Render interior scene advice

[josef_aspinall]

Hello Guys
I ve got a question regarding rendering interior scenes in 3ds max - V-ray 6, should i use the V-ray sun + dome light to render a scene of just V-ray sun on its own? what creates a better render? How can I get the better realistic render ?

[suzanne_doherty]

I wouldn't personally use either to be honest. I mainly use spot lights, plane lights, bounce cards and such (just like real photography) to light interior scenes.

You're best off finding real photography that matches the look you're after, and reverse engineering how they've lit the space. You'd be surprised how many tricks, additional lights,, etc people use.

[vladimir_krastev]

Hi, thanks for posting. What suzanne_doherty said is a good advice. Please check our youtube tutorials. They are very helpful.

[hill_lam]

Hello Guys
I ve got a question regarding rendering interior scenes in 3ds max - V-ray 6, should i use the V-ray sun + dome light to render a scene of just V-ray sun on its own? what creates a better render? How can I get the better realistic render ?

This is what only VRaySun look like - a moon base.
The moon has no atmosphere, and the sky is dark, it means there is no Dome.

[Vizioen]

Very nice render but I think OP meant on earth, but who knows haha.

As for the answer, it depends on the mood you're going for, there's no wrong answer, if you have a reference than we might be able to point you in the right direction.

VraySun + VraySky in a domelight is one option. The VraySky can also be in the environment but it's better to put it in a domelight (afaik it's a bit faster). Advantages is you can direct the sun and have control over the bluriness of the shadows, color of the sky and clouds if you want or not.
VrayDome + HDRI is also an option if you're going for a certain mood. Disadvantages is you have limited / not such a flexibel control over the position (height) of the sun (you can change the height by editing the HDRI in photoshop or slightly using vertical rotation. Bluriness is also possible if you blur the map.

Or you can as Suzanne suggested use spotlights / plane lights / bounce cards etc if you want a less natural look and more of a real estate photographer look.