Global Illumination and HDRI Maps in 3D Studio Max/HDRI Maps

What are HDRI images?
High Dynamic Range Image. A series of photos that are taken at different exposure levels then combined into a HighRange image format. The HDR stores the amount of light every pixel represents instead of on-screen colors that normal bitmaps do. The advantage is greater dynamic range of light and color. Photorealistic lighting at its best.

Why should I use them with MentalRay?

 * There is no need to spend time lighting your scenes with multiple lighting rigs.
 * You can create photorealistic illumination and environment reflections in your 3D scenes.
 * Wide-range luminosity data can drastically change the overall lighting of your scene.