Calibrating Renders for Post Processing

will.barger.arts

[Posted this in our Gallery and another User suggested it might be helpful to others here in this Forum.]
 

"Testing some tools for optimizing "straight" renders for later fine-tuning of exposure and color in post-processing.
Thinking of making the tools available on the marketplace. Let us know in the Comments if you might be interested."

will.barger.arts

The idea is to place one or more of these "memory light" Exposure Poles at key points in the Scene so that you can visually determine (in Interactive Render Mode or a Spot Render) whether you're losing Highlight Detail and/or Shadow Detail -- and if so, by how much, so that you can adjust your lighting and/or Exposure settings.
By using curved or multi-sided Exposure Poles, you can also see Fresnel, side/kicker, and other lighting effects on exposure to maximize your use of the dynamic range available -- whether for an 8-bit image in a straight render or a 16-/32-bit image using Canvasses, etc., for maximum flexibility in post-processing.
By eliminating or minimizing render-time constrast adjustments (LEFT IMAGE), you also help maximize the amount and smoothness of detail available for post-processing tweaks.  If you include a render of the Exposure Pole(s) themselves (e.g., using the Canvas functions), you also have a first-rate Exposure and Color-Calibration "card" for fine control of post-processing tweaks.

THOUGHTS?

will.barger.arts

Here's a (boring) example of an early prototype used to achieve "technically correct" exposure, which was important in our case for color-matching a fabric to be illustrated via 3D render.
Once you get an area of the Scene exposed "technically correct", you can put almost anything in that area and almost be guaranteed that you won't blow out anything but specular highlights nor lose anything in the shadows (beyond what you were already losing due to your Scene having "excessive" dynamic range in its lighting setup - if any).
Of course, "technically correct" doesn't necessarily mean "pretty" nor "styled to the look I'm going for".  But it's a great place to start to assure that you're beginning with the maximum range of exposure options before you "tweak to taste".

Paintbox

This is a pretty clever idea. It's like a photographers grey/white board.