Panoramic for Set Extension/Sky Replacement

[Maryam]

Panoramic
This might be useful for those interested in 3D matte painting.

http://www.digitalartform.com/assets/panTileAnim.gif

When a camera pans or tilts about its own nodal point,
it experiences no translation at all — only rotation about itself.
Nodal point pans and tilts can be recognized by the fact that...

Read more at The open notebook of Joseph Francis (http://www.digitalartform.com/nodalPointPan.htm)

[jfrancis]

Here's a little more on the topic. It's part 1 of a new series of 3 parts.

http://www.digitalartform.com/archives/ ... pan_1.html (http://www.digitalartform.com/archives/2004/10/nodal_point_pan_1.html)

[Ross Forster]

Cheers, I've been looking more and more into this subject recently.

[jfrancis]

more still... here's part 2:

http://www.digitalartform.com/archives/ ... t_pan.html (http://www.digitalartform.com/archives/2004/10/nodal_point_pan.html)

... these first two parts were groundwork for part 3, which will use flat planes intersecting in 3-space instead of a painted sphere.

[Ross Forster]

Thanks for the heads up jfrancis.

[jfrancis]

http://www.digitalartform.com/archives/images/comboView.jpg

Here, as promised above, is part 3. If you see only one of these, see this one.

http://www.digitalartform.com/archives/ ... pan_2.html (http://www.digitalartform.com/archives/2004/11/nodal_point_pan_2.html)

This is an explanation of how to do nodal point pan and tile work with nothing but flat planes.

[Ross Forster]

Great, much abliged.

[homer]

Great notes.
You should do one with multiple layers and parallax too.

Thanks Joseph

[Ross Forster]

Yeah, by all means please continue Joseph... they've been pretty damn good so far. 8)

Any chance you could supply the scene file used in those demonstrations?

[LFGabel]

Great info. I've added this to my list of shots to try. Thanks! :)

I'm a newb in all this, but I think this technique will only work with a nodal camera move. In other words, multiple layers and parallax doesn't occur with a nodal pan. Am I correct to think this?

[jfrancis]

I'm glad you are liking the tutorials!

At the suggestion of Ross Forster, I've edited the blog entry to include the Maya 6 scene files. revisit it to download them and play around with them.

LGGabel: yes, this is all about parallax-free, nodal point, "camera on sticks" work. It will fail if the camera translates.

To move the camera, you can try some camera mapping work along these lines:

http://www.digitalartform.com/archives/ ... cti_1.html (http://www.digitalartform.com/archives/2004/11/camera_projecti_1.html)

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I'll probably put one last tutorial together that uses real photos and deals with the real-world distortion problems of imperfect lenses and uneven lighting from photo to photo.

I'm waiting for the arrival of my new computer with the better graphics card before I do the tutorial -- it's so much easier to line up the cards by eye when you can turn on high quality hardware mapping in the Maya GUI -- something I can't do with my current computer.

[Ross Forster]

Thanks for doing that joseph, but are v6.0 scene files non backward compatable? Kind of a bummer...

[neuropixels]

All this information is great! but I'm always wondering about how I can deal with multiple projection cams inside maye? Anyone know it? I've found some camera mapping tutorials (about photogametry) and all them talk about the maya process with ONE Proyection CAM only!!! how can I achieve the same that in Image Modeller from Realviz????
I'll be waiting answers... Thanks in advance

[jfrancis]

You bring up an interesting question. This should be a lot easier than it is.

You should be able to hang multiple projectors all around the object and fill in texture from all angles.

Some issues that might arise: the textures would need their own alpha fallof to help blend them in. You will probably need to use what Maya calls "UV Sets" (multiple UV's on the same object)

You shouldbn't have to "bake out" your projections into unwrapped textures.

In the case of a view-dependent 3D paint system, you should be able to project on each brush stroke.

I don't have a quick answer for you, but it's something I want to look into, and I'll play around with it.

Maybe someone here has more experience with this aspect of projection mapping?

[neuropixels]

Thanks for your early repply.
I see... the technical way (I know how it would be, but in the practical field I don't). When you talk about projectors, do you mean some inferno tool? or another compositing software which can manaje projections in this way?.
In Maya could be like you said, with UVSETS and alpha channels to blend each projection. The thing is it going away from the knowed technique that most of us is get use to use. I mean create a camera and apply a file to it projection shader swiching the tab to fix and use that camera projection, so you can't do multiples projections.
I don't know if there are any other way that not have to be using UVSETS.

I'll let this question open to any who want to give some know how...

[bRuNuShky]

Hello ... I have a question I use 3dmax and I cant find the way to make the same thing that have read in this tutorial in special when he talk about projet many image in a iner sphere surface .. I mean I have use cameramap objetmodifier but If I use two image I lost the first map when I aply the second UV cameramap... well I looking the same and I find that if I use a map in ligth like a projection map I can use many image but something is wrong when one image stich over other image its become more bright and you can see where the two image are connected...

well the question is this: camera projection is diferent from camera maping?? ... In camera projection you can use many image in diferent UV cordinates in the same objet?....
I mean the is this a special tool from Maya or there is thomething like this in max and where or how can I aply this ...

thanks and sorry for my bad english

[homer]

Camera Map in MAX is same as Projection in Maya

-Use multiple maps for example use “MIX”
-Make sure to use different Map Channels for different Maps
-And when you apply “Camera Mapping Modifier” change the Map channel to match to the assigned material.

[bRuNuShky]

Hi there... thanks for the tips .... I have seen something about this but I think that I have done something wrong because this dont work to me .. I will follow yours tips :lol: and try again ... later I tell If I have understand this or if I need more help :oops:

anyway thanks homer

[bRuNuShky]

ok I have do a few test and now I understan how map channels and camermap works ... but I have the same problem when the two image stich together it look more brightness in this area... I have play with the self ilumination control, with rgb controls, opacity too... but have the same wrong result :cry: if some one can help me with this I will be very thankfully

[jfrancis]

I'll probably put one last tutorial together that uses real photos and deals with the real-world distortion problems of imperfect lenses and uneven lighting from photo to photo.

I'm waiting for the arrival of my new computer with the better graphics card before I do the tutorial -- it's so much easier to line up the cards by eye when you can turn on high quality hardware mapping in the Maya GUI -- something I can't do with my current computer.

...better late than never?

Here's an example I did using some real photos taken by the Apollo 17 astronauts:

http://www.digitalartform.com/archives/images/3rdSetup.jpg

http://www.digitalartform.com/archives/ ... pan_3.html (http://www.digitalartform.com/archives/2006/04/nodal_point_pan_3.html)

[Da_Elf]

quick question would be for those who dont have anccess or knowledge in 3d could this stuff be done using AE or combustions 3d view? (or the other compositing packages as well like shake and higher end discreet products)

[jfrancis]

I don't know enough about those products to say. Anyone else know?

[bcottman]

Nuke has a great 3D workflow. Ive used it for pan n tiles and camera projections.

[jfrancis]

Looks like microsoft is starting to figure this out.

http://labs.live.com/photosynth/video.html

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...Paul Haeberli's early work on automatic merging

http://www.graficaobscura.com/merge/index.html