Point Light Node

A point light is a light source with a clear position in space that emits light in all directions. A light bulb is a good example of a point light.

This light shows an onscreen control, although only the position and distance of the control affect the light. Since the light is a 360-degree source, rotation has no meaning. Additionally, a point light may fall off with distance, unlike an ambient or directional light.

Similar to a Camera 3D, you connect lights into a Merge 3D and view them in the scene by viewing the Merge 3D node. Selecting a light node and loading it into the viewer does not show anything.

Point Light Node Inputs

The Point Light node includes a single optional orange input for a 3D scene or 3D geometry.

• SceneInput: The orange input is an optional input that accepts a 3D scene. If a scene is provided, the Transform controls in this node apply to the entire scene provided.

Point Light Node Setup

The Point Light node is designed to be part of a larger 3D scene. You connect the light directly into a Merge 3D. Separating lights into different Merge 3D nodes allows you to control which lights affect which objects.

Point Light Node Controls Tab

The Controls tab is used to set the color and brightness of the point light. The position and distance of the light source are controlled in the Transform tab.

• Enabled
  When the Enabled checkbox is turned on, the point light affects the scene. When the checkbox is turned off the light is turned off. This checkbox performs the same function as the red switch to the left of the node’s name in the Inspector.
• Color
  Use this standard Color control to set the color of the light.
• Intensity
  Use this slider to set the Intensity of the point light. A value of 0.2 indicates 20% percent light.
• Decay Type
  A point light defaults to No Decay, meaning that its light has equal intensity at all points in the scene. To cause the intensity to fall off with distance, set the Decay Type to either Linear or Quadratic modes.

Point Light Node Transform and Settings Tab

The options presented in the Transform and Settings tabs are commonly found in other lighting nodes. Learn more

About the Author

Justin Robinson is a Certified DaVinci Resolve, Fusion & Fairlight instructor who is known for simplifying concepts and techniques for anyone looking to learn any aspect of the video post-production workflow. Justin is the founder of JayAreTV, a training and premade asset website offering affordable and accessible video post-production education. You can follow Justin on Twitter at @JayAreTV YouTube at JayAreTV or Facebook at MrJayAreTV