Directional Light

A Directional Light shines parallel rays across the whole scene from one direction, the way sunlight reaches the earth. It has no position that matters for brightness: an object near it and an object far away are lit equally. What matters is the angle, and that angle is what sets the length and direction of every shadow.

How it works

The light points from wherever you place it toward the centre of the scene, so moving it around changes the time of day it suggests: high and overhead for noon, low and raking for morning or evening light. Because the rays are parallel, its shadows keep their shape at any distance, which is why it is the usual choice for a key light outdoors.

Settings

• Intensity and Color set the strength and tint: warm for golden hour, cool and pale for moonlight.
• Cast shadows turns shadows on. Resolution sharpens them, Softness blurs their edge and Intensity in the shadow settings sets how dark they are.
• Left, Right, Top and Bottom set the area that receives shadows. Keep it just large enough to cover your objects, or the shadows lose detail.
• Bias and Normal bias fix the striped artefacts known as shadow acne.

Use it for

Sunlight and moonlight, outdoor product shots, architecture and any scene that needs one clear key light. Add an Ambient Light to lift the shadows, or let the sky drive the sun for you.