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View Full Version : convert 6 frames to a spherical map

stephen2002
11-18-2002, 12:39 AM
Ok, I can do this, but it is a long and complicated process for me.

Is there any way to nicely convert 6 frames (top, bottom, front, back, left, right) into a spherical image map that can be mapped to the inside of a sphere for environment backdrops (such as the texture environment feature in Lightwave).

Thanks!
leigh
11-19-2002, 08:06 PM
Why not assemble them in Photoshop and create an image map that way? :)
stephen2002
11-19-2002, 10:38 PM
ok...that works great for panoramic views...but then what do you do with the top an bottom images?
leigh
11-19-2002, 10:41 PM
Hmmm... good point.

*thinks a bit*

Why not just project them seperately? I mean, create the panoramic one, and apply that to the object, and then just project the top and bottom ones seperately (on different layers).

Or what about just... ummm... damn. I'm all out of ideas :surprised (it's rather late here)

There must be a simple solution to this... just.... can't.... see.... it.... now..... :sad:
Stroker
11-19-2002, 11:05 PM
I read something about this once. I haven't tried it myself, but I think it works.

Start with a box. Put the textures on the appropriate sides. Then meshsmooth the box a few times (once with several interations). That alone should round it out some. If that's not enough, try some "spherize".

edit: I just tried it in Max and it worked like a charm.
Gentle Fury
11-20-2002, 02:56 AM
use photoshop and hdrshop

make it into a vertical cross in photoshop, then bring it into hdrshop and use panaramic transform (or whatever its called) and go from vertical cross to spherical light probe :)

then take it back into photoshop and clean up whatever noise was created in the conversion


problem solved!!


Happy Rendering!
stephen2002
11-20-2002, 12:09 PM
well, ok. I see. The options seem to be:
A. convert to a spherical map (which I can do) and live with the distortion and loss of data
B. map to a cube.

I guess I will be mapping it to a cube. Thanks for the suggestions.
Tumerboy
11-20-2002, 12:14 PM
Listen to Stroker, map to a cube and then subdivide it a bunch. . .
Gentle Fury
11-21-2002, 08:53 PM
Originally posted by stephen2002
well, ok. I see. The options seem to be:
A. convert to a spherical map (which I can do) and live with the distortion and loss of data
B. map to a cube.

I guess I will be mapping it to a cube. Thanks for the suggestions.

if you know how to do it (ie with a steel ball) you can make a perfect spherical map that goes around 360 degrees with no distortion at all.......that in my opinion is the BEST way to do it.....since you can then use that (if you know how to shoot it properly) as an accurate HDR light probe and use it for reflections!
stephen2002
11-21-2002, 10:06 PM
whoa...I am not shooting HDR photography here, I have a 6-view environment map from a landscaping program...which essentially gives the same effect and I am using HDR tools on it...

So the spherical image map generated by HDR shop from the 6 views would have no distorion once mapped? I still think I will stick to mapping to a smoothed cube to acheive maximum resolution of the mapping.

Thanks for all of the help!
rube
11-27-2002, 06:06 PM
If you're using lightwave I'd suggest using refgen from Eki's plug pack... it'll make a shperical reflection map for your scene and it works like a charm.

you can get it here... http://www.kolumbus.fi/erkki.halkka/plugpak/
rube
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