Burn

[DanSHP]

I'm unable to download the links you've posted, as they are blocked by our IT network, but I think I've come across these tone mapping macros before. Are you referring to these? https://corona-renderer.com/forum/in...p?topic=1807.0 and here http://www.racoon-artworks.de/?p=597

I've just thrown the same .exr i attached previous to this into Fusion and played around with the sliders, and I'm not getting much functionality (similar to PS camera raw highlight reduction).

so, just so I can get my head around this.

- You render out an image with no colour mapping (i'm assuming with no VFB corrections too)
- Take the image into fusion and tonemap there?
- You are using multi mattes to target areas of an image that has blown out areas?

[Neilg]

I think the values in your test are just a bit too far apart, rgb values in areas are 17/18+. you've got a tiny hole only letting in direct light - no environment at all, which is powerful enough to then light up the entire room. I have to set the RGB gain to 0.05 to even see any detail in the bright area.
tone mapping wont save you in this situation - it pulls back blown out areas but if you shot this with a real camera you'd have to bracket 9+ shots.

At least if you use fusion, its node based for creating masks? you can recreate what you were doing in camera raw with curves & cc tools

[DanSHP]

Ugh, this just goes on and on around in my head and I never get anywhere with it. Frustrating and mildly depressing.

I know that if I could take that 32bit ext in PS camera raw, I could reduce that blown out highlight down to a level I could see the information, without using masks anywhere, without layering multiple reduced exposed layers ontop of one another. There has to some way to mimic camera raw in another program so i can target the highlights.

Maybe I'm going about this completely the wrong way, I'm really not sure but I'm starting to think I don't actually have a clue what I'm doing anymore !

I think I'll just start a thread, with my basic set up for an interior and exterior, and others can can give me some advice.

[Neilg]

Starting a thread is a good idea - with a different lighting setup you wont be encountering such extremes.

For what it's worth, fusion can mimic what camera raw is doing and pull down those highlights using the regular curves and cc tools - it's just not tonemapping. I would still look into alternate lighting setups though.

[piotrus3333]

this is indeed quite wide dynamic range.
Reinhard'02 tonemapping from ArionFX:

[DanSHP]

Starting a thread is a good idea - with a different lighting setup you wont be encountering such extremes.

For what it's worth, fusion can mimic what camera raw is doing and pull down those highlights using the regular curves and cc tools - it's just not tonemapping. I would still look into alternate lighting setups though.

I think its about time, as my head is spinning in regards to the correct workflow.

It's a simple vray sun set up though.

I've played around with the fusion CC tools and I cannot seem to work out a similar functionality to CR in PS. If you could, i would be extremely grateful for any pointers. I would absolutely love to get away from PS, and work in a proper 32 bit environment without any limitations.

[piotrus3333]

and VFB. curve instead of reinhard.
some more complex scene would be helpful. like interior lit through a single window by harsh sunlight.

[DanSHP]

and VFB. curve instead of reinhard.
some more complex scene would be helpful. like interior lit through a single window by harsh sunlight.

I cannot reproduce this in the VFB? How did you go about this?

[piotrus3333]

just a simple S shaped curve with “Curve” adjustment in VFB.

[DanSHP]

just a simple S shaped curve with “Curve” adjustment in VFB.

I'm baffled, I do not get that with an s curve. Are there any other adjustments you're making in the VFB on that .exr?

[piotrus3333]

quick something to compare:
linear render
photoshop with adjustment layers
ps with arionfx (the one with glare)
vfb with curve (bit of a toe here so contrast is slightly different. also no desaturation in highlights)

[piotrus3333]

I'm baffled, I do not get that with an s curve. Are there any other adjustments you're making in the VFB on that .exr?

just curve. your example is pretty extreme - you need to drop the whites quite low.

[DanSHP]

just curve. your example is pretty extreme - you need to drop the whites quite low.

This may sound silly, but I never thought of bringing down the white point in curves like that, I always just kept both dark and white points in their respective corners and fashioned an s shape in between the two. Thanks very much!

How would one avoid such an extreme? I seem to have these really bright white points in most of my scenes.

[piotrus3333]

nothing to avoid. these are natural in linear raw render. both burns and milky blacks.

[DanSHP]

nothing to avoid. these are natural in linear raw render. both burns and milky blacks.

Ok, but this being an extreme example, what is causing such extremity? Vray sun through a small opening perhaps?

Is it best to tackle blow out highlights globally? Or locally via multi-mattes?