LWF Diffuse and Reflection: RGB Color picker VS same flat color in BITMAP

[Morne]

Hi All

Using LWF with 2.2 Gamma for colour picker, your colours are obviously a lot brighter (on screen). That same colour in photoshop in a bitmap is darker.

So the question is if I set my diffuse/reflect colour using the color picker to 75,75,75, will this render the same as putting a flat bitmap colour in the diffuse/reflect slot which was made with RGB of 75,75,75?

In my max gamma settings I have gamma set to 2.2 and effect colour selectors and materials ticked, also input gamma for bitmaps are set to 2.2

[stef.thomas]

Generally for matching colours from photoshop you would need to use a vray color map, and set the gamma to specify=2.2. I usually just keep a vray color map in the material editor to use as a 'colour calculator', input the RGB values from photoshop with specify=2.2 enabled then switch back to gamma=none and copy and paste the colour swatch back to the diffuse slot of your material. That way the colour will show up in the viewport.

[Morne]

I don't want to match colours from photoshop. I want Photoshop colours to match 2.2 colour picker. Since bitmap has 2.2 in input, does that mean it will be the same as my colour picker? Or you saying I must change my photoshop colours in photoshop with the "conversion" I got from vraycolor map?

[stef.thomas]

Sorry if I misunderstood slightly, but essentially it amounts to the same thing doesn't it? You don't need to change your bitmap, you just need to use a vraycolor map instead of using the standard max colour picker and specify the gamma before entering your RGB values.

[Morne]

yes but now I'm doing a mosaic pattern with different reflection etc. so I have to use a bitmap, can't just use a vraycolor.
My bitmap is made up of 4 different colour tiles. (and each has different gloss etc) so making mask etc in photoshop according to what similar tile was which was made seperate using just colours from colour picker.

[stef.thomas]

So you have something set up with just diffuse colour that you like in max and are trying to set up a map in photoshop that will give you a similar result? In that case I think you will have to make your photoshop images lighter to compensate. In my example when I do a colour pick from photoshop on the sphere in the middle using a diffuse colour pass I get the value R=165, G=218, B=179.

[Morne]

yes but I don't need to match the render sample. I need to match the max colour picker of 2.2
Can't I just double gamma my bitmap? as in set it to gamma 2.2 in photoshop and then in max also set input gamma to 2.2. That wat it gets double gamma? Or is that not the good way to do it?

[stef.thomas]

Yeah, you could just do an exposure adjustment in photoshop and increase the gamma to 2.2.

[Morne]

To be safe I think I will use max composite material with a series of masks on layers. That way I can still use the max color picker to set the correct colors.

[CGdiggs]

1) Copy the color swatch from the max RGB color picker into a vraycolor map set with no gamma correction.
2) Set to specify 2.2.
3) Use the resulting RGB values in Photoshop.

Assumes LWF set up.