We report results of modeling and experiments on infrared heated deuterium-hydride (HD) layers in hohlraums. A 2 mm diameter, 40 μm thick shell with 100–400 μm thick HD ice inside a NIF scale gold hohlraum is heated by pumping the HD vibrational-rotational bands. Models indicate control of the lowmode layer shape by adjusting the infrared distribution along the hohlraum walls. We have experimentally demonstrated control of the layer symmetry perpendicular to the hohlraum axis.