Import a .hdr or .exr file or footage into your project.
Last updated on
Apr 2, 2025
Use any image as a light source to realistically place 3D models into a scene with complementary lighting and shadows.
Image-Based Lighting (IBL) uses an image to produce realistic reflections and ambient lighting in a 3D scene. It gives subtle lighting effects that help make the objects appear as though they naturally belong in an environment. Environment Lights in After Effects create realistic lighting, reflections, and shadows on 3D layers by surrounding the scene with an image-based environment map.
Use an image to create realistic reflections and ambient lighting in a 3D scene.
Note
Environment lights currently work only in the Advanced 3D renderer.
Add an environment light
To add an environment light, choose Layer > New > Light, and set the Light Type to Environment.
After Effects uses a default environment map once you set Environment as the Light Type under Light Settings. This can be changed to an image layer with an HDRI file (such as .hdr or .exr), footage, or a composition layer, which can be used as an environment light source in 3D space. However, EXR and HDR files are particularly useful because they support high dynamic range (HDR) lighting, even in 8-bit projects, enabling more accurate lighting and reflections in 3D scenes.
Tip
Apart from an image and footage, you can also point Environment Light to animated compositions or precomposed layers.
Add the imported file to a composition by dragging and dropping it to the Timeline panel.
Twirl open the Environment Light properties in the Timeline panel.
Under the Light Options, set the Source property to the layer with .hdr or .exr file, footage, or animated composition.
Tip
- Use the Create 3D Environment Background Layer command to create a solid layer at the bottom of the composition, with the CC Environment linked to the selected light's Source map and a 5px Fast Box Blur applied to soften the background.
- You can also exclude a 3D layer from interacting with the scene lighting by disabling the Accepts Lights under Compositing Options.
- HDRI environment maps can be downloaded from sources such as Adobe Stock, or you can create your own using Substance 3D Sampler.
The source layer’s visibility will be disabled when chosen as an environment map. You can re-enable this if you want.
To simulate the layer with the source as a background scene layer, use the Layer > Light > Create Environment Light Background Layer to create a solid at the bottom of the composition, with the CC Environment linked to the selected light's Source map and a 5px Fast Box Blur applied to soften the background.
Note
The existing Layer > Environment Layer switch does not work with the Advanced 3D renderer. This option works only with the Cinema 4D renderer.
Convert image file to HDR file using After Effects
While environment lights only accept HDR format files as environment maps, you can easily convert other image file formats to HDR using After Effects.
Import an image file by selecting File > Import > File.
With the file selected in the Project panel, select File > New Comp from Selection.
Select File > Project Settings to launch the Project Settings dialog box.
In the Color tab, under the Color Settings section, select the Bit Depth as 32 bits per channel (float), and select OK.
With the composition or timeline active, select Composition > Save Frame As > File.
In the Render Queue panel, select the linked text next to the Output Module option.
In the Output Module Settings dialog box, specify the Format as Radiance Sequence and select OK.
Select Render.
Convert image file to HDR file using Adobe Photoshop
Open the image file in Photoshop.
Choose Image > Mode > 32 Bits/Channel. (Radiance format requires 32 bits per channel.)
Choose File > Save As or Save a Copy.
Set the Format to Radiance.
Add Environment light shadows
The default environment light doesn’t cast shadows. You must add an environment light layer and enable the Casts Shadows option to cast shadows. Once enabled, all 3D layers in the scene will cast voxel shadows except for the following instances:
- If the layer has the Casts Shadows property turned off.
- If the layer is outside the shadow volume.
- If a layer has the Receive Shadows property off, it will not be affected by shadows even if the Casts Shadows property is turned on and is inside the shadow volume.
Select the Light layer and choose Layer > Light Settings.
In the Light Settings dialog, check the Cast Shadows check box and set the Shadow Darkness amount.
You can also use the Cast Shadows property in the Timeline panel to enable shadows. Learn more about configuring 3D layers' cast and receive shadows properties.
Voxel shadows are memory intensive. The shadow settings are controlled in the Renderer Options dialog, which you can open from either Composition Settings > 3D Renderer or the 3D Renderer drop-down list at the bottom of the Composition panel.
Render Quality
Control the overall quality of the rendered output, including smoothness, lighting, and shadows. Higher values can use large amounts of memory.
Render Quality
Adjust how blocky the shadows look. Higher values can use large amounts of memory.
Smoothness
Reduce or increase the amount of noise in the shadows. The default is 3. There is an inverse relationship between Smoothness and Render Quality. When Render Quality is set lower, you'll want a higher Smoothness value, and vice versa.
Tip
Keep the Smoothness value low and rely on render quality until non-shadow scene quality looks good, and then, if necessary, gradually increase the smoothness.
Casting Box Size and Casting Box Center
Adjust these properties to define the area within which shadows can be cast onto a layer. Voxel shadows are only cast from layers inside a limited box to limit memory use. Making the box larger spreads the voxel resolution across a bigger area, causing shadows to get softer. While the Advanced 3D Render Options dialog is open, a magenta outline represents the cube in the composition.
Note
Shadows are only cast from layers with Cast Shadows enabled to layers with Accepts Shadows enabled.
When you turn off Accepts Lights on a 3D layer in a 3D composition, the layer is no longer affected by any light sources in the scene. The objects in these layers will be lit by basic ambient illumination, showing only their base color and emissive textures. This can be useful if you want the layer to maintain its original appearance without being affected by lighting changes, shadows, or highlights from other light sources. It makes the layer look self-illuminated and consistent regardless of the surrounding lighting environment.
Accepts Lights can be beneficial when working with a 3D composition that includes self-illuminated 3D objects like phone screens and neon lights.
An example of how a lit lamp 3D model is affected when the Accepts Lights option is toggled on and off:
The Accepts Lights option is turned on
The Accepts Lights option is turned off
When a 3D model is selected in the composition, you can also toggle the Accepts Lights option On or Off in the Properties panel.
Note
Accepts Lights is also supported in the Classic 3D and Cinema 4D renderers.
Scripting access to Environment layer Light Type
Using scripting to read the lightType property of a LightLayer object will return LightType.ENVIRONMENT for an environment light.
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