Are 100% smooth gradations doable?

[MANUEL_MOUSIOL]

Hi,

So when retouching a car (or anything else for that matter) in Photoshop, we often draw additional reflections with the gradient tool in a mask and it makes for very nice smooth gradations where you wouldnt notice the end of them because of their smoothness.
Now I am trying to stylize a car render, using VraySoftbox maps (plugged into an output, which derives the alpha from the RGB value of the softbox max) with VrayLights, but I cant stop noticing the end of the map. Even though my softbox map is smooth as a map itself, in the render it doesnt look as smooth. The end of the gradation seems a little sudden for my taste, especially compared to the gradient tool in Photoshop.

The left side of the gradation should feather out much broader....
Of course, I could make the light bigger and thus make the gradation broader, but in the end that will not solve the problem, cause the feathering is just not enough and it will limit the lighting possibilities.

Is there a way to get a nicer result?

[Alex_M]

You can try to put the softbox map into an Output map and play with the curves. Convert the two ends of the curves to bezier and play with the bezier handles.

[kosso_olli]

Either what Alex already said, or plug the gradient into color correction and play with the gamma. Gamma 1.0 doesn't look correct for gradients, it will always come out to light.

[Moriah]

I usually invert the gammas on gradients, so i put a CC node before a convert to 0.454 gamma.

[MANUEL_MOUSIOL]

I usually invert the gammas on gradients, so i put a CC node before a convert to 0.454 gamma.

what do you mean with "before a convert"?

[Alex_M]

I think what he meant to say is "I put a CC node before and convert to 0.454 gamma". Put your map in a CC node, switch from Standard to Advanced in the Lightness rollout and where it says "Gamma / Contrast" in the topmost field type 0.454.

[FSGFX]

are you sure that the problem isnt your monitor...? have you tried a 10bit monitor..?

[MANUEL_MOUSIOL]

are you sure that the problem isnt your monitor...? have you tried a 10bit monitor..?

yes I am using 10bit, color calibrated monitor, but more importantly, what do you think about the gradation screenshot I posted?