HDRI environment maps for 3ds Max

Load an HDRI in 3ds Max 2026

1. Press 8, or go to Rendering > Environment, to open the Environment and Effects dialog on the Environment panel.
2. In the Common Parameters rollout, find the Background group and click the Environment Map button, which reads None until a map is assigned.
3. In the Material/Map Browser, choose Bitmap and load an .exr or .hdr file from the download.
4. Drag the Environment Map button into a slot in the Material Editor and drop it as Instance, so the map's Coordinates and Output rollouts stay editable.
5. Press Alt+B, enable Use Environment Background, and click OK to preview the HDRI in the viewport instead of only at render time.

V-Ray users load the same file into the V-Ray Dome Light's Texture slot rather than the Environment Map button; see the HDRI for V-Ray page for the exact rollout names. Corona users do the same through Corona's Scene environment override, which reads the identical .exr or .hdr file without conversion; see the HDRI for Corona Renderer page.

Which resolution

Use a 4096x2048 to 8192x4096 HDRI when it only needs to light the scene, since 3ds Max resamples the environment map for GI regardless of its native size. Choose 16000x8000 or the 20000x10000 files when the sky itself appears in the frame or in glossy reflections, so clouds and the horizon line stay sharp.

Sun and shadows

An unclipped sun disc keeps its real brightness in the file instead of being clamped to white, which lets 3ds Max trace a sharp shadow straight from the Environment Map. 52 of the outdoor HDRIs on HDRI Hub are unclipped, and none of them need an extra sun light added to the scene.