solidThinking provides several standard light source prototypes, namely ambient, distant, eye, goniometric, point, projector, and spot lights. These light source types should provide for adequate simulation of real world lighting phenomena. They can be shortly described as follows:
Ambient
A non-directional light providing uniform illumination.
Distant
A directional light from a distant source. It is made up of parallel rays of light, all of which follow the same direction. As the result, surfaces with the same orientation receive the same quantity of light. The sun is considered a distant light because it is so far from us that rays arriving to earth are parallel.
Goniometric
Light source for which the distribution of light is specified in using industry-standard data.
Point
A light from a point source. Examples of a point light are bulbs and candles.
Projector
Projects a supplied image onto illuminated objects.
Spot
A directional light from a spot source with a cone of illumination
In addition to the above light source types, there are two further types, which are only usable within the Radiosity Processor Module and are explained in the Radiosity paragraph:
Area
Area light source.
Sky
Sky light source.
See also: