Docs/Lighting

Directional Light

Sun-like lighting for outdoor scenes.

5 min read Beginner Updated 2026-07-01 v2.0 ~15 min to complete

Introduction

Sun-like lighting for outdoor scenes. This page provides a complete guide to directional light in Appley, covering everything from setup to advanced techniques.

Lighting is a core area of Appley. Understanding directional light will help you build better games and use the platform more effectively. This documentation is designed for beginner level users.

Requirements

Before working with directional light, ensure you have the following:

An Appley project with a 3D scene
Understanding of light types (directional, point, spot)
HDR environment maps (optional)
Basic knowledge of shadows and baking

Estimated Completion Time

This guide takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. The estimated reading time is 5 minutes. Difficulty level: Beginner.

Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these steps to work with directional light in your Appley project:

Add a light

In the hierarchy, add a light object (directional, point, spot) for directional light.

Configure properties

Set intensity, color, range, and direction in the inspector.

Enable shadows

Turn on shadow casting and configure shadow quality and distance.

Adjust ambient

Set ambient light to fill shadows and prevent overly dark areas.

Test and bake

Preview the lighting in play mode. Bake static lights for performance.

FluxScript Example

Below is an Appley Scripting (Flux Scripting) code example demonstrating directional light:

Directional Light — Appley Scripting

// Lighting — Directional Light
on start {
  sun = lighting.add("directional")
  sun.setIntensity(1.2)
  sun.setColor(255, 240, 220)
  sun.setDirection(-0.5, -1.0, -0.3)
  sun.setShadows(true, { quality: "high", distance: 100 })
  
  torch = lighting.add("point")
  torch.setPosition(10, 5, 10)
  torch.setIntensity(2.0)
  torch.setRange(15)
  torch.setColor(255, 180, 100)
}

on update(dt) {
  time = world.getTime()
  sunIntensity = 1.2 * math.sin(time * 0.26)
  sun.setIntensity(math.max(0.1, sunIntensity))
}

Node Script Example

The same logic can be implemented using Node Scripting. Here is the equivalent node graph:

Directional Light — Node Graph

[On Start] ──► [Add Light: directional]
         ──► [Set Intensity: 1.2]
         ──► [Set Shadows: high]

[On Update] ──► [Get Time] ──► [Sin] ──► [Max: 0.1]
                            ──► [Set Sun Intensity]

Interchangeable Systems

FluxScript and Node Scripting compile to the same runtime. You can mix both in a single project — use whichever is best for each task.