78 replies to this topic

[Aharon]

Shalom and greetings all my pals,

I just bought new Paint Shop Photo Pro X4 Ultimate for the 24 hour sale price of 25 bucks instead of regular price of 99 bucks and this new version comes with HDR technology that got me curious.

I know that HDR technology is for photos but I am wondering if any of you ever use HDR feature for screenshots and if so, would any of you please post here example of your screenshot created using HDR technology.

Thanks for any assistance you might offer.

Regards,

Aharon

[PrivateCustard]

There is a photography HDR technique where you can use many copies of one single photo, all at varying degrees of exposure, to create a psuedo-HDR image. It's not stictly genuine HDR as it's the same shot, so you'll never achieve the fullest dynamic range. It can be particularly handy for a moving subject though.

The problem with screenshots is that they generally don't have it in them to push too far, showing digital artifacts way too soon, compared to an uncompressed raw file from a modern DSLR.

I'll have a play and see if I can come up with something.

EDIT: I can't find a single screenshot of mine that would need HDR! I think what a lot of people think of as HDR is tone-mapping, which gives that seriously overblown effect, almost unreal in a way.

Edited by PrivateCustard, 06 December 2011 - 01:18 PM.

[Aharon]

PrivateCustard,

Thanks for reply.  You are correct that one of attractive features of HDR is to combine few photos into single one as long as the few photos are of precise same location but different setting such as night, day, morning OR few people or one person in same setting.

Paint Shop Photo Pro X4 Ultimate's claim that you can add or remove people using HDR got me curious and made me realize that HDR may be the only way to have few planes in one location eliminating need for FS Recorder to create screenshot of one scene using many planes.

For instance in one same scene of one airport terminal with 10 gates, you make screenshot of one plane on gate one, another screenshot of another plane in gate 2, another screenshot of another plane in gate 4. Then using HDR technology to combine three screenshots would create a single screenshot of the airport terminal showing THREE planes in three gates.

That is why I am asking if anybody has done this.

And I appreciate you trying to use HDR technology for your screenshots.

Aharon

[Chief_Bean]

Aharon, on Dec 6 2011, 06:47 PM, said:

PrivateCustard,

Thanks for reply.  You are correct that one of attractive features of HDR is to combine few photos into single one as long as the few photos are of precise same location but different setting such as night, day, morning OR few people or one person in same setting.

Paint Shop Photo Pro X4 Ultimate's claim that you can add or remove people using HDR got me curious and made me realize that HDR may be the only way to have few planes in one location eliminating need for FS Recorder to create screenshot of one scene using many planes.

For instance in one same scene of one airport terminal with 10 gates, you make screenshot of one plane on gate one, another screenshot of another plane in gate 2, another screenshot of another plane in gate 4. Then using HDR technology to combine three screenshots would create a single screenshot of the airport terminal showing THREE planes in three gates.

That is why I am asking if anybody has done this.

And I appreciate you trying to use HDR technology for your screenshots.

Aharon

That's not how HDR works...

[PrivateCustard]

Aharon, on Dec 6 2011, 06:47 PM, said:

PrivateCustard,

Thanks for reply.  You are correct that one of attractive features of HDR is to combine few photos into single one as long as the few photos are of precise same location but different setting such as night, day, morning OR few people or one person in same setting.

Paint Shop Photo Pro X4 Ultimate's claim that you can add or remove people using HDR got me curious and made me realize that HDR may be the only way to have few planes in one location eliminating need for FS Recorder to create screenshot of one scene using many planes.

For instance in one same scene of one airport terminal with 10 gates, you make screenshot of one plane on gate one, another screenshot of another plane in gate 2, another screenshot of another plane in gate 4. Then using HDR technology to combine three screenshots would create a single screenshot of the airport terminal showing THREE planes in three gates.

That is why I am asking if anybody has done this.

And I appreciate you trying to use HDR technology for your screenshots.

Aharon

What you're talking about is photo stacking, or photomerging. This is a technique that's widely used in astrophotography (space, stars, planets etc), night shooting (cityscapes etc) and supermacro photography (bugs, so close you can see the petrolesque look in their eyes. This technique is not only photo stacking, but focus stacking too).

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range.

Even expensive cameras have limitations, and dynamic range is one of them. Highlights can blow and shadows can become too dark. By using multiple exposures of the same scene, you can pull all of the detail from all areas, in light or shade.

HDR should, in theory, be a very subtle effect, something akin to what your eyes actually see. But HDR became overrun with the unnatural and overblown variant, which a lot of people called HDR, but was actually tonemapping.

With what you're talking about, it would be far easier to use FS Recorder, as you'll have real trouble changing aircraft and gates, whilst retaining the precise camera position required to pull off a successful photo stack. Even one pixel out of place and you'll end up with severe ghosting over the entire image. And if you get the wrong angle on the scene, nothing will ever match up, no matter what you do.

FS Recorder all the way for the results you want. If it's screenshots you're after, you can run FS Recorder with as many aircraft as you like, framerate doesn't matter when you're only looking for a picture of one of those frames!

This was shot using FS Recorder.

[Aharon]

PrivateCustard,

Thanks for fantastic and interesting explanations on HDR!!!

And thanks for great screenshot!!

I cannot use FS Recorder because it requires SP1 and SP2 for FSX.  I do not want SP1 and SP2.

Once again, thanks for well detailed explanation.  It is odd that instruction manual of the software said a person can add or remove one or more people in the photo using HDR method.

Aharon

[PrivateCustard]

No problem.

All I can advise is to park at a gate, get your camera where you want it, turn the traffic up to 100%.....and wait until you have an aircraft at each gate in turn!

Airline schedules are different day to day quite often, you could take a screenshot at the same time of day over a few different days.

[Santa]

Aharon, on Dec 6 2011, 06:47 PM, said:

PrivateCustard,

Thanks for reply.  You are correct that one of attractive features of HDR is to combine few photos into single one as long as the few photos are of precise same location but different setting such as night, day, morning OR few people or one person in same setting.

Paint Shop Photo Pro X4 Ultimate's claim that you can add or remove people using HDR got me curious and made me realize that HDR may be the only way to have few planes in one location eliminating need for FS Recorder to create screenshot of one scene using many planes.

For instance in one same scene of one airport terminal with 10 gates, you make screenshot of one plane on gate one, another screenshot of another plane in gate 2, another screenshot of another plane in gate 4. Then using HDR technology to combine three screenshots would create a single screenshot of the airport terminal showing THREE planes in three gates.

That is why I am asking if anybody has done this.

And I appreciate you trying to use HDR technology for your screenshots.

Aharon

I think you are on about the cloning or extraction tools here, Aharon.

[Aharon]

PrivateCustard, on Dec 6 2011, 06:30 PM, said:

No problem.All I can advise is to park at a gate, get your camera where you want it, turn the traffic up to 100%.....and wait until you have an aircraft at each gate in turn!Airline schedules are different day to day quite often, you could take a screenshot at the same time of day over a few different days.

PrivateCustard,

Yes  I do have World of AI with many airlines and they are fantastic particularly when you are parked in KMEM on Sunday where tons tons tons of Fed Ex planes are idle at the airport.

LOL

But I am dreaming of creating cool screenshots showing flying formations of airline planes OR showing row of parked same DC10-30 planes at all gates of single terminal.  This can be easily accomplished by utilizing FS Recorder or much much much more difficult and cucumbersome method of Photoshop copying and pasting and resizing and so on.

Thanks for all your help

Aharon

[learjet45dream]

Aharon, on Dec 6 2011, 04:13 PM, said:

I cannot use FS Recorder because it requires SP1 and SP2 for FSX.  I do not want SP1 and SP2.

Why not? You do realize they release these service packs for a reason, one of them being improved performance?

[Aharon]

learjet45dream, on Dec 6 2011, 10:56 PM, said:

Why not? You do realize they release these service packs for a reason, one of them being improved performance?

Here is my story that will answer your question.

2 or 3 years ago, I read in PC PILOT and COMPUTER PILOT many articles about SP1 and S2 with claims by those magazines as well as Microsoft that FSX would run TWENTY PERCENT faster than without those two upgrades. So I got excited and installed those.

Guess what??? FSX became sluggish and I just found out that after installing SP1 and SP2 when I reinstalled all the freeware sceneries and addon planes (I was required to remove all sceneries and add on planes before installing SP1 and SP2), all freeware FS2004 sceneries would not work with SP1 and SP2 of FSX. I made investigation on SP1 and SP2 from extensive research and found out that those updates dealt with improvement of terrains which was why all freeware FS2004 sceneries would render useless especially my important LLBG scenery.

GRRRRRRRR Had to uninstall WHOLE FSX and then reinstall it without SP1 and SP2. FSX ran very fast. So I added all freeware sceneries and addons that work well without SP1 and SP2, and everybody was happy with my screenshots.

That is it

Aharon

[HighFlyin]

Aharon, on Dec 7 2011, 09:29 AM, said:

So I added all freeware sceneries and addons that work well without SP1 and SP2, and everybody was happy with my screenshots.

I'm sorry but...

[Aharon]

HighFlyin, on Dec 7 2011, 09:51 AM, said:

I'm sorry but...

Highflying,

I am sorry but what I am seeing right here is your childish face bursting into your typical childish sequeling with your well known typical childish tantrums that have not accomplished anything for you except making the biggest fool and laughingstock out of yourself on FSW.

Keep doing good job doing that.  FSW members need good laugh at your childish tantrums.

Aharon

[Santa]

Aharon, on Dec 7 2011, 07:51 PM, said:

Keep doing good job doing that.  FSW members need good laugh at your childish tantrums.

Aharon

It's the other way round Aharon. We laugh at you.

[Aharon]

Santa, on Dec 7 2011, 03:20 PM, said:

It's the other way round Aharon. We laugh at you.

Nope  it is the other way around for you.  Steve Jobs would be ashamed to be your avator picture anyway.  You and flyinghigh are finest example why children destroyed great virtual airline subforum of FSW forums.

Keep doing good job making childish comments until you realize you are talking to a wall.

Aharon

[Santa]

I give up. I've reported you for your snide comments about me being "childish".

Edited by Santa, 07 December 2011 - 05:02 PM.

[Aharon]

Santa,

Actually you should consider yourself lucky for not being suspended for personal attacks on other FSW members with call namings such as calling them stupid.  Look at yourself joining this thread by launching personal attack at me first.

You better hope you do not get suspended.

Aharon

[Brandon-M]

Aharon, on Dec 7 2011, 03:48 PM, said:

Santa,

Actually you should consider yourself lucky for not being suspended for personal attacks on other FSW members with call namings such as calling them stupid.  Look at yourself joining this thread by launching personal attack at me first.

You better hope you do not get suspended.

Aharon

Okay now you need to just shut it.

[British_Midland]

Santa, on Dec 7 2011, 01:14 AM, said:

I think you are on about the cloning or extraction tools here, Aharon.

Aharon, on Dec 7 2011, 10:48 PM, said:

Santa,

Actually you should consider yourself lucky for not being suspended for personal attacks on other FSW members with call namings such as calling them stupid.  Look at yourself joining this thread by launching personal attack at me first.

You better hope you do not get suspended.

Aharon

Hardly a personal attack, is it? But if you count that as one, man up.

Edited by British_Midland, 07 December 2011 - 06:20 PM.

[-Dexter]

To OP: Not possible.

Video games don't have an 'exposure' feature, which is what HDR relies on.

Edited by -Dexter, 07 December 2011 - 08:46 PM.