Parameters
The Light node is a property node used to apply simulated lighting or drop shadow effects to upstream shapes to create the illusion of depth.
Parameters
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
Label | The display name for the node. |
Group | Apply the light only to shapes in this group. |
Pattern | Apply effect only to specific indices (e.g., 1-5, ^0, 2-). |
Type | The type of light: distant, point, outer/inner/cast shadow. |
Apply to | Choose whether to apply the shadow to each shape individually or to a combined version of all input shapes. |
Shadow only | Output only the shadow, hiding the original object. |
Offset | The offset of the shadow result. |
Blur | The blur radius of the drop shadow. |
Color | The color of the drop shadow. |
Opacity | The opacity of the drop shadow. |
Preset | Applies standard isometric or off-axis perspectives. |
Skew X | Horizontal skew angle of the shadow. |
Scale Y | Vertical scale/direction. Negative values flip to front. |
Axis Rot | Rotation of the projection axis. Aligns the shadow baseline. |
Pivot Offset | Manual adjustment for the shadow origin point (Pivot). |
Color | The color of the light. |
Intensity | The brightness of the diffuse light. |
Softness | Controls the softness of the shading by smoothing the surface normals. |
Surface scale | Controls the perceived height/depth of the surface texture. |
Specular highlight | Enable glossy/shiny highlights (Phong reflection). |
Shininess | Controls how tight the highlight is (Exponent). Higher is glossier. |
Strength | The brightness of the specular highlight (Ks). |
Azimuth | The direction of the light source on the XY plane. |
Elevation | The angle of the light source from the XY plane towards the Z axis. |
Position | The X, Y, and Z coordinates of the point light. |
Blend mode | How the effect blends with layers below it. |
Effect Types
The Type parameter determines the kind of effect the node will produce. Each type has its own set of parameters to control its appearance.
| Effect Type | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Before | A simple shape without any lighting or shadow effects. | |
Distant | Simulates a far-away light source like the sun, where light rays are parallel. Controlled by Azimuth (direction) and Elevation (angle). | |
Point | Simulates a light bulb at a specific X, Y, Z coordinate. Light radiates outwards from this point. | |
Shadow | Creates a drop shadow effect behind the shape. Controlled by offset, blur, color, and opacity. |
Understanding Point Lights
The Point Light creates a pseudo-3D effect by treating your 2D shape like a 3D terrain. It uses the shape’s opacity to determine height: the center is “high” and the transparent edges are “low.”
It creates a counter-intuitive interaction with the Scale parameter:
- Scale is Height, not Size: Think of
Scaleas the steepness of your shape’s terrain.- High Scale: Turns your shape into a steep, tall mountain peak. The light only hits the very tip, resulting in a smaller, sharper light.
- Low Scale: Turns your shape into a flat, gentle hill. The light washes over the surface, resulting in a larger, softer light.
How to control the look:
- Large light:
Scale(try 1-5),Zposition (try 50-60),Intensity(try 2-3). - Small light:
Scale(try 1-2),Zposition (try 10),Intensity(try 2-3).