Im trying to create a pretty simple HDRI panorama map. Im only trying to create a high res grass plane with a nice sky. I am having some difficulty with a few things. I can not make my grass look realistic, nor see any patches of grass like you would see when you take a picture of your lawn out infront of your house. My renders just look like a flat green plane with not much detail. Also, when I render my panorama HDR file, the image looks very washed out. Is that something to do with the sun, gamma, etc..? I have watched as many tutorials as I can, but yet to find any solutions.

Thanks you.

Well, a plane is a plane, it's flat by nature, and giving it a grass material with some bump won't do the trick. To redner out as HDR or EXR in Vue, be sure all options from the post render options are unchecked, any option ticked will reduce the dynamic range of the image, and so even if it has the .hdr suffix, it won't be truly HDR.
Now the render looks washed out..in Photoshop? Then it's good, you can always change brightness and exposure with standard Photoshop tools. If it is for use in a 3D app, then you'll use the program's tools to modify your HDR map.

Attached Link: http://www.mediachance.com/hdri/index.html

A really neat HDR manipulation tool is DynamicPhotoHDR. Has many many setting and is far superior to Photoshop HDR.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not.

> Quote - Well, a plane is a plane, it's flat by nature, and giving it a grass material with some bump won't do the trick. To redner out as HDR or EXR in Vue, be sure all options from the post render options are unchecked, any option ticked will reduce the dynamic range of the image, and so even if it has the .hdr suffix, it won't be truly HDR. > Now the render looks washed out..in Photoshop? Then it's good, you can always change brightness and exposure with standard Photoshop tools. If it is for use in a 3D app, then you'll use the program's tools to modify your HDR map.

Why is that good if my render is washed out when opening in photoshop? When I open any other hdr file it appears to look normal. But only when opening an image from Vue, it is washed out looking. Do I change the gamma to .45 or something? Or should I just render out a few of these with different EV's and then "generate hdr"?

All I really want to do is make a nice looking grass and sky. Pretty much the same image as this picture is, just without the the trees, cars, etc...Just want grass and sky and cant seem to make a realistic scene in Vue. Our there any other problems that will generate exactly what I want other then Vue that you could suggest. Or is this probably the best one to use. I know there is Bryce and Terragen, but dont know if that will do the same as Vue.

Thanks

Couldnt edit my message, but "problems" is suppose to be "programs"

True HDR images are 32 bit and there is more color information than a computer monitor can actually display for the human eye to percieve, but minus all the technical junk Photoshop HDR looks like garbage. :D

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not.

Simply check this in Photoshop; in the Image menu, image mode, check if your render is 32bit. If it is and you saved in the hdr format in Vue, then it must be an HDRI. As R.P. Studios said, an hdr image contains more colour and light information our eyes can see, and I noticed that depending on the file, Photoshop displays it either "normally", or very "washed out" as you describe it. You can use a tone mapping app to change brightness and contrast levels ( you can even use Photoshop), but then it won't be hdr anymore, by doing so, you'll lose a lot of the dynamic, but if you want to print it, then you have to do it. But if you want to use it to light up 3D scenes, don't color manage it in a paint program, but use the 3d app's tools to do it.

The practical use of HDR images is twofold,

1. Used to make a beautiful tone mapped picture. Admired by many, very comme il faut and IN and real fun, An Art of Its Own, OR,

2. Used as an underpaint blended in behind your image in Photoshop it can lit a whole scene in a stunning way- adjustable with sliders! A major pragmatic shift and breakthrough in lighting technology.

The use of a HDR to light a 3D scene on the other hand is lame and underwhelming. It doesn't add much to Global Illumination/Radiosity and gives less control. IMO.

As mentioned most of these HDR files have been tonemapped, and there are wquitea few HDR programs out their that can manipulate them and still retain the HDR information, but i have yet to see anything REAL nice come out of Photoshop and still 32bit. Lighting with HDR on the other hand can work really well, but rarey by itself. Some fill lighting is generally required to obtain realism like shadows and ambient occlusion, but do give you nice realistic reflections.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not.

"I have yet to see anything REAL nice come out of Photoshop and still 32bit"

Photoshop is not HDR photo software. You could just as well accuse it of not making good coffe.. On the other hand, if the Photoshop team DECIDES to add that functionality then Photomatix and all the others can fold their businesses. No doubt.

I have some difficulty to see the viability of manipulated pictures still in 32bit mode.

1. They can not be seen on internet, you have to downoload and open them in a specialprogram.

2. They can not be sold as people who buy HDRI want to do the mainipulation themselves.

So what the use?