How to create a full environment map?

Hi,

I have seen some tutorials on HDRI etc, and was wondering a few things:

  1. I notice that with most 360 degree environment maps, you still get a spot when you look at it in blender that it looks funny. Like it warps to a point. Is there any way around this to create a texture that will map to the environment in blender and looks fine at any angle?

  2. I am looking at getting a new camera soon (canon DSLR) and was wanting to do some environment maps. I have seen plenty of tutorials on putting an environment map into blender, what is there in the way of creating an environment map? Is there a lens I can get that will help with this (like a fisheye lens that I could take 2 photos with and create a full environment map or something)?

thanks,
MicWit

yes
email me at [email protected]
and i will tell you how to do it all, my internet is a bit slow and yahoo is easier to load :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Here’s a nice overview: http://www.otake.com.mx/Apuntes/Imagen/EnviromentMaps/

… and this ‘may’ help: http://www.hdrlabs.com/tutorials/index.html

hdrlabs is a great site for hdr imaging related info.

Evil Moon Moose, I have sent you an email now.

Herbert, thanks for that. I have had a look through the resources you sent me, and there is some quite useful information there. I’m gathering that its best not to use a special lens, but rather to manually take the photos and stitch them together on the computer. I will have a muck around with some of the programs that were linked in there and check out some of the links in more detail.