number of different elements. A background. Realistic trees, either Image props, VBvisual trees, the foliage tool, or a combination. For the sun, I would insert a disc object with a polished metal texture somewhere int he distance. I would like that with VWX light objects (spotlight) and add a really bright VWX light object (spotlight) to be the source coming from your disc object.

 

Ideally most of the sun (the disc) would be muted by the foliage. If not, I would use Depth of Field and Blume to throw that element out of focus.

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1 hour ago, lgoodkind said:

I've trying to find a way to create effects of spectral sunlight through trees - to have the sun be visible.  Is this possible?

 

God Lights ?

(Volumetric Light)

 

You can do so in VW but not with the Heliodon (Physical Daylight System)

but need a Spotlight and a Background with "Lit Fog" enabled.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by zoomer
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4 minutes ago, zoomer said:

 

God Lights ?

(Volumetric Light)

 

You can do so in VW but not with the Heliodon (Physical Daylight System)

but need a Spotlight and a Background with "Lit Fog" enabled.

Yes, you definitely need Lit Fog. That mean turning it on for the 'sun' light and making sure you have fog in the Renderworks Background.

 

 

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Thank you.  However I've watched those videos multiple times and feel I have a pretty good understanding of lit fog.  Regardless the best I'm able to do is something like the attached.  I've tried with Image prop trees, custom 3d trees and VB visual trees.  I think at this point it would be best to do this in photoshop but just thought I'd ask and see if anyone else had insights.  The attached was rendered at 72dpi, a point light with fog turned on and a RW background with fog density set to 70% and receive shadows on. there's really no effect in all cases.

Screen Shot 2018-06-01 at 1.43.25 PM.jpg

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48 minutes ago, lgoodkind said:

Kevin,

 

Thanks for you reply.  I'm not sure I understand but will try it out.  It seems rather strange now after exploring Lumion that the heliodon tool or other light object does not produce a visible sun or light source.

 

The Heliodon is generally for showing time of day and location and show studies. The Vectorworks Light Object, Directional Mode may give you wahat you want, but I prefer the Spotlight option for that tool. Also, the Directional Light does not allow for lit fog.

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Kevin,

It's not that i don't like the rendering - I've just been trying to experiment with lit fog but am not able to see any effect from it no matter what I do. I just tried with a Spotlight and it seems to be having an effect now.  Even though a PointLight allows Lit Fog it doesn't seem to work.  Thanks for your tip.  You can start to see in the attached a bit of the effect above the trees in the sky.

Screen Shot 2018-06-01 at 1.55.48 PM.jpg

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Sorry,

honestly I never tried or played with Lit Fog.

 

Is there indirect lighting enabled + a HDRI for illumination ?

Maybe that is overblowing the whole effect.

 

HDRI and Physical sun would be many many more bright than a light source.

On the other hand I see your shadows. Are these from your point light ?

 

EDIT :

 

Ah, now I can see (or estimate) it 🙂

Edited by zoomer
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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee
On 6/1/2018 at 5:22 PM, lgoodkind said:

This is the same scene with the same settings with trees as image props.  No lit fog effect visible even with it turned up to 90%.  Perhaps its as you say that the HDRI background lighting conflicts with this?

 


What object are you using as a light source in this render? It'll need to have Lit Fog enabled on the light itself as well as in the RW background. Heliodon's can't have lit fog since theyre directional. Lit Fog only works with Point and Spot configuration light objects.

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I was able to get the effect working but still unclear as to how all the elements interact.  I especially don't understand how sky domes work as there is no reference to them in the help - there's a background 'curvy dome' included in the program but no reference as to what it does or how to use it. The rendered image is using a spot light.  It appears the environment lighting cancels out the fog - this is turned all the way up to 90%.

 

 

STUDY MODEL_BBQ AND FIREPLACE_300dpi_hi.jpg

Edited by lgoodkind
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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

Don't be afraid to pop those colors and highlights with a little help of post editing.  The raw rendering contains all the information, it just needs to be enhanced a bit. here is a sample of your beautiful rendering. 

 

1946338993_STUDYMODEL_BBQANDFIREPLACE_300dpi_hi.thumb.jpg.00e5e80adbb7d2ff9432075d3842f6b0.jpg

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Hello lgoodkind:

 

Try using the Physical Sky background and putting a Heliodon in the drawing (the Heliodon is in the Visualization tool set).  When they are both in the scene the sky will respond to the lat-long and time of day settings in the Heliodon.  The sky color and sun light will change based on the heliodon too.

 

The sky dome included I think pre-dates our support of the Physical Sky background.  These were created by using the same physical sky feature in CINEMA 4D and exporting the background so Vectorworks could use it.  Now you have dynamic control with the Physical Sky background.

 

In order to use Panoramic Image backgrounds you need a source of these image files.  Many 3D content companies distribute high dynamic range sky images for rendering purposes, but it is up to the user to find them.  Try Googling "free hdri sky" to get some samples.  The upside is that the clouds may look more realistic than the simulated Physical Sky ones.  The downside is that the sky image is fixed.

 

Both Physical Sky and Panoramic Image backgrounds can be shown in the rendering as a background, as a light source when Indirect Lighting is used, and/or a source for environment reflections like in the windows of buildings or water or metals.  Through Renderworks Styles you can have a plain white background but still show a sky relfecting in the windows, by adjusting these settings in the Renderworks Style dialog.  Hope this helps.

 

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  • 3 years later...
On 6/14/2018 at 3:32 PM, Dave Donley said:

Hello lgoodkind:

 

Try using the Physical Sky background and putting a Heliodon in the drawing (the Heliodon is in the Visualization tool set).  When they are both in the scene the sky will respond to the lat-long and time of day settings in the Heliodon.  The sky color and sun light will change based on the heliodon too.

 

The sky dome included I think pre-dates our support of the Physical Sky background.  These were created by using the same physical sky feature in CINEMA 4D and exporting the background so Vectorworks could use it.  Now you have dynamic control with the Physical Sky background.

 

In order to use Panoramic Image backgrounds you need a source of these image files.  Many 3D content companies distribute high dynamic range sky images for rendering purposes, but it is up to the user to find them.  Try Googling "free hdri sky" to get some samples.  The upside is that the clouds may look more realistic than the simulated Physical Sky ones.  The downside is that the sky image is fixed.

 

Both Physical Sky and Panoramic Image backgrounds can be shown in the rendering as a background, as a light source when Indirect Lighting is used, and/or a source for environment reflections like in the windows of buildings or water or metals.  Through Renderworks Styles you can have a plain white background but still show a sky relfecting in the windows, by adjusting these settings in the Renderworks Style dialog.  Hope this helps.

 

 

 

Can anyone please help me out?

 

As I understand the Physical Sky can intergrade with the Heliodon as long as 'physical sun & sky' is turned on in oip.
Is this also true for a HDRI (background). Or is that what makes them different from each other?

 

If the HDRI is not responding with Heliodon is it possible/ logical to use Physical Sky and HDRI background both at the same time to have the benefits of light effect as well as a HDRI background image for a particular view/ outlook?

 

What's the difference (if any) between:

Physical Sky & Physical Sky Day
HDRI Sky & HDRI Day..............................................?

 

@Dave Donley @Luis M Ruiz @PVA - Jim @zoomer @Kevin Allen

Edited by C.T
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I struggled with all this recently so be keen to know whether I've understood it all correctly.

 

I believe Physical Sky backgrounds are simulated (i.e. non image based) panoramic backgrounds which like you say can be linked to a Heliodon so that their appearance will change with the time of day.

 

HDRI backgrounds are image based so are more realistic but they can't be linked to a Heliodon in the way that a simulated Physical Sky background can.

 

The HDRI 'sky' backgrounds just have the above the horizon portion of the image present with nothing to represent the ground. The HDRI 'day', 'evening', etc ones have a darker bottom half representing the ground present.

 

The names of the physical sky backgrounds are just to describe how they look. There are none in the libraries but you can bring them into your file via default RW Styles or make your own.

 

I've not heard about combining two backgrounds - I wouldn't have thought this was possible.

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Thanks again @Tom W.  & for the clear explanation.

 

I am not sure if that is possible with a Physical Sky and HDRI sky or day. Guess not...

 

But combining two backgrounds has been done as I understand from Jim: see Quote from post @PVA - Jim

''I often use Physical Sky coupled with a heliodon for the environment lighting and then just the regular "fake" jpeg HDR background for the visuals and reflections to avoid this entirely. ''

 

https://forum.vectorworks.net/index.php?/topic/57611-whats-special-about-an-hdri-background/&do=findComment&comment=288065

 

Edited by C.T
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