Standard lights are computer-based objects that simulate lights such as household or office lamps, the light instruments used in stage and film work, and the sun itself. Different kinds of light objects cast light in different ways, simulating different kinds of real-world light sources. Unlike photometric lights, standard lights do not have physically-based intensity values.
For parameters specific to a particular kind of light, see the description of that light type. Parameters specific to standard lights in general, as well as rollouts specific to spotlights and directional lights, are described in Rollouts for Standard Lights.
A spotlight casts a focused beam of light like a flashlight, a follow spot in a theater, or a headlight. A target spotlight uses a target object to aim the camera.
A spotlight casts a focused beam of light like a flashlight, a follow spot in a theater, or a headlight. Unlike a targeted spotlight, a Free Spot has no target object. You can move and rotate the free spot to aim it in any direction.
Directional lights cast parallel light rays in a single direction, as the sun does (for all practical purposes) at the surface of the earth. Directional lights are primarily used to simulate sunlight. You can adjust the color of the light and position and rotate the light in 3D space.
Directional lights cast parallel light rays in a single direction, as the sun does (for all practical purposes) at the surface of the earth. Directional lights are primarily used to simulate sunlight. You can adjust the color of the light and position and rotate the light in 3D space.
An Omni light casts rays in all directions from a single source. Omni lights are useful for adding "fill lighting" to your scene, or simulating point source lights.
The Skylight light models daylight. It is meant for use with the Light Tracer. You can set the color of the sky or assign it a map. The sky is modeled as a dome above the scene.
When you render a scene using the mental ray renderer, an area omni light emits light from a spherical or cylindrical volume, rather than from a point source. With the default scanline renderer, the area omni light behaves like any other standard omni light.
When you render a scene using the mental ray renderer, an area spotlight emits light from a rectangular or disc-shaped area, rather than from a point source. With the default scanline renderer, the area spotlight behaves like any other standard spotlight.
The topics in this section describe rollouts whose controls are specific to standard lights.
