smart IBL Loader version 1.0
Smart IBL Loader is a free plugin for Cinema 4D, which allows you to load smart IBL 'sets' and apply them to a scene.
This page has links to the original version (1.0) of the loader. This is provided for users of C4D R10 until version 1.1 is compiled for that release of C4D.
For the new version 1.1, please click here.
introduction
Image-based lighting (IBL) is a highly realistic way of lighting a computer graphic scene. However, it can be tedious and time-consuming to set up a scene with good IBL. The Smart IBL system (sIBL), developed by the folks at HDRlabs.com, is a method for making it very easy to apply IBL lighting rigs to a scene.
For full details of sIBL, please refer to the HDRlabs website (http://www.hdrlabs.com/sibl/index.html). In brief, the system provides for:
- image files for background, lighting, and reflection
- creation of the necessary skydomes to hold these images
- creation of sun objects for outside scenes, including alignment, colour, and brightness
- creation of multiple lights for interior scenes, again including alignment, colour, and brightness
- inclusion of GPS data so the user can see exactly where an image set was shot
- easy (often one-click) insertion of all images, lights, and objects into a scene
These parameters are controlled by a simple text file with the extension ‘IBL’. This file, plus the associated image files, makes up an sIBL ‘set’. A user may have multiple sets and from the loader choose which one to apply to the scene.
Loader scripts or plugins exist as freeware for several high-end 3D graphics applications (Max, Maya, XSI and Lightwave), but until now, not for Cinema 4D. The purpose of this plugin is to add C4D to that list.
screen shots from version 1.0
| The sIBL set browser: | The details tab: |
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| The preferences tab: | |
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smart IBL sets
A number of very good HDRI images arranged in sIBL sets can be downloaded from the archive at HDRLabs.com. In addition, I recommend you look at Bob Groothuis's web site, where he has some very high-quality images, arranged as sIBl sets, available.
system requirements:
- Cinema 4D R10.111 or later
- Windows XP/Vista/7 32- or 64-bit, or Mac OSX 10.4 or later
download
The loader can be downloaded from the link below. A manual in .PDF format is included in the .zip files.
Please make sure you download the correct version for your release of C4D! Both PC and Mac plugins are contained in the zip files.
Download sIBL Loader for R110 or R10.5 (1.91Mb, .zip file)
Download sIBL Loader 1.0 for R11 or R11.5 (2.24Mb, .zip file)