Lighting configuration workflow

To set up lighting in Unity, follow these steps:

1. Choose a render pipeline
2. Configure lighting
3. Fine-tune your scene lighting

Choose a render pipeline

Unity provides render pipelines that differ in customization and lighting features:

• Built-in Render Pipeline (not scriptable)
• Universal Render Pipeline (URP)
• High-Definition Render Pipeline (HDRP)
• Custom Scriptable Render Pipeline (SRP)

For more information on render pipeline selection, refer to choose a render pipeline.

Configure lighting

1. Choose baked GI, realtime GI, mixed baked and realtime GI, or opt for no GI.

   For more information, refer to Lighting Settings Asset Inspector window reference

2. Choose one of the following Lighting Modes:

   • Baked Indirect
   • Subtractive
   • Shadowmask
   • Distance Shadowmask

   For more information, refer to Lighting Mode.

Fine-tune your scene lighting

To fine-tune your scene lighting, follow these tasks based on project requirements:

1. Add baked, realtime, or mixed lights.

2. Optionally configure emissive surfaces with Baked GI or Realtime GI.

3. Add baked, realtime, or custom Reflection ProbesA rendering component that captures a spherical view of its surroundings in all directions, rather like a camera. The captured image is then stored as a Cubemap that can be used by objects with reflective materials. More info
   See in Glossary.

4. If a GI mode is set, add Light ProbesLight probes store information about how light passes through space in your scene. A collection of light probes arranged within a given space can improve lighting on moving objects and static LOD scenery within that space. More info
   See in Glossary. You can also add Light Probe Proxy Volumes (LPPVs).

To find, inspect, and batch-edit lighting objects across your scene, use Lighting Search.

Additional resources

• Add light emission to a material
• Reflection Probe Inspector window reference
• Light Probes
• SRP Core
• Search and explore lighting-related objects