8/13/2017 How to add Environment Backgrounds (VRay+Sketchup) Ravenor's

RAVENOR'S

How to add Environment

Backgrounds (VRay+Sketchup)

by Angie Soliman
Hey guys,

While going around nding something new to learn that could spice up my renders, I found this really
easy way to add backgrounds to your models without using a Dome Light/HDRI (I mentioned that
method in a previous tutorial (h ps://ravenors.wordpress.com/2015/10/17/v-ray-light-tutorial/)).

To get to it youll need, either a HDRI or a HD image with a panoramic view (Day, Night, or Dusk); you
can choose anything you like or think would help with the nal render/location of model.

Im using VRay 2.0 and Sketchup 2015; if you have dierent versions and have questions, feel free to
drop a comment.

Note: Keep in mind that the overall color of the image will inuence the color of the natural lighting, for
example: if you use an image that has a lot of orange hues, the natural lighting will be tinged orange. So,
unless you want that certain eect, choose you background wisely.

If you want over 600 MB of FREE HQ HDRI (Sky + Background) les, then continue to the end of this post.

Ill be adding this view:

(h ps://ravenors.les.wordpress.com/2016/01/panorama-panoramic-night-view-of-victoria-bc-british-
columbia-from-cairn-high-rock-park-blue-013.jpg)

To This Scene:

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(h ps://ravenors.les.wordpress.com/2016/01/screenshot-5.png)

Step 1

Open your VRay Options window, and head to the Environment tab, Make sure that GI(skylight)
and Reection/refraction (background) are checked and then press the M bu on in GI (skylight).

Note: The steps well be doing should be applied to both GI(skylight) and Reection/refraction
(background).

(h ps://ravenors.les.wordpress.com/2016/01/screenshot-1.png)

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Step 2

From the drop down menu under, choose TexBitmap.

(h ps://ravenors.les.wordpress.com/2016/01/screenshot-2.png)

Step 3

Brows for your desired image

(h ps://ravenors.les.wordpress.com/2016/01/screenshot-3.png)
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(h ps://ravenors.les.wordpress.com/2016/01/screenshot-3.png)

Make sure you choose the exact image for both GI(skylight) and Reection/refraction (background).

Step 4

Scroll down to UVW and set UVW Type to UVWGenEnvironment and Mapping Type to
Spehrical.

Now render! It should come out looking like this

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(h ps://ravenors.les.wordpress.com/2016/01/apartment-master-bedroom-scene-1.png)

If youre rendering a day scene and want the light to show, tweak GI(skylight) value till you get what
you want. I usually go for 5.

(h ps://ravenors.les.wordpress.com/2016/01/screenshot-12.png)

It should come out looking like this

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(h ps://ravenors.les.wordpress.com/2016/01/apartment-boys-bedroom-scene-1.png)

Boys bedroom in the same apartment as the Master Bedroom

Tips:

1. Use images above 4 MP; you can nd those via Googles image search (h ps://images.google.com/),
and from Search Tools choose Larger Than.. then 4MP.
2. Always choose an image that is actually related to the approximate location of the model, as in, dont
choose a mountain view for a down town bachelor pad..
3. If youre making a daylight scene and want the sunlight to play a bigger role than the other lights,
uncheck Exposure in the Camera tab, and amp up the GI(skylight) value. You can post-process it
later in Photoshop to tweak brightness and shadows.

Hope this tutorial comes in handy for your next project!

UPDATE:

If you encounter any issues such as a Black Background or a Transparent Background, please head over
to this post HERE (h ps://ravenors.wordpress.com/2017/03/11/xing-the-black-background-issue-when-
using-enviroment-background/) for a x.

If youre looking to x the Shadow/Sun problem caused by

https://ravenors.com/2016/01/12/how-to-add-environment-backgrounds-vraysketchup/ the HDRI, go HERE 6/12
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If youre looking to x the Shadow/Sun problem caused by the HDRI, go HERE

(h ps://ravenors.com/2017/04/19/how-to-x-the-hdrisun-problem/).

Hey, dont forget to join our mailing list before you leave.

Youll get weekly updates on new posts and access to our library; where we have over 600 MB of HQ
HDRIs (Environment Backgrounds) for FREE!

GET WEEKLY UPDATES ON NEW POSTS + ACCESS TO A TON OF FREE RESOURCES

(HTTP://EEPURL.COM/CKL8XH)

Posted in Tutorial 35 Comments Advertisements

35 thoughts on How to add Environment

Backgrounds (VRay+Sketchup)

easyrelooking says:
April 19, 2017 at 15:36
1. Hi dear, nice article thanks! but I have a question

I inserted an High Quality image both in GI Skylight and Background, increasing values as I need
but the light doesnt come across windows!
It doesnt arrive inside the room.

Just a specication: my windows havent glasses (so light should easily pass)

REPLY
Miss Ravenor says:
April 19, 2017 at 15:58
1. Ive go en a lot of questions like this one, Im posting a tutorial in a few minutes that xes that
problem!

REPLY
easyrelooking says:
April 19, 2017 at 16:40
1. Ok thanks! can you please send me the link after
https://ravenors.com/2016/01/12/how-to-add-environment-backgrounds-vraysketchup/ having published it? 7/12
8/13/2017 How to add Environment Backgrounds (VRay+Sketchup) Ravenor's

1. Ok thanks! can you please send me the link after having published it?

Miss Ravenor says:

April 19, 2017 at 16:41
2. Ill reply here and let you know, or you can subscribe and youll get an email right away, I
have a lot of good tutorials and design articles here, and even more great stu on the way!

Miss Ravenor says:

April 19, 2017 at 16:52
3. Here you go! h ps://ravenors.com/2017/04/19/how-to-x-the-hdrisun-problem/

Larae says:
April 18, 2017 at 09:50
2. Whats up, I want to subscribe for this weblog to obtain latest updates,
so where can i do it please help out.

REPLY
Miss Ravenor says:
May 2, 2017 at 09:39
1. Heres the subscription link

REPLY
Adnan Asif says:
April 10, 2017 at 06:28
3. why are you using JPEG image it must be HDRI not JPEG

REPLY
Miss Ravenor says:
April 10, 2017 at 06:32
1. In my opinion, it works both ways. It just depends on the eect youre going after. If you want a
tutorial for HDRI, I can point you to another tutorial.

REPLY
4. Pingback: Adjusting VRay Se ings: Get the Best Renders for Interiors! Ravenor's
Horace says:
April 8, 2017 at 05:20
5. As a Newbie, I am constantly exploring onlinbe for articles that can be of assistance too me.
Thank you

REPLY
6. Pingback: Fixing the Black Background issue when using Enviroment Background Ravenor's
prasanna says:
March 11, 2017 at 06:35
7. i have done one of my residence model as you said above, but.. its after i get render it will come
dark.. tell me where i did wrong in that

REPLY
Miss Ravenor says:
March 11, 2017 at 08:44
1. Ill write up a new post to x this problem, since a lot of people are facing the same problem

REPLY
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Miss Ravenor says:
March 11, 2017 at 11:02
2. Hey there, Ive put up a new post on how to x this issue! Here is the link:
h ps://ravenors.wordpress.com/2017/03/11/xing-the-black-background-issue-when-using-
enviroment-background/

REPLY
Adnan Asif says:
April 10, 2017 at 06:29
1. Are you using JPEG or HDRI ???

Miss Ravenor says:

April 10, 2017 at 06:33
2. I use both, depending on the eect. I have tutorials on both, nd the VRay Lighting Tutorial; it
has the steps on using Dome Light and HDRI.

Felix Wibowo says:

February 25, 2017 at 01:09
8. it comes out black ? How to edit it ?

REPLY
Miss Ravenor says:
March 9, 2017 at 12:59
1. What kind of picture are you using?

REPLY
Rex Imperial says:
October 2, 2016 at 12:36
9. Hi, your tutorial worked except for one thing. Whenever I render my model, the background only
uses a small part of the image and not the entire one which makes it look blurry and ugly. I used an
image above 4 mp and its a panoramic picture too.

REPLY
Miss Ravenor says:
October 2, 2016 at 13:15
1. Trying changing Spherical to Screen

REPLY
Joacim Karlson says:
September 30, 2016 at 11:23
10. Hi! I have a slight problem when im doing this. I do exactly what you say, i have a high resolution
picture but its blownup. If i change the Spherical to screen it works. What am i doing wrong?

Then another problem. It seems that the house im rendering is a bit transparent. I can see the
background in the building, if you understand me!

Thanks,
Joacim

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Miss Ravenor says:
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Miss Ravenor says:

September 30, 2016 at 20:54
1. Hey Joacim,
Sometimes some panoramas or HD pictures dont look real when bent into a spherical shape, so
its ok to use other options. It depends on the picture; I used Spherical in tbe tutorial because most
t, but some still dont.
As for the building being transparent, check to see if some transparent material snuck up on your
walls also check the Transparency of your wall material in your sketchup Materials window. One
more thing to check for is if the exterior or back material isnt translucent. Let me know how it
went

Cheers

REPLY
Joacim Karlson says:
October 2, 2016 at 14:27
1. Hi again!

It seems that it didnt work.. well, I have a friend a can ask so I will ask him as well. Maybe its
the background, its a lot of grass on it so that maybe screws with my grass in my model.

Thanks for the help!

Mariana Leiria says:

September 15, 2016 at 16:46
11. Hi! Thanks for the tutorial. it worked very well for the night scenes. I have one question, when we
add the background, if it is for a day scene, how can i add the shadows that the sun makes? I already
changed the GI value, as you suggested, and the scene gets much brighter but the shadows arent
appearing. Can you help me?

Thanks.
Mariana

REPLY
Miss Ravenor says:
September 15, 2016 at 17:27
1. Hey Mariana! Thank you for stopping by This worked for me a while back but havent used
the technique ever since so let me know how it turns out for you.
Try the steps under Dome Light here: Ravenors.wordpress.com/2015/10/17/v-ray-light-tutorial

REPLY
Mariana says:
September 15, 2016 at 23:51
1. Thanks for your answer. I will try those steps and i will leave here a feedback to tell you if it
worked or not.

ATK says:
September 6, 2016 at 19:30

12. hey! Thanks for your help!

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12. hey! Thanks for your help!

I was wondering, i do exact as you say, but it seems that my background is too big al the time..
The grass is as big as a mountain, do you know how i can make this picture smaller?
I also tried to make it from 1.0 to 0.2 in size, but that doesnt seems to work either

Thanks!

REPLY
Miss Ravenor says:
September 7, 2016 at 05:01
1. Youre welcome!
Make sure that your picture is huge in size; try something bigger than 16001200 (2 MP) if it
doesnt solve it go for a 4 MP.
Let me know how that works out

REPLY
Anastasia Tasoula Kon es says:
September 7, 2016 at 15:19
1. Hi thanks again for your fast answer !! Your the best
the HDR image got a size from 37,9 mb.. so i guess its big enough :-O or do you mean that is
should install the size in the output to 2mp?
Choukran Kind regards,
Anastasia Tasoula Kon es

Miss Ravenor says:

September 7, 2016 at 15:31
2. Go on google image search, search for a panoramic scene and from Search Options bu on
choose Siza then Bigger than 2 M it should be something like this
h ps://amazingsky.les.wordpress.com/2013/07/reesor-ranch-night-sky-panorama.jpg

Miss Ravenor says:

September 7, 2016 at 15:32
3. And youre more than welcome Im here to help!

ATK says:
September 7, 2016 at 16:46
4. Hey,
I know but i already have a nice picture from a big size but this doesnt work :-O

Thank you

SAKSHAM says:
August 24, 2016 at 11:06
13. i get a black background .. what i am doing wrong?

REPLY
Miss Ravenor says:
August 24, 2016 at 11:09
1. Take screenshots of your se ings and send them along with your BG on jb9492@live.com

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