Video tutorial: sharper shadows with HDRI in V-Ray
HDRI lighting can create great-looking renders but it often generates undesirably soft edges on shadows. In this four-minute video tutorial, recorded exclusively for CG Channel, visualisation artist Matt Guetta explains how to preserve crisper shadows in your V-Ray renders through use of the irradiance map.
Update: the video takes a while to start after the pre-roll ad. Leave it playing for 15 seconds and it should be fine.
Download the MAX file for the tutorial here
Get the HDRI used in the video here (commercial link)