VRayMtl : Self-illumination

[Morne]

Would be super nice if we can add a tick for the VRayMtl to have a feature just like VrayLightMtl: Compensate Camera Exposure
Currently the multiplier is pretty much hit and miss!

[vlado]

Will see what can be done about it.

Best regards,
Vlado

[NicoC]

Good call, Morne !

[hoppergrass]

funny, i was just looking into this just yesterday

[dlparisi]

2nd this. It would be a big help dialing in that number.

[Morne]

@Macker

IMHO would be smarter to implement in form of a map. It would keep VrayMTL UI uncluttered, and at the same time, the map could serve more purposes, such as doing the same for backplate in environment slot.

Not sure what you mean. It already has a map you can plug into it, a GI tick, and a multiplier. The multiplier is the problematic one here as it requires guessing and/or test renders

[Morne]

@glorybound

Yes, but then if you put the exposure compensation checkbox here, it will require to be duplicated on other places too, because there is more places where you may need to compensate your bitmap against exposure. So one map would solve it on all places without need to clutter UI.

Still not sure what you mean. The self-illumination bitmap is only found in 1 place in the VRayMtl. The compensate check will be for that bitmap only (just like the multiplier is for that bitmap only). It works independently from the rest of the maps in the VRayMtl. What other places would it need to be duplicated? I’m not talking about the diffuse map. I’m talking about the self-illumination map

[M.Max]

@Macker

“Compensate camera exposure” checkbox is already found it VrayLightMTL. Now the same checkbox would be duplicated into VrayMTL. Then VrayEnvironmentFog has emission parameter, and soon VrayScatterVolume may get one too. Also 3dsMax’s native Fog is mappable by both color and map, but color mode does not work with any other exposure, so you need to plug VrayColor node into the map slot and manually compensate exposure there as well. Then there may be custom OSL shaders. Then there’s Environment slot, which in case of CG on plate integration contains backplate, which you often want to exclude from exposure adjustments.

So many checkboxes can be replaced by one map, a simple map, into which if you plug bitmap, or any other texture, will always compensate texture’s RGB level to match currently set exposure. A lot more flexible solution that at the same time reduces UI clutter. That’s how things should always be done.

+1 from me
I think that’s available for other renderer too

[davision]

Just want to say -- this is a great idea, Morne.