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HDR Sky Import Wizard

Applies to: Plus Pro Architect

The HDR Sky Import Wizard imports high dynamic range sky images for use in HDR Sky Settings. Supported source formats are Radiance HDR (.hdr) and OpenEXR (.exr).

Many HDR sky websites use the term HDRI (High Dynamic Range Image). In this guide, HDR and HDRI refer to the same type of file.

Importing an HDR Sky

  1. From the Tools menu, click HDR Sky Import Wizard.
  2. Click Next.
  3. Select the file you want to import, and then click Open. A preview of the selected sky appears.
  4. Click Next.
  5. (Optional) Click Set File Name to enter a different name for the imported sky, or click Next to use the default.
  6. On the final page, optionally enable Set as active sky to use the imported sky immediately.
  7. Click Finish to import the sky and close the wizard.

Choosing HDR Files

Use equirectangular panoramas

HDR sky files should be equirectangular, meaning they contain a full 360° panoramic environment map stored in a 2:1 image (for example, 8192 x 4096).

If the file is not equirectangular, the sky may look stretched or warped in the background.

When available, use the 8K version of the HDR/HDRI. Higher-resolution skies provide:

  • Sharper background detail
  • Better reflections
  • Better indirect (bounced) lighting when using path tracing

Keep in mind that higher resolutions can require more video memory and may take longer to load on lower-end systems.

Where Imported Skies Are Saved

When you import an HDR sky, the program converts it to an optimized texture format and saves it here:

\Users\USER\Documents\Realtime Landscaping VERSION\Custom Data\sky\hdr\Custom\

Where USER is your Windows user name and VERSION is your software version.

After importing, the sky appears under the Custom category when selecting an HDR sky from the preview in HDR Sky Settings.

After Importing: Match Lighting for Realism

For best results, align your scene's sun and shadows with the bright sun area in the HDR sky:

  • Use Time of day to match the sun height.
  • Use North direction to match shadow direction.

See HDR Sky Settings for details.

Tips

  • The wizard copies and converts your source file, so your designs do not depend on the original file location.
  • If you edit or replace the original .hdr or .exr file, run the wizard again to import the updated version.
  • HDR Sky requires a DirectX 11 compatible video card.
  • If an imported sky looks distorted, verify that the source image is equirectangular (2:1) and represents a full 360° panorama.

See also