(Solved) Non-standard Cubemap, any tools?

bitinn

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone have seen cubemaps that put Y+ at the center of the cross, for example:



If all I have is a standard panorama HDR image or a standard cubemap (where Z+ or X+ is at the center), can I generate a non-standard cubemap like above from it?

(Maya's PBR material unfortunately use this weird format for IBL, and I haven't found a way to "rotate" a standard cubemap into this coordinate through hypershade or shaderfx.)

Eric Chadwick

Lys can do this.
https://www.knaldtech.com/lys/

bitinn

Eric Chadwick said:

Lys can do this.
https://www.knaldtech.com/lys/

Tried the latest demo but couldn't get it to work with my PC (Win10 + GTX 1070).

Loading panorama/cubemaps or generating a procedural skybox leaves me with a blank or white previews.

Reinstalled latest drivers + tried compatibility mode, no luck.

(I am guessing their support won't be responsive during holiday...)

----

I am actually hoping cmftStudio has this feature as I use it more often, but I can't find an option to do this simple rotation. I can rotate individual cubemap tiles but not the HDR input, likely I am missing something...

I haven't tried IBLBaker, as it was Windows only and required building... never quite understand why people enjoy building from source on Windows platform, but that's just my rant...

Eric Chadwick

@metalliandy

metalliandy

Thanks for the ping @Eric Chadwick

@bitinn Sorry you are having problems with Lys. Can you confirm which drivers you currently have installed and if you have multiple GPUs installed on your system please ?
I'm running Windows 10 version 1709 with 388.71 and everything seems to be working as expected here, so I'm guessing that the issue is something specific to your system.

First of all could you please rename the LysDemo.ini found within the C:/Users/%username%/AppData/Roaming/Knald Technologies folder to LysDemo_orig.ini and then try running Lys to see if that fixes your issue. If that fixes your issue please send the LysDemo_orig.ini us the  file so we can debug it.

Also can you send me a copy of the texture you are trying to load so I can test it here please? You can send it to support@knaldtech.com

Please let me know how you get on

bitinn

metalliandy said:

Thanks for the ping @Eric Chadwick

@bitinn Sorry you are having problems with Lys. Can you confirm which drivers you currently have installed and if you have multiple GPUs installed on your system please ?
I'm running Windows 10 version 1709 with 388.71 and everything seems to be working as expected here, so I'm guessing that the issue is something specific to your system.

First of all could you please rename the LysDemo.ini found within the C:/Users/%username%/AppData/Roaming/Knald Technologies folder to LysDemo_orig.ini and then try running Lys to see if that fixes your issue. If that fixes your issue please send the LysDemo_orig.ini us the  file so we can debug it.

Also can you send me a copy of the texture you are trying to load so I can test it here please? You can send it to support@knaldtech.com

Please let me know how you get on

Thx for following up.

To answer your questions:

- same Windows 10 build (1709) and same driver (388.71)

- only one GPU, gigabyte GTX 1070 mini.

- did the ini rename, saw a fresh ini created, same issue persists.

- see attachment for HDR/EXR images (highly doubt they are the issue as generate clear sky is also result in blank preview for me)

----

But I think I have some idea on why it's happening:

- I am connecting from a Mac, to a PC without monitor, using TeamViewer.

- It seems the recent Windows 10 update change something regarding how they handle monitors. Causing GPU to not see any monitors in some cases, and hence gives no output for certain GPU-accelerated applications or games.

- Substance and Lys appears to be affected.

Not sure you have ever help someone to workaround this issue?

eCstatic

bitinn said:

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone have seen cubemaps that put Y+ at the center of the cross, for example:

If all I have is a standard panorama HDR image or a standard cubemap (where Z+ or X+ is at the center), can I generate a non-standard cubemap like above from it?

(Maya's PBR material unfortunately use this weird format for IBL, and I haven't found a way to "rotate" a standard cubemap into this coordinate through hypershade or shaderfx.)

I'm trying to get the same setup in 3DS Max, the whole shader is a pain in the ass to get right tho my metallic and roughness maps are not working as they should.

poopipe

I had the same problem, I ended up taking cubemaps apart and reordering the faces in Microsoft directx image tool.

Then I got sick of doing that and changed my shader to use panoramas instead 

bitinn

poopipe said:

I had the same problem, I ended up taking cubemaps apart and reordering the faces in Microsoft directx image tool.

Then I got sick of doing that and changed my shader to use panoramas instead 

Big question from me: are you using Maya? which material do you use as base in hypershade, ShaderFX or Stingray PBS or GLSL shader?

Eric Chadwick

Using teamviewer to remote into a PC from a Mac, and you expect graphics to work properly?? Hahahahha, wow.

bitinn

Eric Chadwick said:

Using teamviewer to remote into a PC from a Mac, and you expect graphics to work properly?? Hahahahha, wow.

Guess what, it's been ok for many things.

And Eric I don't know you are an expert on VNC-related software.

Eric Chadwick

I use TeamViewer, and Windows Remote Desktop. Does that count?

Seriously tho, have u tried going directly into the box?

bitinn

Eric Chadwick said:

I use TeamViewer, and Windows Remote Desktop. Does that count?

Seriously tho, have u tried going directly into the box?

It would probably work, but I don't have a monitor at the moment. A crazy edge case scenario, I know.

I will try out a few things to get Lys working, failing that, I am going to try making a non Stingray-PBS shader in Maya (hopefully they will "fix" this weird cubemap setup someday).

metalliandy

@bitinn You are probably correct in that it's the remote viewing that is causing the problems. GPU hardware vendors often restrict direct passthrough functionality on consumer GPUs, which would be a prerequisite for any compute program running within a virtual or remote environment, preferring to keep that functionality for workstation graphics.

Sorry I cant be of more help

eCstatic

Im working on a similar endeavor and can convert your HDRI for you if you like

bitinn

eCstatic said:

Im working on a similar endeavor and can convert your HDRI for you if you like

Thx a lot! You can find my HDR panorama image in my previous reply (as an attachment).

eCstatic

Let me know if you get the shader working correctly, I'm running into issues with the roughness map in my shader.

bitinn

@eCstatic read through this thread, I think it will help you:

http://polycount.com/discussion/188844/substance-pbr-export-appears-more-glossy-in-maya#latest

But the TL;DR version: Maya doesn't support grayscale roughness map. You need a custom shader (very easy to make, read that thread!)

eCstatic

@bitinn I'm using Max, but ill try the RMA method regardless. Thanks!

Eric Chadwick

Shader FX works pretty much the same in 3ds Max as it does in Maya.

bitinn

eCstatic said:

Let me know if you get the shader working correctly, I'm running into issues with the roughness map in my shader.

IF you got time, could you update a copy of the HDR panorama after you have re-oriented it?

I run into some issues in Maya with the radiance map you uploaded, want to double check and make the cubemap myself to be sure.

bitinn

Hold on, I have think I have found a much easier solution to my problem! (well, given I don't have a monitor for PC Windows, and given my workflow is on macOS)

1) get Hugin for macOS (also available for Windows), A panorama image editor.

2) launch it and switch into export mode, now add your HDR image as equirectangular with 360 FOV.

3) go into move/drag tab, and reproject the HDR image by pitching -90 degree.

4) go into stitcher tab, and stitch using a HDR output

5) voila!



6) (optional) convert the output (OpenEXR or TIFF) into a format your cubemap tool accepts.

7) For me, I use cmftStudio (available on macOS/Windows) to make my cubemap.



That's it!

poopipe

bitinn said:

poopipe said:

I had the same problem, I ended up taking cubemaps apart and reordering the faces in Microsoft directx image tool.

Then I got sick of doing that and changed my shader to use panoramas instead 

Big question from me: are you using Maya? which material do you use as base in hypershade, ShaderFX or Stingray PBS or GLSL shader?

The stupid direction cubemaps is a feature of stingray pbs and behaves the same in both max and maya iirc - you can't do anything about it as it's all locked up in the material node.


The new Shader is a built from scratch ShaderFX material so I can do whatever I want.