Lighting determines how objects are illuminated in your scene. Unity calculates how light bounces off surfaces based on their color and material properties.
- Right-click in Hierarchy -> Light
- Select the type: Directional, Point, Spot or Area
Types of Lights
Unity has four types of lights. Each serves a different purpose.
Directional Light
- Used for large-scale lighting like sun or moon.
- Light travels in a single direction (parallel rays).
- Best for outdoor scenes.
Point Light
- Emits light in all directions from a single point.
- Similar to a bulb or torch.
- Best for small, local light sources.
Spot Light
- Emits light in a cone shape.
- Direction and angle can be controlled.
- Used for flashlights, headlights, or stage lights.
Area Light
- Emits light from a surface (rectangle or disc).
- Produces soft and realistic lighting.
- Works only in baked lighting (not real-time).
Real-time vs Baked Lighting
Real-time Lighting
- Lighting is calculated every frame during runtime.
- Supports dynamic changes (moving lights, objects, shadows).
- More performance-heavy.
- Best for: Moving objects, Player-held lights (flashlight, torch), Day-night cycles.
Baked Lighting
- Lighting is precomputed and stored in textures (lightmaps).
- Does not change during gameplay.
- Very performance-efficient.
- Best for: Static objects (buildings, walls, terrain), Indoor environments, Optimized scenes.
How to Create Lighting in Unity
- Select the objects you want to bake.
- Enable “Static” in the Inspector.
- Go to Window -> Rendering -> Lighting.
- Click “Generate Lighting”.
Light Properties
- Type: Defines the light type - Options: Directional, Point, Spot, Area.
- Color: Controls the color of the light - Affects the mood and appearance of the scene.
- Intensity: Controls brightness of the light - 0 = off, 1 = normal, 2+ = very bright.
- Range: Defines how far the light reaches - Applicable to Point and Spot lights only.
- Spot Angle: Controls the width of the light cone - Used only with Spot lights.
- Shadows: Determines shadow type - Options: Hard, Soft, or None.
Quick Setup for Different Scenes
Outdoor (Day):
- Directional Light
- Color: Slightly warm (255, 245, 235)
- Intensity: 1.2
- Shadows: Soft
Outdoor (Night):
- Directional Light
- Color: Dark blue (80, 100, 150)
- Intensity: 0.3
- Add Point Lights near lamps
Indoor (Room):
- Spot Lights pointing down from ceiling
- Or Point Lights inside lamp models
- Intensity: 1
- Range: 10
Common Lighting Issues
Object is completely black
- Cause: No light is reaching the object.
- Fix: Add a light source or increase light intensity.
Shadows look jagged
- Cause: Shadow resolution is too low.
- Fix: Go to Edit - Project Settings - Quality and increase Shadow Resolution.
Scene looks flat
- Cause: Only one light is used.
- Fix: Add fill lights from different angles (sides/back).
Lights don’t affect object
- Cause: Material is using an Unlit shader.
- Fix: Use Standard (or Lit) shader instead of Unlit.