Texture Format / Automatic, LatLong, Mirrored Ball, Angular, Cube Map Vertical Cross
Chooses how the environment texture is laid out and interpreted.
← Fusion node reference
USD / 3DAdvanced
uDomeLight
Environment USD light
Lights a USD scene from an environment texture or uniform dome source with exposure, response and texture-mapping controls.
uDomeLight
DaVinci Resolve · Fusion
uDomeLight surrounds the USD scene with environment illumination. It can use HDRI-style LatLong, mirrored-ball, angular or cube-map textures and is one of the fastest ways to establish realistic ambient lighting and reflections.
Overview
What uDomeLight does
uDomeLight surrounds the USD scene with environment illumination. It can use HDRI-style LatLong, mirrored-ball, angular or cube-map textures and is one of the fastest ways to establish realistic ambient lighting and reflections.
Mental model
Think of uDomeLight as placing the entire USD scene inside a luminous environment sphere: every direction can contribute light and reflection information.
Common uses
HDRI environment lighting
Ambient fill
Image-based reflections
Studio environment maps
Matching a CG element to photographed surroundings
Flow anatomy
Inputs & outputs
The port structure shows how this node fits into a Fusion graph.
SceneInput
3D scene or object data to be processed or combined.
uDomeLight
Fusion node
SceneOutput
Updated USD/3D stage for further composition, rendering or export.
Inspector
Important parameters
Start with these controls before reaching for more complicated workarounds.
Transform / Rotation, Scale
Rotates and scales the Dome Light environment mapping.
Color / Red / Green / Blue
Sets the RGB tint of the Dome Light environment.
Use channel-specific controls when the operation should not affect all components equally.
Intensity
Sets the light intensity.
Exposure
Applies an exposure offset to the Dome Light environment.
Enable Color Temperature
Enables black-body color-temperature control for the Dome Light.
Diffuse Response
Sets how strongly the Dome Light contributes to diffuse material lighting.
Specular Response
Sets how strongly the Dome Light contributes to reflections and specular highlights.
Normalize Intensity
Normalizes Dome Light energy so brightness remains more consistent across environment-map formats.
Guide Radius
Controls the visual guide size without changing the lighting concept.
Texture File
Sets the HDRI or environment texture used by the Dome Light.
Browse
Opens a file browser for the related path or resource.
Texture Format
Defines how the environment texture is interpreted: Automatic, LatLong, mirrored ball, angular or cube map.
Texture Format / Automatic
Detects the environment-map layout automatically.
Texture Format / LatLong
Interprets the environment texture as a latitude-longitude equirectangular map.
Texture Format / Mirrored Ball
Interprets the environment texture as a mirrored-ball map.
Texture Format / Angular
Interprets the environment texture as an angular environment map.
Texture Format / Cube Map Vertical Cross
Interprets the environment texture as a vertical-cross cube map.
Export as Separate Stage
Outputs this operation as a separate USD stage instead of folding it into the incoming stage.
Transform / Rotation Order
Sets the 3D rotation order.
Defines the order in which the three rotation axes are evaluated.
Transform / Rotation X Y Z
Sets rotation on the X, Y and Z axes.
Transform / Scale / Lock X/Y/Z
Links the X, Y and Z values for scale.
Practical setup
A reliable workflow
- 1
Load or build the USD scene.
- 2
Add uDomeLight.
- 3
Load an environment map and select the correct texture layout.
- 4
Rotate the dome until major highlights match the intended direction.
- 5
Balance exposure before adding local lights.
- 6
Render through uRenderer and inspect both diffuse illumination and reflections.
Typical node chain
Environment Texture→
uDomeLight→
USD Scene→
uRenderer
Examples
Where this node fits in real work
HDRI lighting
Use an environment map as the base illumination for a USD asset.
uLoaderuDomeLightuCamerauRenderer
Dome plus key light
Combine environment fill with a shaped key source.
uDomeLightuRectangleLightuMergeuRenderer
Troubleshooting
Common mistakes
Using the wrong texture format and getting distorted illumination.
Rotating the model to fix environment direction instead of rotating the dome.
Overexposing the dome and washing out local-light contrast.
Production notes
Practical tips
Start with dome lighting first, then add local key and rim sources.
Use a neutral test material to diagnose environment orientation.
Keep HDRI color-management consistent with the render pipeline.
Related nodes