Author Topic: Washed out images - help me understand!!  (Read 4929 times)

2017-12-05, 14:16:53

davetwo

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Hi - I have an ongoing problem where my images are looking washed-out compared to the C4D picture viewer. (And crucially, my expectations). I had initially thought that this may be a gamma issue when using linear colour space. But I haven't found a solution to output the images 'correctly'.

There's a screengrab attached of what I mean - any ideas??

Cheers
R

2017-12-05, 21:55:44
Reply #1

burnin

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:)

"What about PS example?!? How does it look? Which format do you use? Color profile?..."

First, to be on the safe side, in PS use 16bit tiff (profiled). You also need to be aware that alpha channel is strictly linear.
Disclaimer: for my taste & needs PS is too finicky, confused & limiting and so on - remnants of ancient tech ;)

Now, on to the color science - down The Rabbit Hole* you go...
 
* The Rabbit Hole - Questions and discussions about scene referred, display referred, color management, pipelines, and rendering.
It all begins here: "Render with a wider dynamic range in cycles to produce photorealistic looking images"


Have fun :)

2017-12-06, 10:09:01
Reply #2

davetwo

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Oh dear... I though it may end up like this ;) Thanks for the reply.

It's still a problem which I think needs solving though. The disparity between the Cinema4d picture viewer and final render especially.

Here's some general information in case its useful:
My work is always stills - for web and print output. And Photoshop is used for all post/processing.
While I sometimes keep an aRGB 16bit master, the delivery format is almost always 8bit sRGB.
From Corona saving out all formats and bit depths result in the more muted colours. (See attached)
Photoshop is better than it used to be at opening exr files - but it won't be able to see the contained passes - so really I need to save out layered psd of tif.
My monitor is calibrated with a Spyder

I just think there must be a more reliable way of matching outputs - even if it involves an extra conversion after opening in PS.

Interesting video BTW. Although oddly I found the 'filmic' outputs looked less 'real' than the old versions.


2017-12-06, 15:45:42
Reply #3

burnin

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Hmm, likely a bug then... IDK, but i remember there was similar issue on windows in the past. Now is fine (r18/r19).
I assume that AR/Phy/RPR or other engines work fine... ?

2017-12-06, 19:46:12
Reply #4

davetwo

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Yep the other renderers are fine. Will post a note in the bugs section too.
Thanks
R