Reseau plate / grid - how to implement it?

[Sempoo]

I am working on a space-related scene and I want to have those famous crosses on my renders, but organically imprinted on images, with halation, glare and so on. I use Photographer addon and Lens Sim. How to do it?

@chafouin @Heinzelnisse

[chafouin]

You can probably do it within the OSL lens shader, adding the pattern at the focal plane, but I would do it in compositing, inserted after the Lens Softness and before the Fringing / Halation. It’s easy, it’s fast, and you get better controls.

[Heinzelnisse]

Yeah, comp is definitely a fast and valid way to do it.

Seems like NASA achieved this effect by using a glass element in front of the camera with the crosses etched into it. So if you want a in camera effect instead you could model the crosses as an object or use a transparent texture. Put that in front of the camera and make sure the F-Stop of the lens is high enough for a sharp result.

[Sempoo]

To have those crosses sharp one would need infinite depth of field [infinite f-stop] Take a look at this picture:

I am conducting tests with Lens Sim’s dirt mode, where I can apply textures, but this is cheating.

Finding Gene Cernan's Missing Moon Camera — Space Camera Co.

[Sempoo]

This RG is like focusing screen placed in front of the film instead in front of the DSLR prism.

[Heinzelnisse]

Yeah, good point. Really interesting article!

In that case I would just do it in post. Even if it could be simulated directly where the sensor is, we are still missing the film simulation, so I think it would look like a cheap effect. And if you place it in front of the camera, lens distortion etc will warp it.