Positioning and scaling Skybox/HDRI Images in Enscape?

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  • Hello!


    I think we can all agree that Enscape is such a useful and powerful tool in many ways for professionals creating architectural renderings in SketchUp. However, I have run into an issue that I can't seem to resolve, regarding the SkyBox functionality.


    While its great to be able to download and install custom HDRI images from various resources online into the SkyBox settings window, there seems to be no way to scale or position the background image/scene. This renders the SkyBox function useless to architectural designers in my opinion. Most imported HDRI images render too large in scale to the foreground building, whether in my own Enscape projects or demonstrations I've seen in tutorials.


    Other programs such as VRay 3 (I believe) and definitely KeyShot 8 allow you scale your HDRI image, and move it around so that it matches the scene.


    Am I missing something? Any suggestions? Thanks!

  • I would say, scaling depends on the camera placement during the real world shooting. Most HDRI are shot at to low level over the ground and you can't change it later, the foreground is too big. Best would be to get HDRI shot a few meters above the ground.


    I can't imagine how Vray or KeyShot should allow to scale, only shifting the horizon line with some side effects at the poles.

  • Joshmgrabo - scaling of the Skybox, and therefore the HDRI is not currently possible in Enscape.


    We do not have it as a story in our developer agenda at present, so I will add it.

    From my time using Lightwave3D, for a long time they have had the ability to add and scale the sphere that is the skybox, which would also affect the scale of the HDRI image as the image was essentially mapped to the spheres surface, which seems the obvious solution in this instance, but I do not know how easy that is to implement in Enscape.


    Micha's suggestion is your only workaround with the current state of affairs.


    Added the story to the developer agenda anyway.

  • I was attempting an object that would sit in an existing interior space. I have a skybox shot with a GoPro that was about 3 meters in the air. I cannot seem to figure out a way to "scale" the object within the photo so that it appears to touch the ground and be the proper scale. Would it be able to add a way to connect a height/object or maybe distance above ground with the origin point of Sketchup? I'm thinking along the lines of how Sketchup has the photo match feature. Otherwise I am in the same situation as Joshmgrabo . I have an object with no way to control its placement in the world.


    Are there any possible work arounds using photoshop - like scaling the skybox image? Seems like it could be hit and miss, but...