In 2023, how can we crate our own reflection environment?

[jwmb224]

is there no way, as of 2023, that we can create our own reflection environment with ease? we use inventor for rendering our product pictures for our website, and while i do consider the chap on the motorcycle on the opposite side of what looks like a really old mustard yellow volvo classy enough......well.......it's 2023, ok?

i mean, whoever made that image back in the early dawn years of the internet, essentially walked out of the little office building and snapped 6 photos in different directions with their flip-phone and here we are. a custom reflection environment would do wonders for our marketing. appreciate the help.

jared

[pcrawley]

Tools > Application Options > Colours - "Reflection Environment"

Specify any of the files provided - or use your own.  (Personal preference is studio_02.dds)

I don't think "ParkingLott.dds" (which is what you're using) has been 'default' for years - so it's possibly something you are dragging through from migrating your application options between versions.

[jwmb224]

as the title suggests, kind sir, my question is about how we can create our own from high resolution photos. DDS files aren't exactly something you can create with paint.

[Gabriel_Watson]

Try some of the free converters online:
https://www.aconvert.com/image/png-to-dds/
https://convertio.co/jpg-dds/

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! There are a few dds files shipped with Inventor. You don't need to use the biker one. Here is an article showing how to create a custom dds file.

https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-create-custom-...

Many thanks!

[pcrawley]

Apologies, kind sir, I read your post as more of a whinge about the guy on the motorbike and no mention of trying the other options available.

Try this top search hit for "how to create a dds file for Inventor":

How create custom environment reflection file in Inventor (autodesk.com)

It uses 

[jwmb224]

ok ok. sorry i picked on the motorcycle chap too much. for our product line, the outdoor setting of the parking lot reflection is best fitting, as it provides a real-world outdoor reflection. we work for the transportation industry. 

1. doing a simple conversion from an image to a DDS file using a converter results in a straight black reflection in Inventor. is there a step i was missing? i have no software to manipulate DDS files.
2. johnson, peter, the autodesk article you linked is for a SDK from microsoft; i have no idea how i would deploy that.

there must be some nuance to creating reflection environments, as they are not just a flat single image...

[pcrawley]

I think the best option is the Photoshop plugin mentioned in that article.  The problem is that dds images are only good for reflection - they don't provide scene lighting and reflection like image-based lighting does.  (And your renders will look an order of magnitude better using image-based lighting).

I know you want a reflection map - so bear with me:  When you render, you typically use the current lighting style.  If you are using a style with an environment map, but don't want the environment in the rendering, edit the lighting style and un-tick "Display Scene Image".  Now it renders using the image-based lighting from the HDRI - reflections from the HDRI, but no background.

Although you're using 2023, 2024 adds the ability to use custom HDRI environments - and there's an awesome source of HDRI images right here: https://hdrmaps.com/

Edit: You can take a flat photo and make it spherical, but it looks terrible.  A panoramic photo is better - but the resolution you need is "huge".  If you don't have a high-res image, the reflections look badly pixelated.  The parkingLott.dds was made by holding a large chrome ball in front of the camera and photographing it, then cropping.  You can try the same, but I suspect you'll come back to the HDRI idea.

[jwmb224]

wow. i've been looking at that hdrmaps site for a few years. but it took a little jumping through hoops to get them to work, and it wasn't really available to me. looks like i'll be upgrading to the new version a little earlier than 3 service packs in this year 😏 a nice little something to look forward to since they didn't do much to my poor oppressed sheet metal module again.

i also find it interesting that you say image based lighting will look better. i've only been using the reflection map because none of the IBL environments was appealing for official product renderings. looks like things are really looking up here.

on your panoramic photo idea, i s'pose it's rather involved creating a reflection with it?