Unity 3D Lighting

Realtime lighting in Unity calculates light dynamically at runtime for moving objects, while baked lighting precomputes light data into lightmaps for static geometry to save performance. The optimal choice depends on whether your scene objects move and your target frame rate.

To optimize lighting performance in Unity URP and HDRP, you should balance realtime and baked lighting, carefully configure shadow settings, limit additional lights, and utilize lightmapping and light probes to reduce expensive runtime calculations.

Setting up light probes and reflection probes involves placing them throughout your Unity scene to capture bounced light and environmental reflections. This allows dynamic objects to correctly interact with baked global illumination and maintain visual consistency.

Yes, this guide covers HDRP specifics including physical light units for physically accurate lighting intensity and volumetric fog for realistic atmospheric effects. These features are essential for achieving high-fidelity visuals in the High Definition Render Pipeline.

The best way to light an indoor Unity scene is using mixed lighting to combine realtime shadows with baked global illumination. You should strategically place light probes to capture bounced light and configure reflection probes for accurate surface reflections.