User Manual
  • 🏡About D5 Render
  • 🧭Get Started with Ease
    • D5 Workflow
      • Interface, Shortcuts, Camera
      • Model Connection
      • Material
      • Landscape
      • Environment, Effects
      • Image, Animation Output
      • AI Features
  • 🧊Importing and editing models
    • How to import model files into D5 Render?
    • How to edit models?
    • How to duplicate the model?
    • What is "Make Unique"?
    • How to quickly adjust models in the asset library?
    • How to make the material drop with one click?
    • How to align models imported separately?
    • What is "Sync Pivot" and how to use it for rotating/opening and closing doors animation in D5?
    • Why do models become displaced after replacement/update?
    • How to select multiple models in the scene?
    • How to flip/mirror models?
    • How to replace models in the scene?
    • How to switch between an object's own coordinates and world coordinates?
    • The imported model in D5 is a whole. How to separately adjust individual objects?
    • How to quickly focus the camera on a model?
    • How to restore the imported model's built-in materials?
    • How to sync/update modified/moved models to D5?
    • Why "Reload" shows gray when using the D5 Converter to sync the models?
    • Why can't the model in the scene be selected?
  • 🎲Workflow Plugins
    • Abnormal situations
      • Abnormal situations when using LiveSync(real-time plugin)
        • After LiveSync(real-time plugin) syncing, how to deal with material picking up abnormalities in D5?
      • Abnormal situations when using Sync(non-real-time plugin)
    • General questions
      • How to install plugins?
      • Re-linking File Process Introduction
      • Why does it prompt "Could not reach server (timeout)" during syncing?
      • Why does the modelling software show a different orientation compared to the top view in D5?
      • Why the .d5a file with group structure info could not use align/sync coordinates?
      • When launching D5 from D5 Converter, why is the window not displayed fully/stuck/shows white border?
      • Launching D5 from the D5 converter gives the error "default error".
    • SketchUp
      • Feature Introduction | D5 LiveSync for SketchUp
      • Syncing Objects and Properties
      • Update | D5 LiveSync for SketchUp
      • Common issues | D5 LiveSync for Sketch up
      • Workflow | D5 Sync for SketchUp
      • Update | D5 Sync for SketchUp
      • Common issues | D5 Sync for Sketch up
    • 3ds Max
      • Common issues | D5 LiveSync for 3ds Max
      • Update | D5 LiveSync for 3ds Max beta
      • Feature Introduction | D5 LiveSync for 3ds Max beta
      • Workflow | D5 Sync for 3ds Max
      • Update | D5 Sync for 3ds Max
      • Common issues | D5 Sync for 3ds Max
    • Rhino
      • Workflow | D5 Sync for Rhino
      • Workflow | D5 LiveSync for Rhino
      • Update | D5 LiveSync for Rhino
      • Update | D5 Sync for Rhino
      • Common issues | D5 Sync for Rhino
    • Revit
      • Workflow | D5 Sync for Revit
      • Update | D5 Sync for Revit
      • Common issues | D5 Sync for Revit
    • Cinema 4D
      • Workflow | D5 Sync for C4D
      • Update | D5 Sync for C4D
      • Common issues | D5 Sync for C4D
    • Archicad
      • Workflow | D5 LiveSync for Archicad
      • Update | D5 LiveSync for Archicad
      • Workflow | D5 Sync for Archicad
      • Update | D5 Sync for Archicad
      • Common issues | D5 Sync for Archicad
    • Blender
      • Workflow | D5 Sync for Blender
      • Update | D5 Sync for Blender
      • Common issues | D5 Sync for Blender
    • Vectorworks
      • Workflow | D5 LiveSync for Vectorworks
      • Update | D5 LiveSync for Vectorworks
      • Common issues | D5 Sync for Vectorworks
  • 📝User Guide
    • Material
      • How to achieve caustics effect
      • How to select material in the scene?
      • How to adjust the material map?
      • How to control the reflection effect of a material?
      • How to control the bump effect of the material?
      • How to make the emissive effect of the material?
      • What is the AO parameter of material?
      • What is "Invisible in Raytracing"?
      • How to achieve round corner?
      • What if there is colour bleeding in a scene?
      • What materials are the Flowing water templates suitable for? What are the special parameters?
      • What materials are the Transparent templates suitable for? What are the special parameters?
      • What materials are the Water templates suitable for? What are the special parameters?
      • What materials are the Car Paint templates suitable for? What are the special parameters?
      • What materials are the Displacement templates suitable for? What are the special parameters?
      • What materials are the Cloth templates suitable for? What are the special parameters?
      • What materials are the Custom Alpha templates suitable for? What are the special parameters?
      • What materials are the Subsurface scattering templates suitable for? What are the special parameters
      • How to use the Multimedia Material?
      • What materials are the Foliage templates suitable for? What are the special parameters?
      • How to set grass? How to grow grass with one click?
      • What is the difference between a material template and a library preset material?
      • What are the material tools? What are they used for?
      • What is the correct naming convention when importing PBR maps with one click?
      • How do I adjust the material UV and why does adjusting the UV have no effect?
      • Why is the base colour map all black after import?
      • Why is the effect of the glass material not obvious/anomalous?
      • How to create a velvet effect?
      • Why is the file location option disabled?
    • Tool
      • How to use City Generator?
      • How to use Terrain?
      • How to use D5 Scatter?
      • How to generate a vine with one click?
      • How to batch adjust the parameters of the objects?
      • How to fill hedge leaves with one click?
      • How to save and reuse presets for the Path tool?
      • How to save and reuse presets for the Brush tool?
      • How to efficiently use the path tool to place plants?
      • How to efficiently draw/scatter/place plants?
      • How to erase/clear plants?
      • How to edit plants created by brushes
      • How to create a lawn effect?
      • Other common issues
    • View
      • Camera and Views
      • How to use full screen mode?
      • What is the difference between different preview qualities?
      • How to move the viewpoint freely?
      • What are the different display options for?
      • What are the different display modes for?
      • How to set the 'Depth of Field' effect?
      • How to switch to orthogonal view
      • What is the feature of horizontal and vertical FOV?
      • How to set section/render section diagram?
      • How to adjust the view rotation rate of the right and middle mouse buttons?
    • Sky and Weather
      • Sky Light
      • Weather
      • How to add a custom outro in D5?
      • How to adjust the weather in D5?
      • Other common issues
    • Render
      • What is 'Real-time Path Tracing(alpha)'?
      • What is the 'FPS Booster for Complex Geometry'?
      • Why there are white grids when outputting specific resolution images, but the preview is normal?
      • Where can I activate Frame Generation? Why can't I find the option for Frame Generation?
      • Why does the scene made with 2.6 or previous versions look different in version 2.7?
      • Why are plant shadows discontinuous in specific resolutions' outputs while preview is normal?
      • How to render a scene?
      • How to render a video clip?
      • What is D5 SR?
      • Why is the dark side of the video darker compared to the output single frame?
      • Why is there noticeable noise in the output still frames?
      • How to render channel maps? Which channel maps are supported?
      • How to turn off D5 after the render is finished?
      • Why are there stripes in the rendered output video?
    • Lights
      • Why is there a distinct boundary between light and dark in the scene after using rect/strip lights?
      • What types of light sources are offered by D5?
      • How to edit multiple lights at once?
      • How to make a light invisible in the reflection?
      • Why does the effect of lights change when the camera moves?
      • What are the meanings of each parameter in the light panel?
      • Other FAQs
    • Assets
      • How to Use Lowpoly Assets?
      • How to Use Volumetric Lighting Assets?
      • Why are the assets not displayed in the assets library?
      • What's in the D5 online assets library?
      • How to add materials to local?
      • How to add models to local?
      • Which folder are assets saved in? How to move them to another path?
      • How to manage resources in Local Library?
      • FAQs
    • Studio
      • What is Studio Cloud Space?
    • AI
      • Account Access to AI features
      • How to use AI Post-Processing?
      • How to use AI Atmosphere Match?
      • How to use AI Ultra HD Texture?
      • How to use AI Make Seamless?
      • How to use AI Material Match?
      • How to use AI-generated Texture Maps?
    • Resource Management
      • Why does the operation lag when previewing?
      • How to clean up a D5 project occupying too much space?
      • What is a drs file?
      • Where is the Auto Save feature? How do the backup files work?
      • How to move D5 project files to another computer?
      • What is the Scene List?
      • Why the scene parameters are not saved after switching shots?
      • What is the object list? How to manage the resources in a scene?
      • What is the difference between locking and unlocking models in the object list?
      • How to only select lights/models/plants/paths/etc. in a scene?
      • What are layers? How to manage resources through layers?
      • How to switch the layer on which an object is located?
      • What is the imported list?
      • How to quickly delete imported models and auto-saved backup files for the current project?
    • Effect
      • How to save and reuse environment and post-effect presets?
      • How is Z Depth used in Style?
      • How to use lut?
      • Why does custom lut not work?
      • How is AO used in Style? What effects can be achieved?
      • How to use Outline mode in Style? What effects can be achieved?
      • What effects can each of the parameters in post-processing achieve?
      • Why does adjusting the parameters of the Effect panel not have any effect?
    • Preference
      • Save Compressed Project
      • Use with High Resolution Screen
      • How to set up the web proxy?
      • What's the difference between different video encoding formats? How to use QSV encoding?
      • Why models with smaller sizes in the distance not shown when previewing or exporting?
      • How to turn on the Action Tips panel?
      • How to view and change the default shortcuts?
      • How to change the default language?
    • Widget
      • How to use the D5 SR Image Rendering (beta) Widget ?
      • How to use the Section Tools Widget?
      • How to use Advanced Camera Tool (beta) Widget?
      • Hot to use Frame Rate Widget?
      • How to use Advanced Image Rendering Widget?
      • How to use Advanced Video Rendering Widget?
      • How to use VR (beta) Widget?
      • How to use Stage Light Widget?
      • How to use Projector Widget?
      • How to use Color Grading Widget?
      • How to use Merge Project beta Widget?
    • Hardware
      • What graphic cards does D5 support? And what's the difference?
      • How to do if the device fails D5 Render's test?
      • System Requirements for D5 Render
      • How to use Support Tool?
      • How to check memory usage, graphics memory usage, and graphics card driver version?
      • Does the CPU have a big impact on D5?
      • What is the hardware test tool (Benchmark)?
      • What is Hardware testing?
      • What do the parameters in the Statistics represent?
      • Why is D5 not working properly when remote?
      • Why need to wait a long time to open a D5 scene?
      • How to choose the right computer power for Graphic Cards?
      • How to view and upgrade graphics card driver?
      • How to view and optimize memory usage?
      • How to view and optimize graphics card usage?
      • Why are close textures clearer but distant textures blurry in modeling software/D5?
      • How to Use the 3Dconnexion® SpaceMouse in D5 Render?
    • Common Pop-Up Windows
      • Why prompts "Insufficient permissions. Please retry the operation with administrator permissions''?
      • Why prompt 'The program cannot be launched because of DLL errors...' or 'Program Startup Failed'?
      • Why prompt 'Lights cannot exceed 4096'?
      • Why prompt 'The number of caustic lights cannot exceed 64'?
      • Why prompt 'The material of model cannot be reused'?
      • Why prompt 'The number of devices exceeds the login limit'?
      • Why prompt 'Self-illumination in the scene has reached its limit'?
      • Why prompt 'The number of Vegetation in the scene has reached its limit'?
      • When first run D5, why prompt 'Cannot continue executing code because Qt5Core.dll was not found.'
      • How to do when a low TDR is detected?
      • Why prompt 'The application could not start normally (0xc000007b)'?
      • Why prompt 'DX12 is not supported on your system. '?
      • Why prompt 'Save Failed' when saving a file?
    • Model
      • Import
      • Edit
      • Action
    • Animation Path
      • Draw Path
      • Character Path
      • Vehicle Path
    • Vegetation Tool
      • Brush and Scatter
      • Eraser and Clean
      • Vegetation Path
  • 💸D5 Account & Purchase
    • How to get technical support?
    • Education Version FAQs
    • How to get an invoice?
    • How to register and login D5 account?
  • 🧩Instruction for D5 for Teams
    • Product Instructions for D5 for Teams
    • How to create and manage Team accounts
      • Apply for and set up a Teams account
      • Invite Team Members
      • Manage Team Members
      • Edit Account Attributes
      • Edit Team Information
      • Customize Invoice Field
      • Team Brand Watermarks
      • Team Group Management
    • How to deploy team library and manage team assets
      • Team Library Deployment
      • Cloud Asset Management
      • How to set up Windows shared drive?
      • How to create a NAS shared folder?
    • How to use D5 Studio?
      • What is D5 Studio?
      • How to open D5 Studio
      • What's in D5 Studio
      • Share Presets with Team
      • Copy Studio data from Individual identity to Team identity
      • D5 Curated - Community Assets
    • How to use Multi-editing?
      • Preparation
      • Convert projects to Worksets
      • Edit and Manage Worksets
      • Layer visible to this workset only
      • Convert a multi-editor workset to a normal project
      • Abnormal work status
    • How to use comments
      • How to add comments
      • How to add comments to a project that is currently in use?
    • How to create virtual tours
      • How to use the Virtual Tour feature
      • How to use the D5 Showreel platform?
    • Data analysis
      • How to use Team data analysis?
    • Application Integration
      • D5 Account Supports Integrated Dropbox Account
      • Onedrive Integration
      • Sharepoint Integration
      • ACC Integration
      • Cesium Integration
    • Single Sign-On (SSO)
      • SSO Handbook
  • 🖥️Instruction for D5 Lab Version (LAB)
    • D5 Lab Version (LAB) Installation Guide
  • 🗝️Account
    • Download and Installation
      • How to install D5 Render?
      • How to install plugins?
    • Registration and Login
    • Version Comparison
  • 🧩Learn More
    • Shortcuts
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On this page
  • Simple adjustment
  • Precise Simulation
  • Custom
  • Custom Daytime
  • Custom Night
  • HDRI
  • Background Knowledge
  • Detailed explanation of parameters

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  1. User Guide
  2. Sky and Weather

Sky Light

The Sky Light panel consists of three parts: "Geo Sky" "Custom" and "HDRI".

PreviousSky and WeatherNextWeather

Last updated 2 months ago

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Geo Sky

Geographic sky can quickly provide natural lighting for interior and exterior scenes.

Simple adjustment

Drag the sun angle control lever to change the time period and the corresponding sun angle.

  • As the sun angle changes, the color of the sky will dynamically change accordingly, showing the light color in the early morning, noon, dusk and other time periods.

Precise Simulation

The Geo and Sky system can accurately simulate the real sunlight angle, which is great for project preview and visualization.

  • Click the ⋮ button to the right of the North Offset to expand the detailed parameter panel.

  • The default parameter of the geographic sky is the sun angle at 16:00 PM on January 1 in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province (D5 headquarters, 118.8°E, 32°N).

Please modify the parameters according to the actual geographic data of your own project in order to get accurate simulation results.

1.North offset

This parameter is used to correct the direction of "north compass".

Drag the control and the sun's orientation will rotate horizontally. The default value of the control is in the middle, meaning no offset. In the top view, dragging to the right or entering a positive value will rotate the north direction clockwise.

D5 Render will set one of the main axis direction of the model as north. e.g. The positive direction of green axis in SketchUp scene will be recognized as north.

  1. In practical design process, it is usually preferred that the modeling software's axes coincide with the design axes of the building, rather than modeling according to the geographic direction.

This means that the axes of most scene files deviate from the geographic north direction, which can be corrected by using the "North Offset" parameter.

  1. If you are not sure where the north direction of the D5 Render is, you can find it according to geographical knowledge.

For example, if you set the time to 12:00 noon, the shadow of an object north of the Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N) will then point due north.

2.Time

Enter parameter as needed.

3.Date

Enter parameter as needed.

4.Latitude and longitude

Please enter the real latitude and longitude coordinates of the project.

  • The positive value of the longitude parameter indicates the E longitude, and the negative value indicates the W longitude (parameter range 180°~-180°).

  • The positive value of the latitude parameter indicates N latitude, and the negative value indicates S latitude (parameter range 90°~-90°).

Note that here is Decimal Degree (DD), different from Degree Minute Second (DMS), accurate to one decimal point. Pay attention to the conversion in actual use.

For example: 35°30'E should be converted to 35.5°E.

5.Custom sun/moon/starlight parameters

Supports to custom adjust relevant parameters to meet specific scene requirements.

  • Sunlight Intensity: Controls the brightness of the Sunlight source.

  • Sun Disk Radius: Controls the diameter of the sun in the sky also affects the softening of the shadows to some extent, but the scene brightness stays the same.

  • Moonlight Intensity: Controls the brightness of the moonlight source.

  • Moon Disk Radius: Controls the diameter of the moon in the sky, but the scene brightness stays the same.

  • Starlight Intensity: Controls the brightness of stars.

Note: Sun Disk Radius & Moon Disk Radius are artistic effect options, not physically accurate.

6.Caustics

Supports Sun Caustics to better simulate the visual effects of refraction and reflection of sunlight in the real world.

  • Caustics Intensity: The multiplier value of the Caustics effect, the higher the value, the brighter the caustics.

  • Softness: The degree of Caustics softening which takes effect at the Light Source Radius greater than 0.

Note:

To achieve the caustic effect, the ‘Caustics’ option must be enabled simultaneously for both the material and the light source. Among the materials, only the "Custom", "Transparent" and "Water" material templates currently support caustics.

The Custom material supports reflective caustics,

the Transparent and Water materials support both reflective and refractive caustics;

Custom

Click the ‘Custom’ panel to expand the detailed parameter panel and adjust the daytime and night parameters.

Custom Daytime

1. Sunlight Intensity

Controls the brightness of the Sunlight source.

2. Sun Disk Radius

Controls the diameter of the sun in the sky also affects the softening of the shadows to some extent, but the scene brightness stays the same.

Note: This option is an artistic effect, not physically accurate.

3. Altitude

Adjusts the height of the sun in the sky by the altitude.

4. Azimuth

Adjusts the direction of the sun in the sky by the azimuth.

5. Caustics

Enable the caustics calculation of the sun.

To achieve the caustic effect, the ‘Caustics’ option must be enabled simultaneously for both the material and the light source.

Custom Night

1. Moon Intensity

Support to adjust moon brightness as needed.

2. Moon Disk Radius

Supports to customize the size of moon, the diameter of the moon in the sky will change significantly when adjusting the parameter, but the brightness of the scene stays the same.

Note: This option is an artistic effect, not physically accurate.

3. Moon Phases

Customize the moon's waxing and waning by adjusting the moon phase.

4. Moon Phase Direction

Customize the direction of the moon's waxing and waning by adjusting the moon phase direction.

5. Altitude

Adjusts the height of the moon in the sky by altitud.

6. Azimuth

Adjusts the orientation of the moon in the sky by azimuth.

7. Starlight Intensity

Adjust the brightness of the stars in the sky.

HDRI

Background Knowledge

What is HDRI?

HDRI is the abbreviation of High Dynamic Range Image. Common image formats are hdr, exr, etc.

  • The opposite concept is called "LDRI (Low Dynamic Range Image)". Images in jpeg and png formats are all LDRI.

How can we create an HDRI?

Usually, using a camera to capture the same scene at different exposure levels, resulting in several LDR images. Then using specific software, combine LDR information into a single image to obtain an HDR image. Ideally, the pixel values in an HDR image are proportional to the true intensity of light in nature. It records both very bright and very dark information, the so-called "dynamic range" is very high.

HDRI is not only the background, but also illuminates the whole scene.

Why use HDRI?

Here's an example to demonstrate the benefits of HDRI.

Open the low and high dynamic versions of the same image in Photoshop and place them together.

  • The upper image is in jpeg format, bit depth: 8 bits/channel.

  • The lower image is in hdr format, bit depth: 32 bits/channel.

By default, both images look the same on the screen, because the bit depth of the screen display is also 8 bits/channel.

Information outside of this range will appear on the screen as "overexposed" pure white, or severely underexposed pure black.

Let's add [Exposure] adjustment layers to both images and lower the exposure level by 3 stops:

The difference is apparent:

  • in the lower HDR image, the areas that were overexposed and turned white show more content: cloud detail, blue sky, sun, etc.

  • The overexposed areas of the LDR image above, on the other hand, simply change from pure white to a dull gray, because no detail was recorded in these overexposed areas in the first place.

We use these two images, as the sky environment background, to render the model, and the difference is also significant:

Most importantly, the sun in HDRI can cast shadows:

What should I look for when selecting HDRI?

The HDRI environment used in D5 Render are "spherical projection" panoramas. In addition, there are other common panorama projection methods such as cubic and mirror ball.

The spherical projection panorama is characterized by:

  • Image aspect ratio is 2:1

  • The horizon line is usually at the middle height of the frame.

  • The content of the picture can completely cover all angles around the camera.

Here is what a typical HDRI image suitable for D5 Render would look like (compressed to a low dynamic image for web display purposes), and we are going to use this type of image for Sky Light.

Detailed explanation of parameters

Click on the "HDRI" tab and the parameters panel will look like this:

1.Default HDRI

D5 Render has nine different HDR panoramic environment maps built in for different atmospheres.

Note that the "Pure White" HDRI background will be automatically exposed to gray when the auto exposure option is turned on, so if you want to get a "pure white" background, you need to manually control the exposure.

2.Customise HDRI

Click "+ Customize HDR" in the drop-down menu to load the hdr file. Supported file formats: hdr, jpg, exr.

Note: Low dynamic range jpg files are also allowed to be loaded here.

LDR images can of course provide a reflective background environment and some lighting, just not as realistic as HDR.

Custom imported HDR files are saved to the "customhdr" folder under D5 Render installation path, which can be quickly accessed by clicking on the folder icon to manage custom HDR files.

The "Default" and "Custom" categories can be toggled in the drop-down menu.

3.Parameter Adjustment

  • Light: Controls the overall brightness of the HDRI image, thus affecting the lighting of the scene.

Note: If auto exposure is turned on, auto exposure will always compensate for changes in overall brightness, making the effect of this parameter less obvious.

Click on the buttons to the right of the Light control to adjust the brightness of the Sky lighting and the brightness of the background respectively:

  • Skylight: Only affects diffuse lighting. Does not affect material reflections.

  • Background: adjusts the brightness of the background, and also affects the material reflection.

  • Rotate: Rotates the HDRI sky environment horizontally, which affects the background content, material reflection environment, and sun azimuth.

  • Color temperature: affect the color tendency of the sky lighting, affect diffuse lighting, will not affect the background and reflection. The default value is 6500K, lower color temperature will make the diffuse yellowish, higher color temperature will make the diffuse blueish.

  • Sun

Before we go into the specific parameters, it is important to understand why we need a "sun" feature for the HDRI. The main reason is that not every sun in an HDRI panorama is bright enough to cast realistic shadows.

  • Only high quality HDRI panoramas that capture enough exposure stops contain enough sun brightness information to produce a clear and realistic shadow. That is, meet the drag-and-drop standard. As the demand increases, more and more HDRI panorama resources are reaching this level.

  • However, there are still quite a few HDRIs where the sun is not as bright as it needs to be, and the rendered scene will look more like a "cloudy" or "overcast" sky. The shadow is not obvious.

When we turn on the "Sun" switch, D5 Render automatically identifies the brightest point in the HDRI panorama (usually the sun) and adds a solar light source in that direction:

  • Sunlight intensity: Controls the brightness of the Sunlight source.

  • Sun Disk Radius: Control the radius of sun disk, it will affect the softness of the shadow edge.

  • Color Temperature(Sun): affects the color temperature of the sun, The default value is 6500K; lower color temperature will make the sunlight yellowish. You can set a low color temperature for early morning and dusk sunlight. Higher color temperature will make the sunlight blueish.

  • Direction

    • Follow HDRI: Automatically identifies the brightest point in the HDRI (usually the sun) and adds a solar light source at the corresponding location. The advantage is that it usually fits the HDRI environment perfectly, the disadvantage is that the sun's altitude angle cannot be adjusted, and if you want to adjust the sun's azimuth, you need to rotate the HDRI.

    • Custom: Disconnecting the solar direction from the HDRI. The advantage is that you can adjust the altitude angle and azimuth angle of the sun freely. The disadvantage is that in certain cases a "double shadow" appears, because there is already a sun in the original HDRI.

For more details, please refer to:

For more details, please refer to:

(HDR image credit: ).

(HDR image credit: )

📝
How to achieve caustics effect
How to achieve caustics effect
Sunflowers HDRI • Poly Haven
Sunflowers HDRI • Poly Haven
Geo Sky
Custom Daytime
Custom Night
Differences in sky details:
Differences in reflection details:
HDRI can cast shadows
Color temperature
turn on & turn off the "Sun" switch
"double shadow"