go to: vray - options - environment - check the back next to 'background' then click on the little 'm' next to the background field and a 'vray texture editor' window will pop up. Look in the 'type' drop down menu, it is probably already set to 'sky' default depending on which version of vray you are using. It sounds like you want to use a particular image so choose 'bitmap' then hit the small 'm' next to file and browse to the image you want to use.

there are many tweaks to get it to work right and its best just to test out all the settings using low res renderings. For instance the difference between setting an image as a texture or environment will make a big difference in how the background shows up.

The most common & easiest way is to just add the background in in Photoshop though.


more tips

Thanks so much for the response.

Hmm...well I have gotten that far...more specifically when I render the bitmap is there in the environment but its just a tiny portion of the image. So there must be some sizing/tiling aspect I am missing.

is there a way to map the image once you set it? I cant seem to find this control panel

It's tremendously difficult to get it right via the environment material control panel. A more straightforward method might be to make a sphere or plane and map it to that, then look at it in a rendered viewport or make a mirror ball and do quick tests that way.

As always, you'll get better answers over at the asgvis forums.

HDRI

Walter Sobchak: Were you listening to The Dude's story?
Donny: I was bowling.
Walter Sobchak: So you have no frame of reference here, Donny. You're like a child who wanders into the middle of a movie and wants to know...

One thing to add is that if you want it as a flat background: go to the Environments tab, click on the 'm' in reflection/background, scroll all the way down to UVM section of the dialog box, select UVMGenEnvironment from the UVM Type dropdown, select Screen from the Mapping Type background