We have implemented Khronos PBR Neutral tone mapping for all our configurators to create a realistic colour visualisation. This has been developed especially for e-commerce reasons. Hence, the products look as realistic as possible on the website or e-shop.
What is tone mapping?
Tone mapping is a technique used to adjust the colors and brightness of images so they look right on various screens and devices. Imagine you've taken a beautiful photo of an outdoor structure set under bright sunlight, but when you look at it on your computer or phone, the colors don't pop as they should, or some details are lost in shadows or bright spots. This is where tone mapping comes in. It helps correct those issues, ensuring that what you see on any screen is as close as possible to what you see in real life.
Traditionally, photographers might use several adjustments, such as tweaking the brightness, contrast, or color saturation, to fix these issues. Tone mapping combines all these adjustments into one step. It's like having a smart filter that knows precisely how to make your product images look their best without losing any details or making them look unnatural.
Why Khronos PBR Neutral tone mapping?
The challenge, especially for online stores or e-commerce, is showing product colors accurately when compared to real-life or printed materials. Different tone mapping techniques, like the one proposed by the Khronos Group called PBR Neutral, aim to show colors as faithfully as possible without losing the product's true hues, even under different lighting conditions. It helps to ensure that very bright and dark parts of an image are displayed in a way that looks natural. This is particularly important when products are viewed online next to photos or in different environments, ensuring that what customers see on their screen is as close as possible to the real product color.
Why is it essential for the outdoor living industry?
Tone mapping is about ensuring that the colors and brightness levels of images and 3D models look consistent and natural across all devices. This is crucial for marketing professionals in the outdoor living industry to showcase their products accurately online.
Look at the image above to give an example of this difference. As you can see, the difference between Jet Black and Anthracite Grey is more accurate and realistic in the right column (with tone mapping). Also, check out one of our live configurators.
These kind of details make the difference
At Virtual Sales Lab, we specialize in making products look as real online as they do outdoors. Our secret? Paying close attention to details, thanks to our experience with top-notch 3D technology. This means we ensure the colors of your products are spot-on, making your customers feel confident about what they're buying. It's our detailed approach that sets us apart and makes your products stand out online.
Are you interested in bringing your outdoor living products realistically to life online?
For those interested in the more technical details, we warmly recommend the article 'Tone Mapping Considerations for Physically-Based Rendering' by Emmett Lalish - on which this article was based.
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