I'm trying to better understand Reflection Maps and how to create them. Lost a link to a Tutorial page. Hoping someone will guide me to a Tutorial regarding both spheres and alternate ways to create Reflection Maps. -Tom-

When you use an Image Map, plugged into a PoserSurface Reflection Node, the Image Map is considered a Reflection Map.  The Image_Map node will be graphed onto a Mathmatical Sphere, that surrounds you Poser Scene; and what "Reflectes" on and off of your object will be  calculated soley based on this Image_Map.  Lots of spheres are significantly different.  The Map I'm using here was generated by Vue, for mapping onto a Vue sphere object.  The Lighting > Environmental Map > sphere_node you see I've added; helps translate my, or any, map into the specific sphere Poser will be using.

Image Maps are great, as they will get you out of Raytracing your reflections, where Raytracing is more accurate; but time consuming, ...

...not always the color environment you want added, and just not always as nice a background generation.

Raytracing is done from objects, by tracing lights rays backwards to the camera; but thats just it, Poser needs a Sky Dome, like Vue or Bryce.  Because there is'nt a default Poser Sky Dome does'nt mean we ca'nt add one, but it's getting Poser's Sphere Mapping Calculations under the microscope that I think is beyond your average user.

So, here we had my yellow reflecty golden halo, but then that nice deep blue Vue background(the actual background in my first post) mapped onto the Sky Dome I toggled Visible(here in this scene.)  But look what happened; the yellow reflection, mixed with the blues sky, and gave me a green halo(yuck!) 

You can see that the background via this Sky Dome is o.k., and if I shortened our cameras focal length it would be a bit better; but really hardly as nice as what I just File >Import > Background Picture'd into the image of my first post.

Actually the image of my second post should have looked like this; notice the PoserSurface > Reflection Color color(yellow not white.)  This give you a better idea of how much yellow, went to the green of the halo in my third image.

How to make a reflection in Poser 5 and above and Making Realistic Images Using Reflection Maps

Attached Link: Poser Reflections(...Finally!...) - Render Settings - Sky Domes - Much Thanks!

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