HDR Light Studio software provides 3D artists with a new way to light 3D imagery. Paint your shot with lights. The lighting process is now easy, fast, precise, creative and enjoyable. HDR Light Studio builds lighting that is used by your existing 3D software and renderer. By adding HDR Light Studio, 3D artists become more productive and image quality improves.

Interactive Image Based Lighting
The dynamic HDRI environment map is updated in real-time as lights are added and adjusted, as is the Render View that is lit by it.

HDRI Area Lights
HDR Light Studio can also create and control 3D Area Lights / Emitters inside your 3D software. These are positioned with the same intuative interface, clicking and dragging on the 3D model.

Use Standalone or Connected
HDR Light Studio can be used standalone – load a 3D scene and produce the perfect HDRI map.

What’s New in HDR Light Studio 9 Drop 2

New VRED Workflow with Streaming Viewport
New VRED Workflow with Streaming Viewport

Enhanced Lighting Workflow Comes to Autodesk VRED
Requires VRED 2025.2 and higher

Stream your VRED viewport directly into HDR Light Studio and design your lighting entirely within its optimized interface. For the first time, Autodesk VRED users can access the full power of HDR Light Studio’s lighting workflow without constantly switching between applications.

What Does This Mean for Your VRED Workflow?

Streamlined Interface
Fill your screen with HDR Light Studio and focus purely on lighting design. No more fiddly UI arrangements, “always on top” settings, or window juggling between applications. Everything you need is in one unified interface -perfect for single-display setups.
Direct LightPaint Control
LightPaint directly on the streamed viewport within HDR Light Studio. All LightPaint methods are available, including shade and shadow painting.

Intuitive Preset Placement
Drag and drop presets directly onto the streamed viewport, with lights positioned using LightPaint. This intuitive workflow was previously impossible with VRED.

Automatic Viewport Sync
As you adjust the render view size and proportions in VRED, the streamed viewport updates automatically in HDR Light Studio.

Multi-Camera Review
Switch between available cameras directly from HDR Light Studio to check your lighting from different angles without leaving the interface.

The Result: A More Enjoyable and Productive Lighting Experience
This streamlined workflow means fewer clicks, smoother interaction, and complete focus on what matters most – creating beautiful lighting. Light your shots faster than ever before with a more interactive and intuitive creative process.

Getting Started with the New Workflow
This enhanced VRED experience requires HDR Light Studio 9 Drop 2 and, for the first time, an additional plug-in installation for VRED users.
All existing HDR Light Studio compatibility in VRED remains unchanged, now enhanced with powerful viewport streaming capabilities.
Learn the new workflow here