How illuminate HDRi "Environment" in 3ds max and VRay?

For this tutorial you need basic knowledge of geometry creation and editing materials.

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1.- Preparing the scene

Welcome to this new tutorial that will explain how to use a HDRi for lighting a scene with 3dmax and VRay.
The basic objects for this tutorial is to create a plan that serves as ground and on it any geometry:

but if you want more details on the scene I have prepared one with more geometry (as shown on the picture onset), just download it, unzip the rar and open it in 3ds max.

The downloads you need are:

A HDRi (HDRi download free)
A simple scene or download scene for this tutorial

2.- Loads the rendering engine: Vray

Open the Render Setup (F10 or Rendering > Render Setup…) window in the common tab and assign it as the VRay rendering engine.

3.- Prepare the Indirect Illumination GI

In Indirect illumination activates the On and choose as Primary bounces: the Irradiance Map and Secondary bounces: the Light cache

4.- Turn the room lights

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From the VRay tab enable Frame buffer and GI Environment (Skylight) override the On and Reflection/refraction environment override the On.

Turn the room lights

5.- The VRay camera and photographic parameters

Discharged at the scene I created a camera VRayPhysicalCamera

The VRay camera and photographic parameters

This V-Ray camera works as it would be a professional camera in real life, we need to know the parameters for this tutorial are:

Focal length:

That is the distance in millimeters from the optical center of the virtual camera lens to the focal point of the lens or mirror of the camera, in this case I’ve used Focal length is 41,994.

f/number:

This value sets the depth of field render, put a value of 8.

Shutter speed (s^-1)

This parameter controls the shutter speed is there render exposure to the HDRi this tutorial I used a value of 8 (in photography would be 1/8).
If you want to extend these concepts about photography and 3d cameras I recommend visiting: Parameters of 3D cameras and photographic settings.

6.- First test render

Make a Render (Shift + Q or Rendering> Render). Up here is a simple render with normal global illumination.

First test render

Remember Activate for viewing in sRGB Gamma 2.2

7.- Hdri the material editor

In the Material Editor window (m or Rendering > Material edit) choose a slot (box) and assign a material move through the material to find VRay HDRI.

Hdri the material editor

8.- Slot Drag the VRay : Environment

Load HDRi you downloaded the slot (box) the Materials Editor, change the Mapping Type to Spherical. Drag the slot containing the HDRi to the GI Environment in the window that appears and accepts brand Instance. Drag the same slot again and repeat the same step for Reflection/refraction Environment.

Slot Drag the VRay :: Environment

9.- Image Quality Settings

Now we just give you a better picture quality rendering, for it changes the parameters that come default Irradiance map and Light cache as it is already known that there is no single configuration for all scenes because it depends on the lighting, camera , objects, materials, etc, etc; for this scene I’ve ever had and gives us an acceptable quality, Irradiance map in subdivs: 80 samples: 60, the Light cache Subdivs: 2000.

Vray Irradiance map and Light Cache

To be even more exquisite and draw a sharper image fits the DMC Sampler Noise threshold: 0.005, Min samples: 16, Global subdivs multiplier: 8, these changes greatly influence the quality but also increase the render time and requires more performance computer.
Another option but not required is the Render region division, this does not affect the quality, but if it helps a little in your computer’s performance in the calculation process, with low values makes the calculation of a region is faster.

V-Ray DMC sampler

10.- Final render

Give the Render (Shift + Q> or Rendering> Render) to see the final image, so yes, it will take a little adjustment from the previous step.

Important notes

If you want to change the direction of lighting and the reflections of the materials in your scene both horizontally and vertically you can change the parameters Horiz. rotation and / or Vert. rotation which are in degrees (0 °, 360 °) in both positive and negative values.

One way to gain more control of lighting and reflex independently of each other to create 2 squares of material with the same HDRi, one would assign a GI Environment and the other Relection/refraction Enviroment can change the parameters of each separately.

To save your render as sRGB (gamma 2.2) you just have to choose in the window that appears when you save the override option and put 2.2
Click on the images below to see the full gallery with other examples in this tutorial:

Now that you’ve completed this tutorial check out this one as it is another alternative to illuminate with HDRi: HDRi lighting with “Lightdome” in 3ds max and VRay.

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How illuminate HDRi “Environment” in 3ds max and VRay?

1.- Preparing the scene