what i really want to do is add in some illuminated environmentals, such as glowy-plexiglass plates or just window slits w/ light streaming in.  then cook these into a custom IBL which contains all the scene data.  see new image for ref.

now--i've done this before and it looks great with lights etc attached or coming thru the "windows."  you get great reflections on floor etc.

what would be a neat next step is to use your tool to generate an IBL/reflection map for the room.  then w/ a new ibl light, perhaps i could get a radiosity-like lighting effect coming off the glow-plates or windows???  or even a out-of-sight skylight above.  normally, raytrace does this for you--but i am thinking about putting a simpler 'colour casting' effect into the ibl map.  thoughts?

also--for quick render products for the general public, i could use this same approach to bake a lot of detail into a nice spherical reflection map which could give OK results w/o raytrace times for a typical user (my machine is very fast--but i know not everyone has such).

thoughts everyone on this approach (will it work like i think it does?) and also how to get the probe creation process into the little room instead of the big sky dome>

have a great night!