PhotoWorks: Did you know?

I just saw Corey's posts so I thought I'd continue the theme...

Rendering Trick for Simulating Perspective

I've been experimenting with using virtual lenses for creating
perspective views when the SolidWorks settings aren't giving me what
I'm looking for.

What I did was to create a revolved surface, shaped as one half of
a magnifying glass lens and assign a refractive see-through material
to it.

I zoomed in far enough until I was looking 'through' the lens, then I
rendered the image.

Here is an example...
http://www.mikejwilson.com/misc/security_camera.jpg

The original video image I used as a reference was taken through a
security camera, so I needed to capture that 'fish-eye' dealy.

Maybe this might help someone?

Mike Wilson

 

Mike,

You are like a PhotoWorks God or something. I just wish I knew how to use
PhotoWorks to begin with. Unfortunately, I don't have a need for it in my
industry very often so I have never had a chance to try to learn it.

Please post your findings on the Flight 77 thing when you get done.....

 

...

Thanks Seth. Paul Salvador, Ed Eaton, Brian Hill and others really helped
me with their very-very useful tips.

You bet! The models will all be freeware, and I'll see what I can do
about some of the mis-information I've run across. Maybe do an FAQ
or something.

Mike

 

Mike, is it possible to take a jpeg of the actual room as it is in SW. Maybe
it is before the early morning coffee, maybe it is just because I am not the
morning person. My head is just not wrapping around this. From my
understanding, you put a lens that is bigger than the model in front of it
and then added the proper material?

 

Mike J. Wilson said regarding this

how accurate the >PhotoWorks effects are compared to a real lens, but I
believe it all can be calculated somehow >ahead of time so you know what the
rendering will look like before you start.

If you use SW Perspective view you shouldn't have to make the lense all that
big just locate it well. Although you could make it small and scale it up to
desired size. Though to have accurate bending of the light you would have
to locate it at the real vantage point. I wonder if you could make a
binocular effect with 2 lenses at varying distances from eachother. That
must be what my "bug eye" render is missing Mike.

Corey Scheich

 

Funny that we are now talking about how the lens might be able to do this
and the the likes. I have been playing with the curve of the lense and
keeping the model in the same orientation. and seeing what kind of effects
come out of it. It gets really kewl when you create the surface so that it
is almost like 1/2, or close to it, sphere shape.

 

No problemo.

Here is a screenshot representing the overall scale. As you can see,
the lens is just about actual size...

http://www.mikejwilson.com/misc/lens1.jpg

Here is the actual video compared to the rendering...

http://www.mikejwilson.com/misc/security_camera2.jpg

I'm still not done, but it looks pretty close.

Material Type: Glass
Specular: 0
Roughness: 1
Transparent: 1

I zoomed all the way into the lens. It's strange, but it works!

Mike

 

That would be a fun experiment. I wonder if you would have to focus
it? Ha! A poor mans blur affect... whoa, that would be cool.

Mike

 

Now if you could make the lense dirty.

Funny thing yesterday I was going to say "Looks Like a Government building."
Had no idea that it would be the Pentagon. I have a material that is
roofing stone that you would see on an industrial roof if you would like.

 

Maybe multiple lenses for the telescope, include a mirror to look at
virtural stars...
All jokes aside this is awsome! well done

 

You would have to use AutoCad and model the stars in Light Years. What is
the distance between lenses in Light Years? I don't think 8 Decimal places
will cut it. =^)

Corey

 

No , i didnt know.
this is actually very helpful , because i have problems with the perspective
changing when you add bigger geometry (but my rendered view perspective has
to stay the same,but it does not).

Thanks mike