Peter Guthrie has a look at using HDR lighting interior scenes using V-Ray. Peter offers an HDRi Sky Series for sale on his site, and is continually asked if HDR skies can be used for arch viz interiors.
direct light from the dome light adds so much more detail everywhere
To that Peter replies that he has used nothing but HDR images to light interiors for the last four years.
Peter walks through how he sets up HDR lighting interior scenes. More interesting however are the comparisons that follow. Peter shows some basic render times for the HDR light and sun and sky using the same interior scene, with the various rendering engines available in V-Ray.
Although the render qualities among each are, in a lot of was subtle – upon closer inspection HDR lighting for interiors can provide better attenuation of tone without too much of a hit on render times.
Check out the article for HDR Sky Lighting for Interiors here.
