Time lapse HDRI

[CEJ1976]

Hi,

 

I need to render out a Time lapse style animated image. Ideally i need to go from dawn to dusk, and I am wondering if anyone has some suggesstions as to how to achieve the lighting with HDRIs - if possible?

 

Thank you.

Ciaran.

[John Dollus]

http://www.nameandform.com.au/showcase/timelapse/

 

try contacting this outfit.

[Scott Schroeder]

Also check out OpenFootage, http://www.openfootage.net/?cat=17

[Nic H]

just use a normal timelapse image sequence - a timelapse hdri would be gigantic. unnecessary

we did it recently with this method and a few keyframed lights and post work

[Tommy L]

Its a beautiful idea and I applaud you for it. But you'd be hitting a nail with too big a hammer (Im sure there's a proper metaphor for that which I cant remember). I am not aware of any full HDRI timelapse panoramics out there. The files would indeed be enormous, but I dont think thats the main issue. The issue is that the asset would probably not be re-usable in a different scenario. So if the budget/time is there for a one-off then hell yeah, do it!

I think that the background/plate would be an LDR timelapse shot simultaneously, but not a tonemapped version of the HDRI's (you'll need more res than you'll get from the crop) and the lighting could be generated by a sequence of images blended in max, not an image/footage editor. I think you'd need a few images per 'phase' (night/dawn/midday/evening/suset/night) so perhaps 18 processed HDRI's? You'd have to 'track' the sun and use a CG sun, or you'd see a staccato blending of the hard shadows, which would be weird. I think the blend would work for the ambient light though. You'd also need a random spiking of values at certain points to lend credibility to varying conditions condensed into the timeline, but you could maybe achieve that in post.

 

If you want to create the panoramic timelapse your self then I think this is the only situation where the silver ball technique or a full pano head (180 degree fixed mirror with vertical lens) would be best. You'll want something automated...

[CEJ1976]

Hi,

 

Thanks for the replies.

 

Before thinking about it properly I posted on here, since then I have started experimenting with a combination of:

 

1) Animating the coordinates of a suitable HDRI map over a period of time

2) Combining this with changing camera exposure settings and adjusting intensities of the HDRI map

3) Also using a VRAY sun and matching it to the HDRI map and linking their movements

4) And finally, sourced an appropriate time lapse sky as a backplate

 

..................its still a work in progress!!!

 

If anyone had examples of stuff they had done, or had seen anything lately like this then please post a link.

 

Thanks,

Ciaran.

[Chris MacDonald]

I recently incorporated some time lapse footage into an animation, I used a normal hdri setup and added the sky in post, both in the background and in the reflections. I made it "feel" as if the scene was being lit by the sky simply by automating the exposure & gamma over time on the original render - producing a dimming/lighting effect that made it feel as though the sun were breaking through clouds in places. It was surprisingly effective, considering my after effects skills aren't all that.

[CEJ1976]

Thanks Chris,

 

Do you fancy sharing a link of it??

 

Cheers.

[Chris MacDonald]

I suppose so. I will probably have to remove it as I don't really have permission for it to be uploaded, though I'm sure it wont hurt as it has been in the public domain for a few months.

 

 

Video is still processing at the moment, but should be up in say 5 minutes.

[CEJ1976]

Thanks Chris,

 

I see what you are saying, the Timelapse bit towards the end seems pretty effective.

 

Thanks for posting this. Nice work.