VRay 6x1 Cube

[dmhokie]

Is there a way to bring in an image rendered with VRay in 3DS Max using the Cube 6x1 camera? That setting creates the image in a horizontal strip, but when I import it into Pano2VR, it seems to convert it to its cube faces that is a cross shape. Therefore, it isn't reading the faces in the right position. Am I missing a step or a wrong setting somewhere?

[360Texas]

You did not mention your image cube face sequence order:

I think Pano2vr 6 cube face sequence is: left, back, right, front, top, bottom

Assuming your panorama is already in the above cube face format it is possible to
SELECT INPUT
Type: change Auto to Strip
OPEN: browse to your strip file

More about converting equirectangles to cubes.
Pano2vr software is an image converter. Look for horizontal strip sequence
https://ggnome.com/doc/pano2vr/5/converting-images/

[dmhokie]

It appears VRay puts it out as front, back, top, bottom, left, right.

[360Texas]

Is it possible to modify your camera cube face sequence ouput? OR can you save as single cube faces ? Then rename the cube faces

EDIT see cube face order viewtopic.php?f=6&t=11012

[dmhokie]

Not that I know of. 3DS just sets the camera to Cube 6x1.

[TrBailey]

I use Octane Render and we use a spherical equirectangular camera with a 2:1 resolution.
Cube faces are more efficient but the cube faces option in Octane has a different order than pano2vrs.

[Boothy]

Hi
In Vray for sketchup you set the `camera` in vray to spherical and set `override FOV to 360`, set `output` ratio to 2:1 and your done. Vray will output a equirectangular image which you can convert to cube faces in pano2vr if required. Its similar in 3Dmax, Max does also have the added option of outputting stereo equirectangular images (I think its the stereo mirror option - its been a while since I used Max) which is great for HMD VR work.

you tube link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4doPUBK3mw

Boothy

[3DV]

Vray outputs the 6x1 strip (and 12x1 for stereo) in native Oculus/Gear VR format, in the following way:

Gear-VR-6x1-strip.jpg (68.6 KiB) Viewed 11430 times

To confirm this, simply copy this example strip to your Oculus\360Photos folder on your device and view it with the GearVR.

It would be very convenient if Pano2VR could use this format for input, and also convert to this format for viewing on the Gear VR (with the native 360 Photos app).

Note: the added benefit is that a strip like this uses 33% less pixels, without reducing visual quality compared to equirectangular images . This has to do with the large overhead of pixels in equirectangular pictures near the nadir and zenith. Example: at the exact nadir and zenith only one pixel is needed for display, while the equirectangular image has the full row of pixels (6144 pixels horizontally is optimal for GearVR).
The math: if both a 6x1 cube and an equirectangular image would use 6144 horizontal pixels, the equirectangular would have a format of 6144x3072=18,9 MP, a 6x1 strip would use 1536*1536*6=14,2 MP.

[suppenhuhn]

Hi!
Is there any update / solution on this ? I'm using Vray 3.6 and Pano2VR 4.5.3 and it seems that Pano2VR still doesn't use this order.

[Hopki]

Hi,
Have you tried the VR strip input?
Its in V5 and V6. but for only 6 cube strip.
Regards,
Hopki

[IronWagen]

Boothy's solution seems good. First render it into an equirectangular pano and then open it in Pano2vr and convert it into whatever you want. Then just open the converted one.

[suppenhuhn]

Hi, thanks for the answers - but this equirectangular approach is exactly what i want to avoid. The 6xcubic output is much much better - less rendertime and much better details.
To try it in V5 or 6 i have to upgrade - but i'd upgrade if the output works fine only.

Update: Tested V5 and the VR Strip and it works fine, thanks Hopki!