Light Source Shaders

Light sources are supported internally using a similar mechanism to the other shader classes. A light source shader defines which and how much light falls onto a surface.

 

Examples of light source types are ambient lights (which illuminate all surfaces equally regardless of their orientation), distant lights (which radiate light in a single direction), point lights (which radiate light in all directions), and spot lights (which cast a cone of light from a specified point and in a specific direction).

 

We provide herewith names and descriptions of light source shaders:

 

"ambient"

Uniform illumination.

 

"distant"

Parallel light from a distant source.

 

"goniometric"

Goniometric (industry standard light fitting data) light source.

 

"point"

Light from a point source.

 

"projector"

Projects a supplied image onto illuminated objects.

 

"sky"

Sky light source for radiosity calculations. Only applicable to users of the Radiosity Processor Module.

 

"spot"

Light from a spot source contrained to a cone.