Set Distinct Environment Maps

To create a more nuanced rendering environment, you can set distinct Illumination, Background, Reflection, and Refraction maps.

1. On the ribbon, click the Rendering tab.
2. Click the Environment icon.
   
   
3. In the Control Panel, click the Maps tab.
4. For the Illumination, Background Map, Reflection Map, or Refraction Map, select one of the following options:

   Option	Description	Note
   Global Environment	Use the global environment map.
   Custom	Use a custom map by selecting an Image.
   None	Do not use a map.
   Physical Sky	See Step 5 of Simulate Sunlight.	Only available for Illumination.

5. If you selected Custom in the previous step, you can make further adjustments by defining the following:

   Option	Description	Note
   Wrapping	Define how the image is projected around the objects in your scene: Spherical: Use for rectangular images. Projects the image around your scene in the shape of a sphere. Hemispherical: Use for rectangular images. Projects the image around the upper half of the sphere. This is useful for depicting objects on a ground plane, so that reflections do not show underneath. Angular Probe: Use for images taken with a fisheye lens.
   Rotation	Rotate the map. This will affect how the scene is illuminated.
   Intensity	Define the brightness of the map. Type a value from 0 to 1, where the default value of 1 corresponds to 100% intensity. Lower values darken the scene, while higher values brighten the scene.	Decrease the intensity if you plan on adding lights or emitters to your scene.
   Offset Horz %	Zoom in on a specific area of the background map by shifting 0–50% of the image in the horizontal direction. To move 0–50% of the image to the right, enter a Offset Horz value between 0 and 50. To move 0–50% of the image to the left, enter a Offset Horz value between 0 and -50.	Only available for Background Map.
   Offset Vert %	Zoom in on a specific area of the background map by shifting 0–50% of the image in the vertical direction. To move 0–50% of the image upward, enter an Offset Vert value between 0 and 50. To move 0–50% of the image downward, enter an Offset Vert value between 0 and -50.	Only available for Background Map.
   Scale	To resize the background map, enter a scale factor.	Only available for Background Map.

6. Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.

Examples of Environment Maps

Figure 1. Illumination: Custom

Figure 2. Illumination: Physical Sky

Figure 3. Background Maps

Figure 4. Reflection Maps

Figure 5. Refraction Maps