Fixer & RenderJunkie
Hey, have you ever dealt with tone mapping issues when trying to keep specular highlights consistent across different HDR environments? It's like a ritual for me.
Yeah, I’ve tackled that a few times. First make sure every source is in the same color space – HDR works best in linear, then convert to your display’s gamma once you’ve done the math. For specular highlights, use a physically based BRDF; that keeps the energy balanced no matter the lighting. Keep the same white point and exposure setting across scenes, or bake a lookup table that normalizes the luminance range before tone mapping. If you’re using a Reinhard or ACES filmic curve, just hit the same parameters each time – the curve is the same, so the highlights stay consistent. And if you notice a flash of banding, tweak the curve’s white clamp or add a small amount of noise to the specular bump to smooth it out. In short: linear math, same BRDF, consistent exposure, same curve, done.
Sounds solid, but remember the golden rule: if the specular peak still feels off, double‑check your roughness values. Even a 0.01 slip can make the highlight explode or collapse. Trust the math, but trust your eyes too. Happy rendering!