Using an HDRI purely as a background

AndrewJJP

I don't think I've ever used HDRIs before, so I hope this is not a silly question! Can I use an HDRI purely as a nice background image? So more specifically...

- The dome is nice and bright.

- It is reflected in other surfaces in the scene, just as if it were a picture.

- It is not a source of light. The only things emitting light are the scene lights.

Thanks!

AgitatedRiot

In this scene, I used an HDRI I set the environment intensity and Environment Map to .05 the other lights are from the emissions on the torch and lamps on the building. Everyone uses different tricks.

AndrewJJP

AgitatedRiot said:

In this scene, I used an HDRI I set the environment intensity and Environment Map to .05 the other lights are from the emissions on the torch and lamps on the building. Everyone uses different tricks.

Thanks, I'll give that a try 

rosseliani

AndrewJJP said:

I don't think I've ever used HDRIs before, so I hope this is not a silly question! Can I use an HDRI purely as a nice background image? So more specifically...

- The dome is nice and bright.

- It is reflected in other surfaces in the scene, just as if it were a picture.

- It is not a source of light. The only things emitting light are the scene lights.

AFAIK an HDRI is always a source of light, am I wrong?

AndrewJJP

rosseliani said:

AndrewJJP said:

I don't think I've ever used HDRIs before, so I hope this is not a silly question! Can I use an HDRI purely as a nice background image? So more specifically...

- The dome is nice and bright.

- It is reflected in other surfaces in the scene, just as if it were a picture.

- It is not a source of light. The only things emitting light are the scene lights.

AFAIK an HDRI is always a source of light, am I wrong?

That's why I wondered if it was a silly question 

I suppose more specifically, I would like a background like one of these or some other similar product...

https://www.daz3d.com/bokeh-studio-hdr

That's a nice set of backgrounds, but what I don't want is for stuff I can't see in front of the model to interfere with my lighting. In the past, I've used a primitive plane with a picture on it (which is of course lit by the scene lights). It was really just something that occurred to me as a thing that would be nice to do.

WendyLuvsCatz

you can if you use Octane

or for that matter 3Delight where you can texture a large sphere with it and have it not receive or cast shadows

iray annoyingly doesn't allow non PBR options 

 

Richard Haseltine

You could apply the HDR to a sphere and just use it as a backdrop that way, but of course that would then be tricky to light.

AgitatedRiot

rosseliani said:

AndrewJJP said:

I don't think I've ever used HDRIs before, so I hope this is not a silly question! Can I use an HDRI purely as a nice background image? So more specifically...

- The dome is nice and bright.

- It is reflected in other surfaces in the scene, just as if it were a picture.

- It is not a source of light. The only things emitting light are the scene lights.

AFAIK an HDRI is always a source of light, am I wrong?

You are not. 

Richard Haseltine

AgitatedRiot said:

rosseliani said:

AndrewJJP said:

I don't think I've ever used HDRIs before, so I hope this is not a silly question! Can I use an HDRI purely as a nice background image? So more specifically...

- The dome is nice and bright.

- It is reflected in other surfaces in the scene, just as if it were a picture.

- It is not a source of light. The only things emitting light are the scene lights.

AFAIK an HDRI is always a source of light, am I wrong?

You are not. 

An HDR file can be used as an image, without emitting light, through the Surfaces pane

AgitatedRiot

Richard Haseltine said:

AgitatedRiot said:

rosseliani said:

AndrewJJP said:

I don't think I've ever used HDRIs before, so I hope this is not a silly question! Can I use an HDRI purely as a nice background image? So more specifically...

- The dome is nice and bright.

- It is reflected in other surfaces in the scene, just as if it were a picture.

- It is not a source of light. The only things emitting light are the scene lights.

AFAIK an HDRI is always a source of light, am I wrong?

You are not. 

An HDR file can be used as an image, without emitting light, through the Surfaces pane

Added to the knowledge base. Will it render as a background or black?

WendyLuvsCatz

AgitatedRiot said:

Richard Haseltine said:

AgitatedRiot said:

rosseliani said:

AndrewJJP said:

I don't think I've ever used HDRIs before, so I hope this is not a silly question! Can I use an HDRI purely as a nice background image? So more specifically...

- The dome is nice and bright.

- It is reflected in other surfaces in the scene, just as if it were a picture.

- It is not a source of light. The only things emitting light are the scene lights.

AFAIK an HDRI is always a source of light, am I wrong?

You are not. 

An HDR file can be used as an image, without emitting light, through the Surfaces pane

Added to the knowledge base. Will it render as a background or black?

You could add lights  inside the sphere 

AndrewJJP

Thanks to every one that replied! I will be trying out these today, although iRay is so integral to the look and feel of my gallery, I could never see myself changing that, interesting through the other engines are.