What is gozoomaCGI

goZooma CGI is a databank which provides background images and HDR-Spheres (HDR: High Dynamic Range) for the creation of photo-realistic CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) pictures. In this particular production process, a 3D-Model of a car is placed into a protographic backplate and illuminated in a 3D program, such as Maya, Softimage, 3d Max, Cinema 4d etc...

3D-Model:

Since the automotive industry uses CAD programs, representative 3D-data is generally available from the car manufacturer.

The Backplate:

The backplate image is shot with a conventional photo camera. The photographer chooses a shooting location and produces a background image, just as in a traditional car picture - only in this case, the vehicle is missing.

The Sphere:

A special kind of panorama of the car's surroundings, an HDR-Sphere, is used to create a realistic lighting situation and to add ambient reflections to the car model.

There are two kinds of Spheres availabe on goZooma CGI: SpheroCam Spheres and "stiched" Spheres. The SperoCam is special camera which "scans" its surroundings and creates high-dynamic Spheres with a color depth of 96 Bit, within 3-10 minutes. The resolution of a SpheroCam Sphere is higher than that of a "stiched" Sphere. This may be important when it comes to highly detailed reflections on the car surface - in a close up, for example. The "stiched" Sphere is shot with a compact digital photo camera using a fisheye lens and a special camera arm. A special software layers multiple exposures on top of each other and stiches them together to create an HDR image.