Loading...
> >

Sky and Dome Difference?

DekeDeke Posts: 1,635
in New Users

I'm trying to model a plane in a sky. I have never understood the whole skydome/ Iray/ HDRI stuff. What is the difference between a skydome that I import into a scene as an element, and the "dome" that is controlled in the Render Setting Menu? Are there any great tutorials out there on creating a killer iray sky?  I have a variety of Terradome elements, but no idea how to use them.

Comments

  • Sven DullahSven Dullah Posts: 7,621
    edited January 2018

    Simpy put, Iray uses a virtual dome that is controlled in render settings. 3delight uses skydomes which are actual mesh objects with a sky image mapped onto them. In 3DL you can turn shadows off for lights or objects so in this case the dome doesn't block the sunlight. That is not possible in Iray or it take a lot of fiddling.

    Post edited by Sven Dullah on
  • DekeDeke Posts: 1,635

    So in Iray, I should just use the virtual dome in the render settings. I see were I can apply materials to it, such as those that came with Terradome. Is there a way to see this virtual dome in the preview pane, or is it only visible in renders? Thanks.

  • FishtalesFishtales Posts: 6,162

    If you turn on the AUX Viewport and set it to the Iray Draw Mode you will see the Dome.

  • DekeDeke Posts: 1,635

    Thanks. I was hoping there might be a lower res way of doing that. An Aux-Iray slows down my system a bit.  

    So how does one control light in using an Iray virtual dome? I assume it depends in part on the selected dome HDRI image. Or am I supposed to add some sort of sun or other light? Any great (as in free) sources for HDRI skies?

  • BeeMKayBeeMKay Posts: 7,019

    There's always the IBL-Master: https://www.daz3d.com/ibl-master-for-daz-studio

    Otherwise, you have to do a lot of test renders until you find the best position.You don't need to let them run for long, just a few iterations, so you know how all pans out.

    As for the dome, you have to rotate the dome in the Environment pane of the render settings. you can rotate it in all directions.

    Oh, and there's this thread, if you haven't found it yet: https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/56788/iray-start-here#latest.

  • FishtalesFishtales Posts: 6,162

    I run the AUX Viewport on my system all the time, just hide it when moving or adding other elements. Sometimes you can manipulate the dome with it open so you can see what is happening. I keep it open and move the dome 20º at a time and watch the AUX Viewport to see where it is, it doesn't take that long to re-draw.

  • Sven DullahSven Dullah Posts: 7,621

    As BeeMKay said the IBL Master makes it very easy to position your HDRI in the viewport. Great product for both Iray and 3DL!

  • Peter WadePeter Wade Posts: 1,642
    Deke said:

    Thanks. I was hoping there might be a lower res way of doing that. An Aux-Iray slows down my system a bit.  

    ...

    Go to the Draw Settings Pane and set the Draw Mode to Interactive. This should speed up the Iray preview a bit. You won't get full photoreal quality and I think it doen't show light from emissive surfaces but it does show the Skydome. 

  • DekeDeke Posts: 1,635

    Thanks. That's another pane I've never met before.

    Any tips on adding a sun to a scene? Or is the idea the sun is part of the HDRI still?

  • BeeMKayBeeMKay Posts: 7,019

    The sun  s usually part of the HDI, but if  you just want a sund and simple blue sky with no clouds, there's always the sun&sky environment option, where you can set the sun to any time of the year, for any year.

  • FishtalesFishtales Posts: 6,162

    The way I usually do it is to use Finite Dome, in Perspective mode make sure nothing in the scene is selected, click on the Centre Frame (square with dot in it). That should take the view outside of the dome and in the AUX Viewport you should see the dome and the HDRI. Turn the view until you see the sun/brightest part and line the view up with it as best you can. Add a Distant Light and set lumens to 150,000, this can be increased or decreased later if needed. Click on a figure in the scene tab and recentre the perspective view or click on a camera if you have one set up. Make sure the emitter for the distant light is set to visible and, in perspective view turn the view until the circle of the light is visible in the sky. Open the AUX Viewport back up and see where the light is in relation to the sun/bright area. Select the distant light and, using the parameter sliders, tweak it until it is in the right place. Go back to your camera view and see where your shadows are. Move the camera and the figures to get your lighting and shadows where you want them, don't move the dome or distant light or you will need to go through it all again :)

    That is from memory as I have a long render running but I don't think I missed anything :)

  • DekeDeke Posts: 1,635

    Thanks. I'll experiment.  Do you mean Finite Sphere in render settings?  When I acivate that instead of Infinite Sphear I get a rainbow colored beach ball in the center of the scene.  I think my first order of business is getting some good sky hdris as the few I have are probably too low res and don't provide a lot of detail.

  • FishtalesFishtales Posts: 6,162

    Yes, and make sure Visualize Finite Dome is set to off, that is the colours you are seeing.

  • DekeDeke Posts: 1,635

    Can you animate that hdri dome? If I have planes against clouds, it would be great to move them, but I don't see any animation controls as this dome really isn't a geometric item in the scene.

  • FishtalesFishtales Posts: 6,162

    I don't think so. You could use point at the planes using the camera and animate the planes which will make the clouds look as if they are moving.

  • DekeDeke Posts: 1,635

    Great suggestion. Thanks.

Sign In or Register to comment.