by differentlink·Rendering
Images © differentlink. Used for product review; image policy.
Easy Environment Lighting stands out in the superhive library for turning phone-shot environment maps into usable lighting, pairing a contrast-boosting shader with five ready-to-use maps.
Image based lighting is a common technique for creating realistic lighting in 3D scenes, and it usually relies on HDRIs shot with a DSLR across multiple exposures, then combined into a 32-bit file. That process can take hours per HDRI. Easy Environment Lighting takes a different route in Blender: capture an environment map with your phone, then boost its contrast with the shader, a process that takes about five minutes.
The workflow uses the Photosphere app to create an environment map on your phone, which produces a low-contrast image. You then load that image into the included node setup, and it boosts the contrast so you get lighting out of a map shot with your phone. The documentation covers both capturing a map with your phone and using the shader.
The package includes the shader, which makes every image an HDRI, plus five environment maps at 47 megapixel resolution. The maps are low on memory, roughly 1/16th compared to a 32-bit image of the same size. It targets Cycles and Blender 2.6x and 2.7x, and is offered under a royalty-free license.
Easy Environment Lighting (Shader) & Five Environment Maps is best for blender artists using Cycles who want image-based lighting from environment maps captured with a phone rather than a multi-exposure DSLR HDRI.
Easy Environment Lighting (Shader) & Five Environment Maps is completely free to download and use.
Easy Environment Lighting is listed for Blender versions 2.6x and 2.7x, and it uses the Cycles render engine. If you are working in one of those versions with Cycles, the shader's node setup and the five included environment maps are meant to slot into your scene. For newer Blender releases, check the developer's page and documentation to confirm current compatibility before relying on it in a project.
Easy Environment Lighting relies on the Photosphere app to capture your own environment maps with a phone. The developer recommends checking whether your phone comes with the Photosphere app pre-installed before you download, since it is necessary for capturing maps. If you only want to use the maps that ship with the package, five environment maps are included at 47 megapixel resolution, so you can work with those without capturing your own.
Easy Environment Lighting uses the Cycles render engine, listed for Blender 2.6x and 2.7x. The shader is built as a node setup that loads an environment map and boosts its contrast, turning a low-contrast image into one that produces usable lighting. It also ships with five environment maps at 47 megapixel resolution. Documentation covers both capturing an environment map with your phone and setting up the shader, so you can follow the workflow from capture through to render.
Easy Environment Lighting is listed as free in this catalog. Licensing terms can change over time, so check the developer's page for the current pricing and license details before you download. The product is offered under a royalty-free license, and it includes the shader along with five environment maps at 47 megapixel resolution. Reviewing the developer's page also lets you confirm the documentation and any requirements before you commit.
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