Arriving late to the thread... Have you tried Nuke Spherical Transformation node? I use it always for my Nadir generation and reconstruction.
Sorry if it has been mentioned before Jb Sent from my iPhone On 2 Aug 2013, at 22:08, Nancy Jacobs <[email protected]> wrote: > Yes, me too, same specs. But this image is 9k on the long side (not HdRI > though) and I think HDR shop finally met its match with this one. > > BUT I found this handy plugin for photoshop, it's even 64 bit. Flexibly 2 by > Flaming Pear. Very nifty thing, it will output just 'zenith and nadir' files > for an equirectangular image, so you can make distortion corrections, and > then it pulls the corrected file back in to an equirectangular state, does > this all in the correct size for the original image, so you don't have to > figure THAT one out, ready to composites with original image. > > It worked surprisingly well with just my bleary-eyed experimenting in the wee > hours. I woke up to a very renderable equirectangular sphere map. Yay. At > $50, and all the projections it does (Though a lot of them are just amusing, > for printing out and making constructions it seems), this plugin is worth a > purchase. > > BTW, the link you sent seems like the old, old link from dbevec for HDR shop. > Maybe Norton destroyed it because it was too old, and therefore suspect (like > some of us ;-)) It didn't report that it found a specific virus. > > On Aug 2, 2013, at 8:28 AM, Stephen Davidson <[email protected]> wrote: > >> I'm running HDRshop ver 1.0 on WIndows 7 64 bit with no issues. >> I don't see any degrading and I've used it with some 4K HDR files >> with no issues at all. >> >> No virus warnings, either. I'm using Panda Cloud for antivirus. >> Maybe I should do a virus scan, as I just downloaded it to test the >> link. >> >> >> On Fri, Aug 2, 2013 at 2:43 AM, Nancy Jacobs <[email protected]> wrote: >>> I have an old copy of HDR shop v1 on my computer, I'm sure it's the same as >>> your link....the one you linked to, my Norton antivirus, horrified, deleted >>> immediately! ;) >>> >>> I do remember using this in ancient times, must'vee been when image files >>> were smaller, but this one crashed it. And I do need a high res image >>> because this is the background for my project. My HDR lighting image can >>> live with a little polar distortion, and of course it's much smaller. >>> >>> Which brings me to another question -- doesn't all that dynamic range >>> conversion, internally to HDR shop, degrade or change the low dynamic range >>> image? Moot of course if it crashes, but it does have the conversion I >>> need. Dang it. I can't find anything else that does. >>> >>> Thanks, >>> Nancy >>> >>> On Aug 1, 2013, at 5:34 PM, Stephen Davidson <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> perhaps you missed one of my earlier postings... >>>> >>>> Here is a free download (pc application) >>>> of a tool (HDRshop version 1) that can convert between the different >>>> environment map formats. >>>> http://ict.debevec.org/~debevec/HDRShop/download/ >>>> >>>> >>>> here is documentation for all versions. >>>> http://gl.ict.usc.edu/HDRShop/documentation/HDRShop_v3_man.pdf >>>> >>>> Only version 1 is free, but that is all you need for format conversion. >>>> >>>> >>>> On Thu, Aug 1, 2013 at 3:17 PM, Nancy Jacobs <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>> Thanks to both Nicholas and Stephen again, that explains a lot more and >>>>> sounds like a great idea.... So you can only use this Pano2VR for the >>>>> transform back and forth? I visited their website -- they have a >>>>> watermark on the free version. Apparently it costs $93 -- that's pretty >>>>> steep for my uses, considering I don't need all their other >>>>> functionality. Doesn't photoshop or some other tool do this conversion? I >>>>> just signed on to Adobe Creative Cloud...they ought to have something in >>>>> all that software that would do this, you'd think? >>>>> >>>>> On Aug 1, 2013, at 2:57 PM, Stephen Davidson <[email protected]> >>>>> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> I have use both sphere and cross (or cube) mapping for reflections. >>>>>> Both work fine, and have advantages and disadvantages, depending on the >>>>>> specific situation. >>>>>> The fact that an environment is a "cube" is not an issue. >>>>>> It is simply a different way to map the environment. >>>>>> The fact that it is a cube is not apparent in the resulting >>>>>> rendered image. I understand your concern, but it >>>>>> looks just fine. It is just easier to paint out the polar "pinches" >>>>>> in this format. Nicholas is correct in that you can just >>>>>> turn the change the format of the environment map and >>>>>> you loose nothing. >>>>>> >>>>>> make both a equirectangular and cube format environment map >>>>>> and choose what works best for you. I think you will see there is no >>>>>> difference, except when painting out the pole pinches. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> On Tue, Jul 30, 2013 at 5:15 PM, Nancy Jacobs <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>>>> Thanks, Stephen and Nicholas for the information on cubical projection. >>>>>>> Frankly, I'm partial to spheres... I've always found them better as >>>>>>> background environments -- cubes never seem right, the edges tend to be >>>>>>> apparent. especially because this is a scene in a 360 space and i don't >>>>>>> want to have to avoid the camera looking at the edges of the cube. But >>>>>>> I also don't want to have to avoid the poles of a sphere. But I've >>>>>>> never tried the cubical projection in Softimage, is it better somehow? >>>>>>> You're right, Nicholas, it would be easier to paint out the distortion >>>>>>> in PS. But I don't want to do all that work on creating a cubical >>>>>>> projection and have it not read well in the render. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Have you used it effectively when you need 360 degree correctness? >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Thanks! >>>>>>> >>>>>>> On Jul 29, 2013, at 4:39 PM, Stephen Davidson <[email protected]> >>>>>>> wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Exactly. Then use the cross version (Pano2VR creates a horizontal >>>>>>>> cross) >>>>>>>> setting Softimage's environmental mapping to horizontal cross. >>>>>>>> Is this not working for you, now? >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> On Mon, Jul 29, 2013 at 2:54 PM, Nicholas Breslow >>>>>>>> <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>>>>>> The basic workflow I’ve used for this in the past is to convert the >>>>>>>>> equirectangular panorama to a cubical projection. Then you can paint >>>>>>>>> out the nadir (poles) on the top/bottom of the cube in PS/other to >>>>>>>>> get rid of the distortion. You can use Pano2vr >>>>>>>>> http://gardengnomesoftware.com/pano2vr.php for the conversion. After >>>>>>>>> convert it back to equirectangular. Very similar to the Polar method >>>>>>>>> mentioned before. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Hope that is what you were going for – just glanced and thought I >>>>>>>>> would share this. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Nicholas Breslow >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> From: [email protected] >>>>>>>>> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Nancy >>>>>>>>> Jacobs >>>>>>>>> Sent: Sunday, July 28, 2013 6:25 PM >>>>>>>>> To: [email protected] >>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: Environment sphere issues >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Thanks for this info, Stephen, but I really need the spherical >>>>>>>>> environment for a seamless space experience. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Now that I've got the implicit projection working, it does a better >>>>>>>>> job rendering the image at the poles, but still not good enough. >>>>>>>>> Guess ill have to drag a sphere into Mari and try painting out the >>>>>>>>> distortion. That plugin you linked me to gives some cool vortex >>>>>>>>> effects at the poles, maybe ill find a use for that! But I still >>>>>>>>> wonder why it's working for your images and not mine. Maybe it's in >>>>>>>>> the type of image and what is happening visually near the bottom and >>>>>>>>> top of the image. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> On Jul 28, 2013, at 1:19 AM, Stephen Davidson >>>>>>>>> <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Here is a nice article on creating cubic environment maps from >>>>>>>>> stitched panoramic photos, using Blender. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> very clever: >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> http://www.aerotwist.com/tutorials/create-your-own-environment-maps/ >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> On Sat, Jul 27, 2013 at 9:42 PM, Nancy Jacobs <[email protected]> >>>>>>>>> wrote: >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Stephen, this plugin really didn't work for me. It way overdid some >>>>>>>>> kind of smearing, spiraling algorithm. Looks a lot worse than the >>>>>>>>> original. I wonder what he's thinking, or what went wrong here... Any >>>>>>>>> ideas? >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Thanks for the link, however. I was really stoked when I thought it >>>>>>>>> was going to solve this problem. Maybe something in Softimage mapping >>>>>>>>> is trying to solve this and doesn't quite do it, so this plugin >>>>>>>>> overcompensates? >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> I still think implicit mapping would help, as the help files >>>>>>>>> indicate, if I could get any image to show up on the sphere. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Thanks again, >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Nancy >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> On Jul 27, 2013, at 8:18 PM, Stephen Davidson >>>>>>>>> <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> If you have Photoshop, here is a link to something called spherical >>>>>>>>> mapping corrector: >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> http://www.richardrosenman.com/software/downloads/ >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> No 64 bit support, I believe. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> here is the install and use docs: >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Spherical Mapping Corrector - v1.4, © 2008 Richard Rosenman >>>>>>>>> Advertising & Design. Release date: 03/15/03, Updated 09/28/08. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> INSTALLATION: >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Simply unzip "spheremap.zip" and copy "spheremap.8bf" to your >>>>>>>>> "\Photoshop\Plug-Ins\" folder, or whichever plugin folder your host >>>>>>>>> progr
