nu Main menu move to sidebar hide Navigation Main page Contents Current events Random article About Wikipedia Contact us Contribute Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file Special pages Search Search Appearance Donate Create account Log in Personal tools Donate Create account Log in Contents move to sidebar hide (Top) 1 See also 2 References 3 External links Toggle the table of contents Image-based lighting 3 languages 日本語 한국어 中文 Edit links Article Talk English Read Edit View history Tools Tools move to sidebar hide Actions Read Edit View history General What links here Related changes Upload file Permanent link Page information Cite this page Get shortened URL Print/export Download as PDF Printable version In other projects Wikidata item Appearance move to sidebar hide From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 3D rendering technique Image-based lighting ( IBL ) is a 3D rendering technique which involves capturing an omnidirectional representation of real-world light information as an image , typically using a 360° camera . This image is then projected onto a dome or sphere analogously to environment mapping , and this is used to simulate the lighting for the objects in the scene. This allows highly detailed real-world lighting to be used to light a scene, instead of trying to accurately model illumination using an existing rendering technique. [ 1 ] Image-based lighting often uses high-dynamic-range imaging for greater realism, though this is not universal. According to Fxguide , "Almost all modern rendering software offers some type of image-based lighting, though the exact terminology used in the system may vary." [ 2 ] Motion picture production makes use of image-based lighting, and it can be seen in movies like Monsters University , The Great Gatsby , and Iron Man 2 . [ 3 ] One reference capture technique, sometimes referred to as "wickmania" by camera technicians and VFX supervisors, involves shooting footage of two small spheres (one matte, one of a light-reflective material) on a physical set. This is used when the IBL will be later applied to an animated object or character that interacts with live objects or characters under the same lighting conditions. Image-based lighting is also used in some video games as video game consoles and personal computers start to have the computational resources to render scenes in real time using this technique. This technique is used in: Forza Motorsport 4 [ 4 ] Rise of the Tomb Raider [ 5 ] Into the Stars [ 6 ] SuperTuxKart [ 7 ] Image-based lighting is also a built-in feature of the Crytek CryEngine video game engine. [ 8 ] See also [ edit ] Ambient occlusion Cube mapping Relighting References [ edit ] ^ Debevec, Paul. "Image-Based Lighting" (PDF) . USC Institute for Creative Technologies . University of Southern California . Retrieved 21 February 2016 . ^ Seymour, Mike. "The Art of Rendering" . Fxguide . Retrieved 21 February 2016 . ^ Seymour, Mike. "The State of Rendering - Part 1" . Fxguide . Retrieved February 23, 2016 . ^ Leadbetter, Richard. "Tech Analysis: Forza Motorsport 4" . Eurogamer . Retrieved 21 February 2016 . ^ Walton, Steven (January 2, 2016). "Rise of the Tomb Raider" . Kotaku . Retrieved 21 February 2016 . ^ "INTO THE STARS: THE DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY" . 80 Level . Retrieved 21 February 2016 . ^ "Antarctica: Overview" . SuperTuxKart.net . Archived from the original on 28 March 2019 . Retrieved 12 January 2018 . ^ Batchelor, James (4 March 2015). "Engine firm highlights key features of its powerful game-making technology" . Develop . Archived from the original on March 7, 2015 . Retrieved 21 February 2016 . External links [ edit ] Real-Time HDR Image-Based Lighting Demo Lighting models: Image-based lighting Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Image-based_lighting&oldid=1344961386 " Category : Global illumination algorithms Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description matches Wikidata This page was last edited on 23 March 2026, at 14:53  (UTC) . Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. , a non-profit organization. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Contact Wikipedia Legal & safety contacts Code of Conduct Developers Statistics Cookie statement Mobile view Search Search Toggle the table of contents Image-based lighting 3 languages Add topic