Colour grading workflow

[adam]

Hello,

I wanted to run by my workflow for colour grading to see if A.) I am doing it right and B.) Why I'm not getting results.

My assumption is that with all your colour ranges (high, mid, shadow) set to default, HDRtonemapping enabled, and a basic/untouched LUT texture applied that the scene SHOULD look 'normal'. So that you can then screenshot, apply the LUT, adjust the screenshot, reexport an edited LUT texture, import that in to Unreal, and apply it to your post process volume that the changes should come in.

That said, here's my workflow so far:



Made sure all my values for high, mid and shadows were untouched in my PP volume.
Imported a basic LUT texture to my package and made sure LODGroup was TEXTUREGROUP_ColorLookupTable
Went to my PP chain and ensured that the 'uberpostprocess' was set to use Worldproperties
Also made sure the uberpost has 'HDRtonemapping' enabled.
Went to my PP volume and plugged in my LUT texture to the appropriate spot.

The scene looks no difference with or without the LUT texture applied. When you enable the tonemappnig in the uberpost, it blows the values out but my assumption was that with the basic LUT it would tone them back to regular.

This hasn't happened.

What am I doing incorrectly?

[MaD]

Don't know if this helps, but when you check tonemapping the lut_neutral (somewhere in the content browser) is used when your aren't giving any other lut instead. So when you import that neutral lut (if thats what you mean with basic), there should indeed be no change.

So the neutral lut isn't that neutral at all. Easy way to check if your postprocessing is working right is to switch between the diffent lut's that are already in udk.

The tonemapping is linked to colour grading, so when you turn it of changing to another lut, wont have any difference.

I was kinda thinking of doing a small tut for the artists about this, since i kinda figured it all out now, but have to find some time.

[JordanW]

I'm weary of you editing the PPChain and feel that it's something you've changed in there. Our artists never go in there so it shouldn't be part of the LUT workflow and you should try reverting any changes you've made to the chain since you're running into issues.

[adam]

The chain itself is untouched beyond the 'use world properties' setting.

[adam]

I'm using the hitFX console chain as well, instead of editing the ini file.

If that helps.

:\

[Axios]

Are you trying to get the LUT to make the HDRTonemapped version of the scene match the scene as it was without color grading or tonemapping? I could never get that to happen, though it'd be nice if there's a way. My workflow was to enable the tonemapper, screenshot the blown out version, edit that in Photoshop through adjustment layers to make it less blown out + color grading, and then assign the edited LUT in a postprocess volume. I'm of the belief that the 'blown out' version IS the neutral LUT and you have to use that as your base. Are you having problems in getting the scene to look right or having problems in getting it to change at all?

[adam]

I'll give this a whirl (adjusting from blown out). I can do adjustments the old way but would like to try my hand at the grading. Thank you!

[Axios]

I just whipped this up, hopefully it helps some people:

http://www.joshmarkham.com/Projects/ColorLUTs.jpg

And because it might not be a bad idea to start sharing these (some people will inevitably make some amazing ones, not unlike zbrush matcaps) here are those LUTs:

#1
http://www.joshmarkham.com/Projects/colorLUT_01.png

#2
http://www.joshmarkham.com/Projects/colorLUT_02.png