Making scenes readable and atmospheric.
WHAT LIGHTING TYPES EXIST
Directional, like sunlight Point, radiating from a position Spot, cone-shaped Area, from a surface
WHAT BAKED LIGHTING IS
Lighting computed in advance and stored.
WHAT IT PROVIDES
High quality at almost no runtime cost.
WHAT IT COSTS
Static only, and long build times.
WHAT REAL-TIME LIGHTING PROVIDES
Dynamic response to moving lights and objects.
WHAT IT COSTS
Performance, proportional to light count.
WHAT MOST GAMES DO
Combine both: baked for static, real-time for dynamic.
WHAT GLOBAL ILLUMINATION IS
Light bouncing between surfaces.
WHY IT MATTERS
Scenes without it look flat and unnatural.
WHAT SHADOWS COST
Rendering the scene again from each shadow-casting light's view.
WHAT THAT MEANS
Shadow-casting lights are expensive, and their count must be controlled.
WHAT SHADOW QUALITY DEPENDS ON
Resolution of the shadow map, and the distance it covers.
WHAT COMMON ARTEFACTS ARE
Shadows detached from objects Blocky edges Shadows flickering as the camera moves
WHAT TO BUDGET
A limited number of dynamic shadow-casting lights.
