Lighting and Materials

This section describes illumination in Direct3D Immediate Mode scenes, using ambient light, light objects, and materials. The following topics are discussed:

• Introduction to Lighting and Materials

  Describes, in general terms, the roles of lights and materials in a Direct3D Immediate Mode scene.

• The Direct3D Light Model vs. Nature

  Describes the Direct3D illumination model in more detail, and contrasts it from the behavior of light in the natural world.

• Color Values for Lights and Materials

  Describes the RGBA color values used with both lights and materials in Direct3D Immediate Mode.

• Direct Light vs. Ambient Light

  Compares and contrasts the roles of true light sources and ambient light levels.

• Enabling and Disabling the Lighting Engine

  Describes how to enable or disable the Direct3D lighting engine.

• Lights

  Describes Direct3D light objects and provides information on how to use them in a scene.

• Materials

  Describes materials in Direct3D Immediate Mode and provides information about how to use them in a scene.

• The Mathematics of Direct3D Lighting

  Provides details about the math behind the Direct3D light model.