How to brighten billboards?

Endlessdescent

I'm using billboards for background characters. Unfortunately sometimes the billboards look too dark for well lit settings. How can I brighten the value a little bit?
Checking the surfaces tab, it is easy to make them darker via diffuse color value. No luck with brighter. Here is an example I photoshopped to show what I want to achieve. 

 

FSMCDesigns

Take the image into an image editor like gimp or photoshop and brighten it.

Endlessdescent

FSMCDesigns said:

Take the image into an image editor like gimp or photoshop and brighten it.

Yes, I can do that no problem. It is an issue though if I want to render an animation where the camera moves and in general just adds another step to my workflow. 
It would be nice if there were a simple setting to fix them.  

FenixPhoenix

Endlessdescent said:

I'm using billboards for background characters. Unfortunately sometimes the billboards look too dark for well lit settings. How can I brighten the value a little bit?
Checking the surfaces tab, it is easy to make them darker via diffuse color value. No luck with brighter. Here is an example I photoshopped to show what I want to achieve.

You could try adding emission to the billboard. Just remember to plug the diffuse map on the emission color channel. Then increase the lumens as needed.

Spacious

You can use the Layered Image Editor (L.I.E.) with additive blend and a white layer to brighten things in DAZ Studio.

Endlessdescent

FenixPhoenix said:

Endlessdescent said:

I'm using billboards for background characters. Unfortunately sometimes the billboards look too dark for well lit settings. How can I brighten the value a little bit?
Checking the surfaces tab, it is easy to make them darker via diffuse color value. No luck with brighter. Here is an example I photoshopped to show what I want to achieve.

You could try adding emission to the billboard. Just remember to plug the diffuse map on the emission color channel. Then increase the lumens as needed.

I considered that but for some reason there is no emission options under surfaces for these billboards.  

FenixPhoenix

Endlessdescent said:

FenixPhoenix said:

Endlessdescent said:

I'm using billboards for background characters. Unfortunately sometimes the billboards look too dark for well lit settings. How can I brighten the value a little bit?
Checking the surfaces tab, it is easy to make them darker via diffuse color value. No luck with brighter. Here is an example I photoshopped to show what I want to achieve.

You could try adding emission to the billboard. Just remember to plug the diffuse map on the emission color channel. Then increase the lumens as needed.

I considered that but for some reason there is no emission options under surfaces for these billboards.  

You can always apply the uber iray shader first which is included in the starter essentials. That should make it possible to enable emission.

Endlessdescent

FenixPhoenix said:

Endlessdescent said:

FenixPhoenix said:

Endlessdescent said:

I'm using billboards for background characters. Unfortunately sometimes the billboards look too dark for well lit settings. How can I brighten the value a little bit?
Checking the surfaces tab, it is easy to make them darker via diffuse color value. No luck with brighter. Here is an example I photoshopped to show what I want to achieve.

You could try adding emission to the billboard. Just remember to plug the diffuse map on the emission color channel. Then increase the lumens as needed.

I considered that but for some reason there is no emission options under surfaces for these billboards.  

You can always apply the uber iray shader first which is included in the starter essentials. That should make it possible to enable emission.

Thanks for the help. It doesn't seem to look quite right either way so for now I will just have to photoshop it. Still, not having ever used shaders before, this opens up a lot of more advanced features so that is very helpful!