Viz Artist
Version 3.10 | Published May 03, 2018 ©
Types Of Light
To understand what effect light has on the surface of rendered 3D objects, three types of light can be defined:
When using lights, it is important to understand the effect each type of light creates on the surface of a rendered 3D object.
Local Light
Local lights have color and position within a Scene, but no single direction. They give off light equally in all directions (isotropic light source). A light bulb is a good example of a local light.
Spot Light
Spotlights have color, position, and direction in which they emit light. Light emitted from a spot light is made up of a bright inner cone and a larger outer cone, with the light intensity diminishing between the two.
Infinite Light
Infinite lights have color and direction. They emit parallel light. This means that all light generated by infinite lights travels through a Scene in the same direction. Imagine a directional light as a light source at near infinite distance, such as the sun.