Jeff Patton has created some tips on using the Daylight System in 3ds MAx in conjunction with the mental ray iRay renderer. Check out the article for Tips on Using iRay & The Daylight System in 3ds Max together at JeffPatton.net here.
Jeff Patton writes: “One comment I frequently hear is something along the lines of “The lighting or shadows are too soft when using iray”. This can be explained in a few ways. First let’s approach this question with the assumption that the Daylight system is used, configured with the mrSun/mrSky of course. The first thing to realize is that the mrSun & mrSky in the daylight system isn’t really used by iray. It’s illuminating the scene with the mr Physical Sky shader that the daylight system prompts you to add to the scene environment as you add the daylight system to your scene.”
