HDRI's in interior renderings have me baffled.....

[Augustin9]

Hi all,

 

I'm new to rendering with HDRI's and I'm confused as to how they work when lighting scenes that are entirely interior. Let me try to clarify:

 

My understanding is that HDRI's become the background of your scene, and are able to apply light using the encoded info in the hdr file. This makes sense to me when I'm rendering a small object that ends up being surrounded by the hdr, or an exterior scene that uses the hdr as a sky, for example.

 

What I don't understand is how to utilize an hdr when I have an interior shot with no windows/skylights etc. My model ends up blocking the light from the background hdr file, and my rendering ends up being pitch black every time.

 

I feel like I’ve missed some fundamental aspect of this cool lighting technique. If anyone can clue me in, I would really appreciate it.

 

Thanks a lot for any help and for all of the help found throughout these forums. This is my first post, but I have spent many sleepless nights using this as my guide - thanks to everyone for that!

 

Dan

[tayrona]

Hi Augustin, based on my experienced I answer: HDRI works as an environmental lighting.... so it comes from outside to inside, if you have no windows, light is not getting inside. you must use another way to light your interior scene, (photometric lights or any simulation of artifitial ilumination).

what software/render engine are you using?