Backgrounds

[garystan]

    Hi everybody :

                Is there a way to control the amount of "stretching" for backgrounds in TFP v15 ?
                Most of the time,  custom backgrounds appear too large,  and it's a chore trying to get them down to the correct size.

                                                                                                           garystan

[Allan Chesney]

Hi Garystan,

What actually is your problem with "stretching"? I can't say I have experienced that.  You will notice that the Backgrounds build into TFP are actualy square images and not specifically large. They are square because they have to go below the Terrain as far as they go above, so any image you use should have the horizon about half way up the image or just a little bit higher - otherwise the horzon line will be underneath the terrain.

Don't know if that helps?

Allan

[garystan]

          Allan :

                      I did a search and found a discussion (reply ) you wrote about using the Photobard.  Very interesting.   Anyway,  I played with it,  and adjust the image.  I was able to  use the imported image in the Photobard as an alternate background.   The result were  a lot better than when I was working with just   a   "Background".      I'll render it and post it.
                                                                           
                                                                                                            garystan

[garystan]

            Allan :

                     After playing around with an image I had stored in  Photoboards,  I  finally got it set right.
                     Image one shows that I used 2 photoboards.   Placing them, after some trial-and-error, correctly.
                     Image two shows the rendering using 2 photoboards.

                                                                                                                                     garystan

[Allan Chesney]

Hi Garystan,

That has worked well!

The photoboards are very handy when used in this way. There are a couple of things you have to watch (but you obviously did not have a problem with them): that the sun illuminates them evenly and correctly, and that no shadows are thrown onto them. That can't happen when a photo is used as a Background image - it is always evenly illuminated.

Another complication is if you want to use artificial lights inside - they will usually go off if Daylight is enabled, so you may then have the problem of trying to evenly illuminate the photoboards with artificial lights. The Background image is always illuminated so that is not a problem.

A situation where you do need to use photoboards as you have, is when you want to get reflections in water or outside windows, as the background image will not reflect. Photobaords were used for the Background and to get the window reflections in the images in this post: http://forums.turbofloorplan.com/index.php/topic,758.0.html.

Allan

[garystan]

         Allan :
   
                       Thanks for your input.    Being this was experimental---to me.    I was sure if it was kinda clumsy, the way I positioned the Photoboards.    I tried moving the closer and further away from the structure.  But......when I had them closer (in distance) to the structure,  they became blurry (after rendering).    Also,  I noticed that when I set them as stationary........and getting them in the correct orientation (rotation),  both ends of the Photoboards seems to be  "in focus".  If I rotated them, and one "end" was a greater distance than the other,  the end that was further away was  "in focus",  while the other end was blurry (after rendering).
                                                                                                                                          garystan

[Allan Chesney]

Hi Garystan,

I have found that photobards used a backgrounds work best if stationary - much eaier to control the end results hat way. Can be veryeffective if used the right way.

Allan

[garystan]

           Allan :
                       Okay.......so  I've been experimenting with Photoboards.   You can see the result in the Gallery.   It's the  Mountain Retreat .   One thing I noticed.   The reflection on the TV Console.........it reflects the Photoboard (which is now the Background).    Look at the upper left hand corner of the console.      Maybe this brings using TFP to the next level ??      If I used Photoboard in my model of the  "walled"  swimming pool,  the  photoboard(background) would have reflected in the water of the pool.   Hmmmmmmmmmmmm................................

                                                                                                                                         garystan

                                                                                                                                                   

[Allan Chesney]

Hi Garystan,

I used Photoboard in my model of the  "walled"  swimming pool,  the  photoboard(background) would have reflected in the water of the pool.                                                                                                                           

That is correct - that is the point I was making about reflections in the my previous reply where I gave the link to the office building: To get the reflection in the windows I used a Photoboard. The Background will not reflect but a Photoboard will. If you use a Photoboard with your swimming pool, it will refelect in the water.  It works well BUT you may run into another problem here - sometimes the Photoboard will also reflect - as in the example images below.  Don't let this stop you trying however, sometimes just a different camera position or sun position will remove the problem.

Allan

[Doug.S]

It would seem that in many/most circumstances, reflections should be in the water...but muddled/faint....depends on angle of view

[Kajvin - Robert W]

Hi Allan and garystan! What is the best size of image  to use then you have a photo board .
/Robert

[Allan Chesney]

Hi Robert,

I have tried all sizes and it does not seem to make much difference. The image is just accessed from your computer (so save them in the Textures folder in czase you change PCs) so even a big image will not affect the model size very much, although accessing the image when you are importing it to Materials will be slower.

Obviously higher resolution is best if the image will be see close up, but if just in the background it can be much lower.

The physical size in the model has to be very big if used for a background - the whole width of your site or much more even, if you are showin g the whole building.

Allan