Lights/Iray blocked by environment?

Khoyan

So I am often using Joel Gecko's HDRI photoshoot lights, and am really pleased with them. But I am a total newb with use of lights and HDRI and all that. I hardly understand how any of this magic is possible, and any attempt of setting up my own lights never work out. I much prefer pre-made lights :). This words wonderful when I'm building a portrait scene, but when I use a set, I often find I'm losing a lot of the light, and the scene renders much darker and often without the characteristics of the lights, as if they're blocked. How come? What can I do to improve this?  

Richard Haseltine

In Iray all objects cast shadows, and HDRIs are (by default) outside the scene so any room or other enclosure will shut them out. You can, in the environment group in the Editor tab of Render Settings, make the dome finite and adjust its size/position but local lights are better.

Khoyan

Thanks for the tip! Is the goal to make the dome be inside the environment? Can I somehow see its outer points? 

Hylas

You can use IRAY section planes to cut off bothersome off-panel enviroment:

margrave

If you use spotlights, you can set them as "light portals" to fill the room with HDRI light. Just make the spotlight a rectangle the same size as a window or skylight and position it in front. Though I'd recommend you supplement it with some ambient point lights, just to cut down on noise.