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What is Light in the 3D Universe?

Master Lighting and Reflections in the 3D Environment

Riva avatar
Written by Riva
Updated yesterday

Understanding and mastering lighting is crucial to bringing your renders to life. On Omi, you can transform your creations by adjusting lights and reflections for an immersive visual experience. This article will guide you through essential tips to optimize lighting in your projects.



Table of Contents

The Role of Light in 3D

Light in a 3D scene plays a similar role to light in the real world: it defines shapes, creates shadows and reflections, and sets the mood.

In 3D modeling, good lighting doesn’t just illuminate; it evokes emotions, guides the viewer's eye, highlights subtle details, accentuates textures, and makes your products more attractive and memorable.


Types of Lights on Omi

On Omi, you can recreate two main types of lighting, just like in real life: natural light from the environment and artificial light that you add yourself.

☀️ Environmental Light


Environmental light simulates natural daylight. Here are the options available on Omi in the Natural Light category:

  • Midday Sun - Soft Shadow

  • Morning Sun - Strong Shadow

  • Morning Sun - Soft Shadow

  • Midday Sun - Strong Shadow

No evening light ? Indeed, because photographing a product in the dark can make it appear dim and less appealing. However, for a luxurious ambiance, try the "sunset" light available on Omi.

🔦 Artificial Light

Artificial light on Omi allows you to precisely control the lighting of your products. You can think of it as the lighting from a lamp. There are two main categories of artificial light: temperature lights and colored lights.

1) Temperature Lights: Cool, neutral, and warm

Cool lights (blue tones) are ideal for creating a technological or futuristic ambiance :

Neutral lights (white tones) are versatile and suitable for most environments :

Warm lights (yellow/orange tones) bring a sense of comfort and intimacy :

2) Colored Lights

In addition to temperature variations, Omi allows you to use lights of different colors to emphasize specific elements of your models or create dramatic effects.

Below is the "Stockholm" light, found in the Ambiance Lights on Omi :


The Role of Shadows in a 3D Scene

Shadows are not just dark areas in your 3D renders; they are essential for realistic and captivating visuals.

Here’s why shadows are so important:

🕳️ Create Depth

Shadows add dimension and prevent your objects from appearing flat. They bring your scene to life by establishing clear spatial relationships.

🔷 Define Shapes

Shadows emphasize contours and details, making shapes and textures more visible. They are crucial for an accurate and impactful presentation of your products.

🔥 Set the Mood

The quality of shadows influences the atmosphere of your scene. Sharp shadows can add drama, while soft shadows create a warm and natural ambiance.

👀 Direct Attention

Use shadows to guide the viewer's eye toward the key elements of your product, highlighting important details and enhancing the visual impact.

💡Omi Tips💡

In the Packshot templates, you can disable shadows by unchecking the option after clicking on the background. This allows you to focus solely on your product without additional visual distractions.


The Role of Reflections in a 3D Scene

Reflections play a crucial role in adding realism and sophistication to your 3D renders. Just like in real life, it’s impossible to have 3D without reflections.

To illustrate, if you select the "haunted forest" reflection, it’s as if your scene is set in a mysterious forest, and the dark, intriguing environment will reflect on the elements in the scene: 👇


If you opt for the "black" reflection, it will completely immerse the product in darkness, with only the light you’ve chosen to illuminate it, creating a dramatic and focused atmosphere: 👇

You are now 3D lighting experts! 😉

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