Lighting Overview
You can adjust the direction, intensity, and color of light in the shaded
view of a model. You can add light sources of various types, and modify
their characteristics to illuminate the model as needed.
You can change the appearance
of the model to enhance or reduce the effect of lighting properties.
Light Types
There are several types of light source:
Ambient light.
Illuminates the model evenly from all directions. In a room with white
walls, the level of ambient light is high, because the light reflects
off the walls and other objects.
Directional
light. Comes from a source that is infinitely far away from
the model. It is a columned light source consisting of parallel rays from
a single direction, like the sun.
Point light.
Comes from a very small light source located at a specific coordinate
in the model space. This type of light source emits light in all directions.
The effect is like a tiny light bulb floating in space.
Spot light.
Comes from a restricted, focused light with a cone-shaped beam that is
brightest at its center. A spot light can be aimed at a specific area
of the model. You can adjust the position and distance of the light source
relative to the model, and you can adjust the angle through which the
beam spreads.
To add, delete,
turn off, or modify lights, see Basic Lighting Controls.
System Lighting Defaults
By default, the Scene
folder under Scene,
Lights, and Cameras in the DisplayManager
contains one Ambient light and
three Directional lights.
You can
turn the Ambient light on or off,
but you cannot delete it or add additional Ambient
lights.
You can
turn the Directional light sources
on or off, or delete them. You can also add additional Directional
light sources.
By default,
lights are on in SolidWorks and off in PhotoView 360.
The maximum
number of light sources in any document is nine (the Ambient
light and eight others in any combination).