3.2) Global illumination
Brakeza3D includes a default light in the scene, which can be thought of as the sun.
Essentially, it is a directional light, so you can adjust some of its parameters to achieve the desired base illumination. Being a global light, it has no position. You can manipulate the components of global illumination through the UI or using your LUA scripts.
ADS Components
The ADS (Ambient, Diffuse, Specular) model is a standard lighting technique used in computer graphics to simulate how light interacts with objects in a 3D scene. It separates illumination into three components, allowing realistic control of ambient light, direct light reflection, and surface highlights in a simple and efficient way.
Light types
The lighting system allows users to create and configure different types of lights within the scene. All lighting properties can be edited through the GUI, with immediate visual feedback.
This enables artists and designers to iterate quickly on scene mood and atmosphere while maintaining technical control over lighting behavior.
In Brakeza3D, you will find three types of lights: global light, point lights, and spotlights.
| Light Type | Description | Position | Shadows | Typical Uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global Light | Simulates sunlight and global illumination | No | Yes | Outdoor scenes, daylight lighting |
| Point Light | Emits light in all directions from one point | Yes | No | Bulbs, candles, small light sources |
| Spotlight | Emits light in a specific direction | Yes | Yes | Flashlights, stage lights, lamps |
Shadow mapping
Brakeza3D provides shadow mapping support for both global directional lights and spotlights, allowing you to add realistic dynamic shadows to your scenes. This technique works by rendering the scene from the light’s point of view to generate a depth map, which is then used to determine which areas should be in shadow during the final render pass.
For global illumination, shadow mapping simulates sunlight shadows, producing large-scale, consistent shadow casting across the entire scene. For spotlights, it enables focused, directional shadows, ideal for lamps, flashlights, or stage lighting effects.
Currently, point lights do not support shadow mapping, as their omnidirectional nature requires a different and more expensive rendering approach. This design choice ensures optimal performance while maintaining high visual quality where shadows are most impactful.