Solar Flare in space

Started by ProjectX, December 31, 2006, 07:57:05 PM

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ProjectX

Is there any way of getting an in-render solar flare when the renders are taken from above the atmosphere? Or do I have to put one in with Photoshop?

Just a way of rendering the sun glow would be enough for me, as apposed to a white circle.

I'll post an example shot and a description of what I'm aiming for soon, but it'll take a while to load (so probably tomorrow morning)

vissroid

Im very much wondering about this myself. lol

ProjectX

Ok, here's the rendered image, as you can see it just has a white dot for the sun, and next to it is a photoshopped version with a lens flare added, now while this was easy enough to ad myself, that is only because the sun's disc was entirely above the atmosphere, if it had only been partially above I would have had to fake the effect of the atmosphere on the lens flare.

RealUser

AFAIK TG2TP isn't currently able to render lensflares. So, you have to do it in postwork.
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Ricowan

#4
Why would you want to ruin a perfectly nice render by adding lens flares?  ;) 

These things are caused by defects in the camera lens, and it's something lens manufacturers have been trying to get rid of (or at least reduce) for a long time.  I guess some people like them, but I don't personally.  It's not something you'd be able to see with the naked eye, so it's not something I want to see in my renders.  :)


FrankThomas

Quote from: Ricowan on January 01, 2007, 01:09:14 PM
These things are caused by defects in the camera lens, and it's something lens manufacturers have been trying to get rid of (or at least reduce) for a long time.  I guess some people like them, but I don't personally.  It's not something you'd be able to see with the naked eye, so it's not something I want to see in my renders.  :)


That's not entirely true (speaking with my photographer head on.) You get lens flare from a perfect multicoated lens if the sun is in the frame (if there was such a beast.)  You just kind of get used to when it's going to appear and adjust accordingly :)

3DGuy

You're right in terms of flare. But there's also the reflections ;)

ProjectX

Well, It's not a flare as such that I felt it needed, it's just that the white circle looks rubbish like that

littlecannon

You could always add extra glow power to the sun in Photoshop. I feel that lens flares work when used correctly, but mainly end up making images look like cheesy Sci-Fi posters. It's personal opinion at the end of the day.
I just need to tweak that texture a bit more...

Oshyan

There are several different ways to handle this and different things involved. Lens flare and so-called "bloom" are two camera-related aspects. There is also the actual corona of the sun, although that wouldn't usually be visible. Generally speaking the sun would just be too darn bright to look at with the naked eye in space. If you used some kind of filter it would probably just look like the example images above, except with better antialiaisng. ;)

In any case we do plan to improve the rendering of ultra-bright objects like this. Facility for doing so will likely include some kind of "bloom" or glow effect. We will also likely implement simple lens flare. There is some more discussion of this over here: http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=183.0

- Oshyan

ProjectX

Ok thanks for the swift reply, I look forward to doing some nice celestial renders in the future, although I didn't think AA was a must as this was only really to be used as an example and not a final render.