Point Light

A Point Light shines in every direction from a single point, like a bare bulb, a lantern or a glowing orb. Surfaces facing it are lit, surfaces close to it are lit more strongly, and everything it reaches can cast a shadow away from it.

How it works

The point light itself is invisible: you see only its effect on the surfaces around it. To show where the light comes from, pair it with something that glows, or use the Light Bulb, which wraps a point light in visible glass and filament. Moving the light through a scene, or animating its brightness and colour, is one of the simplest ways to make a scene feel alive.

Settings

• Intensity sets the brightness and Color the tint.
• Distance limits how far the light reaches; 0 means unlimited.
• Decay sets how quickly the light fades with distance. 2 is physically correct; the default of 1 fades more gently and reaches further.
• Cast shadows turns on shadows in every direction. It costs six extra renders, so use it on the lights that matter.
• Resolution, Softness and the shadow Intensity set how sharp and dark those shadows are.

Use it for

Lamps, lanterns, fires, magic orbs, glowing products and small pools of light in a dark scene. Brightness, colour, distance and decay can all be keyframed or tied to the cursor in the studio. For a focused cone of light, use a Spot Light.