Indoor scene Rendered with HDRI

[rajdarge]

I'm trying to composite a 3d scene using a HDRI that I shot for the light source.
I have a still that I need to composite into a Rendered environment.
I have used the perspective match tool in 3ds max 2014 (I have 16, just used to using 14 )
So to match the rendered lighting of the photograph, I have a HDRI that I shot in my studio. The final rendered environment is an interior scene that can be essentially thought of as an enclosed room without windows.
I have tried the following:
1. Dome light (both as a light, and as a skylight portal)
2. Environment lighting
3. Dome light + skylight portal both simple and not simple
4. Environment light + Skylight portal simple and not simple
5. Removing the geometry of the "roof" with a Dome light, or environment light or a skylight and all combinations
6. Ambient light (which was clearly a mistake).
I think every combination of the above with multiple attempts to get the orientation of the HDRI correct so the shadows fall in the correct direct.
I need the "roof" to be visible as it is a painted ceiling that I want to include in the final render.
I'm pretty much out of combinations and I've done perhaps 100 or so test renders.
I wanted to upload the HDRI, but it won't let me
so I can send it anyone who is interested somehow.

I can't upload the max file for general use as 1. I don't hold the copyright to the geometry, and 2. Its big with lots of texture files.

[squintnic]

i would put the hdri in a dome light then render it.

[rajdarge]

Thanks for the response.
Ok I tried that first, and the results were disappointing.
SO I did a test: 1. empty scene, make a large box, flip the normals apply a default vray material to it. Make a teapot, apply same material to it. Make a camera inside the box looking at the teapot. Then add a Dome light inside the box with a mirrored ball HDRI. Turn on GI with V-ray quick settings as "studio" and all the settings to the far left. Render the camera view.
I get a completely black render.
If I put a hole in the box somewhere, I get something. Or use any other form of lighting etc.
So with an interior archviz scene, with no windows - its always black with HDRI.
Or am I doing something wrong, as my head is exploding

[AlexP]

Exclude the box from casting shadows

[rajdarge]

facepalm :!
I think that did the trick. Thanks

[rivoli]

So with an interior archviz scene, with no windows - its always black with HDRI.

I'm not sure I follow you, but assuming the light source is outside the interior, such a dome light mapped with a hdr texture, you'll have an hard time trying to get any light in if there is no opening in the walls. excluding walls and ceiling from casting shadows, on the other hand, kind of contradicts the very idea of interior..

[rajdarge]

Well the hdr that I am using was shot in my studio, which was a room with no openings at the time. I wanted to try and recreate the lighting from the shot that I am attempting to composite, without actually modelling the lighting set up. Sure since I took the shot, and I know exactly where I placed lights, reflectors etc... I could reproduce the lighting manually, but just like for an outdoor scene there must be a way to get the same results indoors. I'm just trying to develop the technique. I tried my friend google and the only results I found talked about open spaces, or spaces with openings, there really wasn't discussion about enclosed spaces

[rivoli]

so you're rendering objects inside this room of which you took the hdr? as the domelight surrounds the whole scene, if you enclose your objects in a box with no openings, there's no way for them to be reached by any light.
it wouldn't make much sense anyway, to use the hdr of an interior outside another interior. you can just get rid of the box, or whatever it is, and light the objects that must be comped directly with the dome light.

[rajdarge]

I'm taking elements that I shot in my studio and comping them in to a rendered scene. I'm perspective matching the photographic items and I wanted to match the lighting so the photographic elements blend with the rendered ones. I did think of having separate renders for the enclosing geometry vs the internal geometry. But stopping the ceiling from casting shadows seems to do the trick, at least so far. Still trying to get the technique seamless

[stef.thomas]

Why are you modelling the room at all? You can't make the dome light fit inside the room, the dome light comes from an infinite distance. Just use dome light with HDRI as light source and background and forget the room altogether.

[rajdarge]

Ok so the photographic elements is a fashion model I shot in a kimono in my studio. The hdr is one I shot while Photographing said model to try and capture the light in my studio. I wanted to take her image and place it with various bits of modelled furniture and place it into a Japanese room that I purchased before. The most important feature to line up a composite are to get the perspective and shadows to match, and once I get that bit done there is a truckload of things to get the trick seamless. But I'm just floundering at this early stage.