Lat/Long -> Vertical Cross Map generator

[GallenWolf]

Hello!

I've found myself needing to write out vertical cross maps from latlong maps to use in Unity, thought I'd quickly hack out a HDA for this purpose. hiplc is attached!

 

 

 

generateHoudiniCubeMap.hiplc

[Jason]

Hey there,

 

Not sure if you're aware of isixpack - one of the older tools in the Houdini distribution.

 

$ isixpack 
Usage: isixpack [options] <front> <right> <back> <left> <top> <bottom> <out_pic>
   or: isixpack <cross_image.pic> <out_pic>                                     
   or: isixpack <reflect.rat> <cross_image_output>                              
 
This program creates environment/reflection maps.  If the target output
file is in RAT format (.rat file extension), a multi-file cubic environment
map will be generated.  It's possible to see each individual of the .rat file
by running "iconvert -i <image_number> reflect.rat outfile".                 
If the output file is not a RAT format file, then a lat-long environment     
map will be generated.                                                       
 
The first usage takes six individual images representing the faces of a cube
and generates a single lat-long or cubic .rat reflection map.
 
Alternatively, it's possible to take a single image which is laid out in
the shape of a cross (similar to http://www.debevec.org/Probes/) and
generate a single reflection map (must be a cubic .rat file).
 
The third usage will take a multi-image cubic environment RAT file and
convert it to a single cross image.
Lat-long Options:
        -u usize   Horizontal output resolution
        -v vsize   Vertical output resolution
        -a         Antialias output with 3x3 super-sampling
 
Default output file output size is for lat-long images is 1024 x 512
Cross images must be composed of square sub-images.  They must be laid out
as either:
  +------+------+-------+         +------+------+------+------+
  |      | top  |       |         |      |right |      |      |
  +------+------+-------+         +------+------+------+------+
  | left |front | right |         | top  |front |bottom| back |
  +------+------+-------+         +------+------+------+------+
  |      |bottom|       |         |      |left  |      |      |
  +------+------+-------+         +------+------+------+------+
  |      | back |       |
  +------+------+-------+
 
Example:
   # Generate a cubic environment .rat file
   > isixpack frnt.pic rite.pic back.pic left.pic top.pic bot.pic map.rat
   # Generate a cubic environment .rat file from a cross HDR image
   > isixpack kitchen_cross.hdr kitchen.rat
   # Display a cubic environment map
   > isixpack kitchen.rat ip
To make a .rat file which is a lat-long representation of the environment
map, the environment map needs to be generated as a non-rat format initially.
   > isixpack front right back left top bottom stdout | iconvert stdin out.rat

[GallenWolf]

Hey Jason!

I didn't realize isixpack could generate a cross image as well! I just tried and it worked super. Darn it. Oh well I learnt something new