[tutorial] HDRi rendering (making things look real)

[Dominic11112]

HDRi is an amazing way of making things look real! I would be using yafray for this but... I cant get it to work. If you know how to make it work please tell. i have worked it al lout but the registry key. It comes up:
Couldn't FIND registry key for yafray, is it installed?
So I dunno but once I get it working I will make an update of this tutorial. Anyway before I start look at this cool picture I took, I took the picture exactally the right time:

Cool Reflect.jpg (70.73 KiB) Viewed 22906 times

I bet you could never guess I made the above image in blender? It looks like I took a perfect shot. So lets get right into it and start making something almost identicle to the above image.

HDRi renders with Blender Internal Render

What you need: you need to take a picture, any picture, from this website: http://debevec.org/Probes/

Ok start off by deleting the default cube (x or delete then select erase selected objects).

Step One.jpg (5.81 KiB) Viewed 22892 times

Then press space-add-mesh-UV sphere.

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Dont change any of the values, just press OK.

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Now apply "set smooth" to the UV sphere. If you look down to your bottom left there is a tab called "Link and Materials". In that tab there is an option called "set smooth", just click it once.

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Press F5 to go into the shading tab then select "add new" in the "Links and Pipeline" tab.

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Next you need to apply a mirror like texture, turn on "ray mirror" in the "mirror transp" tab. Set RayMir to 0.7 and that is it.

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Now is the hard part, go into the "world buttons tab" and select "real" next to the plain blue square.

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Now to the right there is a large button that has "add new" on it. Click on it.

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Now there is a button just under the "add new" button that has "AngMap" written on it, click on it to activate it.

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Switch over to the "map to" tab and activate "hori" then de-activate "Blend".

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Now press F6, change the texture type from "none" to "image".

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Now over in the "image" tab click "Load" and go to where you saved your picture.

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I am going to use ths picture:

HDRSaintPeters.jpg (27.4 KiB) Viewed 22871 times

Now we need to make it look "real" at the moment it doesn't look very real, press F12 to see what I mean. Now, select the camera and delete it by pressing x or delete then "erase selected objects".

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Now press sapce-add-camera.

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The camera is looking down at the moment so make it look up by pressing R then X then 90.

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Now press G then Y -8 or -10, then move it up by press G then Z then 2 or 4.

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Ok now press R then X and rotate it to face the camera (pressing numpad 0 can help with doing this).

Step Seventeen.jpg (30.52 KiB) Viewed 22878 times

Now you can press F12, you can stuff around with the camera and stuff to get different results. The picture also mkaes the end result in quality different. I will be updating this tutorial as soon as I can get this yafray registration key worked out. Please if you know tell me. This is my final render:'

Another HDRi image.jpg (50.9 KiB) Viewed 22876 times

Also watch out for an all new MMOFPSRPG called present fear, it is done completally with blender. We started it on nystic a while ago. MMOFPSRPG stands for Massive Multiplayer Online First Person Shooter Role Play Game, this has never been done before, also check out my site for more help: http://www.whatthestuff.webs.com. Thankyou and ask if you need help. Please post your final renders too!

[Dominic11112]

BUMP

[Dominic11112]

Could I get some replies here... I want to know what you think of this tutorial and weather I should make it into a video tutorial.

[Dominic11112]

BUMP... again (i spent ages on this)

[iForgotten]

i think its very well done, even a noob like me understands it

[Stunt Runner]

i followed your tutorial its great here is my outcome!!

[Dominic11112]

cool, if you want more on HDRi you can see my website: http://www.blendercollege.webs.com it is under the Classes section.

[Dominic11112]

WOW scince when was this put here LOL, i didn't even know. I made this like ages ago. Well i am happy this made it. WOOT, i now have 3 tuts here.

[Drowningbodacius]

i would love to see a vid tut on this it looks really cool but kinda hard to follow in written form for me so please make a vid tut and tell me when you do

[tmeerkat]

Thank you, this was a great tutorial. I was amazed at what I did in about 15 minutes... very little, but it looked great. I have been working in Blender for about 2 days, going through super3boy's tutorials, and everything here has been extremely helpful. This from a non-artistic type.