Resources - Free High-Res Backplates and 10K HDR Domes on HDRI4FREE.COM

[ladoamt2001]

Hi everybody, We've set up a small website www.hdri4free.com , where everyone can download a high resolution background set including 8 Backplates + according HDR Dome every month. You can use the results for non commercial purposes (portfolio, personal website, presentation & client pitching). There no hidden costs or anything. Sets from previous months can be purchased as low as 29.90 Euros. You also can upload your results to the user gallery to showcase them. According how popular the offering will get, we will post more often free sets. All you have to do is to register. Your address will not be sold or given to 3rd parties, but only used for our newsletter (when new free set will be available). Best results will be featured also in our weekly newsletter (maground.com) which reaches over 15.000 professionals from advertising industry. As we are the leading image archive for automotive background and HDR Domes and our clients have often asked us for good 3D Freelance artists, we have created hdri4free.com to encourage 3D enthusiasts to work with our images. So please feel free to showcase your skills! Good rendering!

[Rigel]

I just paid this site a visit. It's very well designed and the registration process was very simple.

I'm in the process of downloading the free pack at the moment.

[Andrew March]

I agree completely with Rigel, superb layout and content, my only beef really is that they didn't post the link soon enough! Some of the earlier free packs look excellent but sadly I cannot afford to buy them.

[ladoamt2001]

we've reduced the prices for this week! Starting now from 19.99€.

[CAClark]

There are two free packs over at SM Cars as well, I rendered some shots with the industrial pack here: http://www.scorpiocgi.co.uk/1687

Go grab them as well!

[Andrew March]

Awesome, thanks Craig.

[3D_CG]

Downloaded the set and there is 1 (one) Hdr image..
ahhh where is the other 8 (eight)..hdr's????

"Use the HDRI4FREE images up to 7216x5412px.
HDR DOMES: up to 26 f-stops & 13.000px. SET: 300 - 600MB Zip File."

something missing...

jpg's backplates, say what...

The Website Gives me an "Out of memory at line 3802" error..

Something wrong with this sites coding...




hmmmmm

[3D_CG]

Originally Posted by CAClark

There are two free packs over at SM Cars as well, I rendered some shots with the industrial pack here: http://www.scorpiocgi.co.uk/1687

Go grab them as well!

where abouts on the site are they??? lookied but cant seem to find the darn puppies??

thanks

[Andrew March]

The HDR's that Craig is talking about are on smcars.net and why on earth are you using Interarse explorer! For god's sake man, save your sanity and download Firefox with the noscript addon and the adblock plus addon! DO IT NOW!!!

[3D_CG]

opps
ya i know IE sucks bigtime...

But i install FireFox and puter gets all screwed up... Something about all the 64 bit OS and the 32 bit FF.... My System Icons go all screwey... after installing FF..???

Just spent a week Reformatting and reloading System... and had everything running great no problems... Installed FF and things started getting screwed up again... Reloaded the System and have not reloaded FF..

Have no idea if it was FF or the Fraking MS OS that screwed up, but everything is sweet and fast, and not taking the chance again.....

Beleive U me I miss FF, just dont want to deal with the headache MS OS gives me after putting FF on..it..



I use IE 64 bit Mostly....

FF 64 bit still buggy..

[Andrew March]

Never had any problems with running FF on win7 64bit, I would suggest that you have other issues going on that you might want to resolve. Start by downloading Ccleaner and running the full range of scans/cleanups, then download malwarebytes anti-malware, then try reinstalling FF because seriously mate IE is just going to **** you up!

[3D_CG]

Have CCleaner, DeFraggler, and malwarebytes ...

Maybe After I do a Restore Point and an Image Backup, I will try the FF again..

Normally I have no issues with IE 8, except once and awhile... other than that I have FF downloaded to my Downloaded Program folder..

Maybe later I will shut every thing down, and load it up I have the 32 and 64 bit FF


I will flip a coin...

where's my coin...

[ladoamt2001]

@ 3D_CG : We offer 8 Backpaltes + HDR Dome. So it's only one HDR Dome per Set.
THe Backplates are in JPG format but saved 1:1. If we upload Tif images the zip file will be over 1000MB , so we can't really finance such a big traffic volume (with over 100 downloads per day). If you experienced problems with the download email us, and we will send you the zipped archive with retransfer. Please email at mail@maground.com. HDRI4FREE is a website that belongs to maground.com. Regards, Alexi.

[Meurig]

If your sky domes are saved as JPG they are not HDR. JPG does not have high range because they're clipped at 8bit, completely defeating the point of HDR.

If you are providing 8bit JPG 'skydomes' that's another thing, but calling them HDR would be false advertising in that case, especially if they aren't free.

I would hope that your tiffs are at least 16 bit and built from multi-exposure source photos.

[Andrew March]

Rhys, the dome is HDRI, only the backplates are .jpg

[baneraze]

great site! i'm already added it to my bookmarks.

[3D_CG]

Originally Posted by ladoamt2001

@ 3D_CG : We offer 8 Backpaltes + HDR Dome. So it's only one HDR Dome per Set.
THe Backplates are in JPG format but saved 1:1. If we upload Tif images the zip file will be over 1000MB , so we can't really finance such a big traffic volume (with over 100 downloads per day). If you experienced problems with the download email us, and we will send you the zipped archive with retransfer. Please email at mail@maground.com. HDRI4FREE is a website that belongs to maground.com. Regards, Alexi.

I can handle the 1000 meg no problem...

Actually You have the dome HDR format, and then 2 or 4 plates HDR format...yes HDR are Big Files...

The Dome is Nice, But as Mentioned above the JPG backplates Totally defeat the purpose of "High Dynamic Range Floating Point Image" used in Radiosity Renders, because the HDR is what luminates the scene.. no other lighting but the HDR Images and JPG just does not work in BackDrop Radiosity..

JPG's are worthless when used as Radiosity lumination..

[Gordon Robb]

My assumption would be that the HDR s for GI and the jpgs are for backplates.

[3D_CG]

But having the backplates HDR would be benificial to lighting the scene as well..

[CAClark]

Originally Posted by 3D_CG

But having the backplates HDR would be benificial to lighting the scene as well..

No it wouldn't. The main HDR 360 would provide the lighting (using imageworld in Lightwave), and the backplate is added as the comp background, which has no impact in GI. And think about it, a backplate would only represent a snapshot of the whole environment, and would therefore be little real use or benefit in terms of lighting.

The only real benefit to the plates being HDR/Raw would be added scope to adjust the tone of of the backplate for visual purpose to match to the required light level of the HDR environment.

Cheers!

[Meurig]

They might be useful as reflection cards in which case being 8bit is fairly useless, but if the main dome itself is provided as 16bit or up it's fair enough.

[3D_CG]

Originally Posted by CAClark

No it wouldn't. The main HDR 360 would provide the lighting (using imageworld in Lightwave), and the backplate is added as the comp background, which has no impact in GI. And think about it, a backplate would only represent a snapshot of the whole environment, and would therefore be little real use or benefit in terms of lighting.

The only real benefit to the plates being HDR/Raw would be added scope to adjust the tone of of the backplate for visual purpose to match to the required light level of the HDR environment.

Cheers!

oh oh
Thats Right Daaa
Slightly Got Ahead OF Myself there


Added that This Free one to the Smart IBL sets...

Thats where I got a little side tracked..

Me Bad... Make me eat donuts and coffee at Hooters...

[ladoamt2001]

We provide HDR Domes. Those are 32 Bit Tif's with 24 f Stops, so it's all there what you need for a good reflection. The backplates are in JPG, but that is not a problem, as you don' t need tif for backdrops. We could also offer TIF backplates, but that will increase the ZIP file size immensely and also the bandwidth (which is not cheap by the way, if you have over 1000 downloads in 2 weeks). In terms of quality there is no difference between the 8 bit TIF and JPG (compressed with best settings).We will soon increase the rate of new sets - around 2 per month. So stay tuned!

[wave of light]

Currently having a look around the site. Looks pretty and is well mapped out. Quick too.

[Andrew March]

Just a quick note for those who have tried to use the free set showing the coast road with the palm trees. The HDR image does not match the lighting or colouring of the backplates, making this set completely useless!

The HDR is a completely saturated yellow shot with a black sky obviously taken some hours after the backplates.

[wave of light]

@Andrew: I noticed that when trying to get close to the VW Camper shot that's on the gallery. I will post my effort later when I get a moment.

[Andrew March]

Brought this issue to their attention, no reply. Go figure!

[CAClark]

Originally Posted by Andrew March

Brought this issue to their attention, no reply. Go figure!

For saying you are complaining about free stuff, I think your attitude leaves something to be desired.

I'd probably ignore you too.

[wave of light]

I think they offer them for sale after the free period has expired. So they may want to check they work.

[Starbase1]

Originally Posted by wave of light

I think they offer them for sale after the free period has expired. So they may want to check they work.

True, they are free for a time then go paid.

In the light of which a failure to respond is hardly going to encourage confidence in the quality of work, or encourage sales...