VRED issues with HDR Light Studio

[yavaBBL49]

So, I'll start by saying that I'm still using VRED 2020.1 as I didn't bother with updating my rendering workstation for a while. I mainly have two issues, which I'm listing below.

1) I couldn't figure out a way to use HDR Light Studio with VRED and render an object with transparent background: if I disable the Environments in VRED, all the lights managed by HDR Light Studio will disappear with it, making it impossible to render my object, as it would just be a black silhoutte at this point. But of course we got a solution, we can just let VRED's Light Editor take the control of HDR Light Studio's lights, a new feature introduced in version 2020.1, right? Well... Nope. Which brings us to point 2.

2) After creating my lights in HDR Light Studio, they don't get displayed also in VRED's Light Editor, nor they appear in the Scenegraph. This way I'm unable to completely manage them in VRED and keep them active even after disabling the Dome in the Environments. I'm not sure why they aren't appearing though.

[richardlevene]

Not really sure what you mean. Can you share a simple test scene image of the problem?

Are you able to do what you want with an environment when it is not using HDRLS?

Do you have the Environment material with "Is Visible" unchecked? That is all you need.

Question...are you using Raytracing?

Best,

Richard

[Christian_Garimberti]

Hi,

as @richardlevene says, you only need to have "Export Alpha Channel" ON and "Is Visible" OFF in the Environment material.

Raytracing should not matter, it works also in OGL (without real shadows and reflections... obviously...). But yes, RT is recommended for better alpha calculation if you have transparent materials.

Best

Chris

[yavaBBL49]

You missed an important detail. You DO NOT have to use ANY light from VRED, just from HDR Light Studio.

In order to add lights from HDR Light Studio into VRED, you have to go to the "Studio" default Environment, scroll to the "HDR Light Studio" tab and start the software. After that, all the lights you are going to create in HDR Light Studio will be bound to your "Studio" Environment. What does this mean exactly? It means that, when you will go to disable all your Environments in order to render your object with the transparent alpha channel, it won't have ANY light applied to it, because you disabled all of them the same moment you set the IsVisible option of the Environments to false.

If you want a step-by-step guide to reproduce the situation:

- Open a new VRED document and import an object.

- Go to the "Studio" default Environment in your Material Editor, scroll to the "HDR Light Studio" tab and launch the software.

- In HDR Light Studio, delete the default gradient background and add some random lights.

- Go back to VRED and set Enrironments IsVisible to false.

- Try to render your object.

You will notice you can just see a black silhoutte, as you have no HDRI enabled nor any light in your Scenegraph.

All of the above is described at point #1, while the second issue is the fact that VRED doesn't automatically create a corresponding light using HDR Light Studio textures in my Light Editor.

[richardlevene · Accepted solution]

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@yavaBBL49 wrote:
You DO NOT have to use ANY light from VRED, just from HDR Light Studio

@yavaBBL49 wrote:

It means that, when you will go to disable all your Environments in order to render your object with the transparent alpha channel

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Firstly the Environment node is a Vred light. It is an environment light. You can load HDR Light Studio on any environment material. Whether it has a map placed in it or not.

Secondly, why are you disabling the light? Unchecking "Is Visible" in the environment material does not "disable" the light, it just stops primary rays. I think you are mistaking unchecking the environment in the Scenegraph off and unchecking "Is Visible".

The "Is Visible" check box sounds and is deceiving to beginners but it also sounds less technical than "Primary Visibility"

Maybe I am completely misunderstanding but attached is a screencapture showing you the difference. (excuse the banding, i logged into my work machine from home via remote desktop)

Richard

[yavaBBL49]

You are right by saying I confused the "Is Visible" checkbox in the "Studio" HDRI with the Environments checkbox in the Scenegraph.

This point "Go back to VRED and set Enrironments IsVisible to false." should have actually been "Go back to VRED and disable the Environments in the Scenegraph.", because that's what I actually did.

Anyway, if I got it right, I should just create a blank Environment in my Material Editor without any HDRI background applied to it and load HDR Light Studio lights on that, correct?

[richardlevene]

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Anyway, if I got it right, I should just create a blank Environment in my Material Editor without any HDRI background applied to it and load HDR Light Studio lights on that, correct?

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It doesn't matter if the Environment material is blank or not, once you press HDR Light Studio it will overwrite any maps already in that Environment material replacing it with what you create within HDR Light Studio.

Best,

Richard