Why is my avatar darker on the forum than it is in my JPG?

Subtropic PixelSubtropic Pixel Posts: 2,388
edited December 1969 in Daz Studio Discussion

The question says it all. It's not just a small discrepancy either.

My avatar is significantly darker when displayed on the forum than it is when directly browsing the JPG or PNG file that I created straight out of DAZ Studio.

Any ideas?

Comments

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    Every time a JPG is saved it loses some detail. But it could also just be the Default Gamma setting on your pc Does not match the WWW gamma setting. When was the last time you calibrated your monitor?

  • Subtropic PixelSubtropic Pixel Posts: 2,388
    edited October 2013

    I have four monitors; one is an Asus IPS screen that is pre-calibrated from the factory. It is more accurate than my other screens, but the behavior is the same in all four monitors. No matter which monitor I use, the JPG or PNG on the hard drive is significantly brighter than the avatar next to my forum id when displayed on the SAME monitor.

    I don't understand how gamma could be the issue when all four monitors behave the same way. JPG or PNG directly from DS as read from my hard drive = looks okay. But once uploaded to this forum, avatar = too dark. Same is true of PNG. Darker on this forum than the rendered image.

    My render setting is as follows:

    Gamma Correction = On
    Gamma = 1.0

    Post edited by Subtropic Pixel on
  • Lissa_xyzLissa_xyz Posts: 6,116
    edited December 1969

    If you pull the rendered icon into something like Photoshop, do the colors change there too?

  • Subtropic PixelSubtropic Pixel Posts: 2,388
    edited October 2013

    Opening it in Paint, it's very very bright like an overexposed photo. Brilliant yellow and the gloves are so white you can't see any detail.

    Aha!

    I tried turning off gamma correction in my render, rerendering the image as a 100X100 JPG and then uploading the resulting JPG to make it my avatar. So the one on display at this posting is roughly representative of the one on my hard drive.

    So it is a mystery how gamma correction makes it look brighter on hard drive but darker in the forum.

    But as I said above, this one looks the same as the one on my hard drive. So now I think I can adjust the lighting in the scene and rerender. Working on it now...

    Post edited by Subtropic Pixel on
  • Lissa_xyzLissa_xyz Posts: 6,116
    edited October 2013

    The forum avatars are actually a big buggered. Sometimes you have to go back/forth between uploading a jpg and a png to get things to show up. If you go from a jpg to a jpg or a png to a png the new avatar won't always show.

    Post edited by Lissa_xyz on
  • Subtropic PixelSubtropic Pixel Posts: 2,388
    edited December 1969

    Oh good to know, thanks.

    This is my first real project with DS. Trying again shortly...

  • Lissa_xyzLissa_xyz Posts: 6,116
    edited October 2013

    Just a tip about DS' gamma correction too-- turning it on tells DS that your textures are already calibrated gamma wise, and leaving gc off will attempt to calibrate the textures during optimization.

    Think of it more of a "are your textures gamma calibrated?" (on for yes, off for no). The numerical slider is also independent of the on/off switch.

    Here's a better explanation from Richard: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/29839/#442465

    Post edited by Lissa_xyz on
  • Subtropic PixelSubtropic Pixel Posts: 2,388
    edited October 2013

    Okay, I will read that in a few minutes. But I don't think gamma settings are the problem here.

    I've tried switching back and forth between JPG and PNG. JPG is too bright, PNG is too dark, haha.

    I'm getting the suspicion that there is some sort of problem with the files themselves. I'm going to try one with a completely different filename.

    Update:

    Yeah, weird. Even significant changes in lighting, which make for a completely different looking image on the hard drive, will seemingly not propagate to the forum. It's almost as if the file I'm sending is not replacing the one already there. But even if I delete the image from the forum, then re-send it from my hard drive, it still looks like the old, way-too-bright image.

    I think it's time for a break. Maybe a nap!

    Post edited by Subtropic Pixel on
  • Lissa_xyzLissa_xyz Posts: 6,116
    edited December 1969

    I haven't actually had this issue, and it's strange. Even if it was your monitor, then both images would look out of whack in the same way, not look different.

  • CypherFOXCypherFOX Posts: 3,401
    edited December 1969

    Greetings,

    Yeah, weird. Even significant changes in lighting, which make for a completely different looking image on the hard drive, will seemingly not propagate to the forum. It's almost as if the file I'm sending is not replacing the one already there. But even if I delete the image from the forum, then re-send it from my hard drive, it still looks like the old, way-too-bright image.

    I think it's time for a break. Maybe a nap!

    Yeah...you have to change the image format of your avatar each time. So if your current avatar is a .jpg file, post the new one as a .png, and vice versa.

    -- Morgan

  • Subtropic PixelSubtropic Pixel Posts: 2,388
    edited October 2013

    Interestingly enough, after my prior post above, I did stop for the night and go to bed. No, this is the interesting part: This morning when I came back, I noticed that the "newest" avatar is now magically present, and I didn't do anything else after I said I'd go take a nap... The one you see now is the same as the one on my hard drive.

    It's almost as if there is a delay of some sort when you upload a new avatar; almost as if it needs extra time to be populated into the forum database. Maybe a new avatar gets instantly populated but a replacement avatar takes time to be refreshed?

    Anyway, it's done for now. Someday when my skills improve, I may revisit and redo the lighting or posing. But for now, well...that's me; in the subtropical sun with my sunglasses, a big smile, and a fun implement (DS, Carrara, Vue, Bryce, etc) I just found! Luckily I am just a big smiley face in the sun with no limbs and unattached hands, so it's not likely I'll dismember myself with this tool. :lol:

    Post edited by Subtropic Pixel on
  • MattymanxMattymanx Posts: 6,943
    edited December 1969

    Colour Profiles in windows.

    Windows can have its own colour profile and paint programs can set their own as well.

  • Subtropic PixelSubtropic Pixel Posts: 2,388
    edited December 1969

    Right, but this was not the problem I was having. Please see my last post just above yours for my conclusion.

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    Some times Avatars will not Refresh until the Site runs sever updates at night. Most of the time a Page refresh in your browser will show the new Avatar. And as stated the best way is jpg to png then to jpg then to png ....

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