HDRImaps.com

[p3]

Hello everyone,

Just finnished this project - and want to share it

http://www.hdrimaps.com

Enjoy

[flipside]

Looks great dude, shall I test them all for you ?

[asango]

arg...flash MX, right?
stupid activeX office security setting.

what i could see looks really cool, i just cant see the menu due to the flash 6 plugin tripping off the active x warning.

//edit: i can see them now, and wow. looks like an awesome collection....very nice indeed

[Dschaga]

good luck on your project, i hope you can get a nice engagement ring for your GF.


greeting,
chris

[jujubee]

P3- That looks fantastic man! Coll but simple interface on the website too. How long did all the images take you to complete?

www.lunarstudio.com

[p3]

HDRImaps.com

Thanks a many for all the good responses

The Photos have been taken over a 6 month process - a few in Southern California - but most around the Chicago area.

[suurland]

P3 what is the reason for they are only 180 degress? Personally I think it's a great shame and limits the use quite a lot.

/Thomas

[Dschaga]

he maybe uses a fisheye image....

something like that:
http://www.cgtechniques.com/tutorials/hdrenviroment.php

[p3]

HDrimaps.com

P3 what is the reason for they are only 180 degress? Personally I think it's a great shame and limits the use quite a lot.

/Thomas

3 reasons really:

First: Since we were mostly shooting in urban environments - I never needed the ground in the picture - usually it was cement sidewalk or street. If your scenes have a ground, you wouldnt even see the bottom half the HDRI sphere anyway. So its a bit more pratical to texture your own ground. I was focusing more on the lights illuminating the scenes - and thats where the HDRI format works great with - saving all the data from the different exposure levels while shooting the lights.

Second: Shooting in urban environments isnt easy Photographers are being treated as terrorists these days, so it was very difficult to get inside buildings or even near them. Security guards are trained to look out for photographers. Also remember that it takes alot of time to shoot ONE hdri, you have to shoot all the exposure levels that your camera can handle, and wait for cars or people to go by, so they aren't in the photo. Most of the photoshoots happened EARLY in the morning - or in the middle of the night So taking the extra time to shoot the ground 16 times wasnt pratical, almost impossible.

Third: The equipment that makes full 360 panoramas is VERY expensive. I do not have a budget for a camera over $6000 to take these photos.

Hope this explained a little

P.S. we had a blast shooting in these locations - felt like a paparazzi - was fun to get chased

[jujubee]

There's alternative methods for cerating stitched panoramas. This software I found was only $99 US. http://360dof.com/360-panorama-stitcher.html

[jujubee]

or even better yet, check out the apps from realviz:

http://www.realviz.com/panorama_tools.htm

[586]

Only $60?!?! Well, not only does the site look fantastic, but the HDRI's are a refreshing change from the norm and/or the really expensive alternatives. I'll skip a few packs of cigarettes and order a copy =)

[geenyus]

I must agree with 586. At 60 dollars, it's a steal (from what I can tell), and it's a small price to pay to never have to use the kitchen probe again :P

The site looks really slick, too. Good job.