Docs/Lighting

Spot Light

Conical lights for flashlights and stage.

8 min read Intermediate Updated 2026-07-01 v2.0 ~23 min to complete

Introduction

Conical lights for flashlights and stage. This page provides a complete guide to spot light in Appley, covering everything from setup to advanced techniques.

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

Requirements

Before working with spot 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 23 minutes to complete. The estimated reading time is 8 minutes. Difficulty level: Intermediate.

Step-by-Step Guide

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

Add a light

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

Spot Light — Appley Scripting

// Lighting — Spot 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:

Spot 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.