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3D Scene Lighting

SciChart3DSurface combines an ambient fill light with one main directional light. Ambient light keeps shadowed faces visible; the directional light reveals the shape of surface meshes, columns, and other lit 3D geometry.

Interactive lighting controls​

The scene below contains both a surface mesh and columns. Adjust ambient intensity, choose how the main light is positioned, and—when using global space—adjust its X, Y and Z direction.

Configure lighting when creating the surface​

Set ambientLight from 0 (no fill) to 1 (the default ambient level). Use GlobalSpace when a fixed direction is wanted, or CameraForward when the light should follow the camera.

    const { sciChart3DSurface, wasmContext } = await SciChart3DSurface.create("scichart-root", {
        theme: new SciChartJsNavyTheme(),
        worldDimensions: new Vector3(220, 130, 220),
        lighting: {
            ambientLight: Number(ambient.value), // global ambient light

            lightDirection: new Vector3(-0.25, 0.5, -0.25), // directional light
            lightMode: EMainLightMode.GlobalSpace,
        },
        cameraOptions: {
            position: new Vector3(-210, 170, 240),
            target: new Vector3(0, 55, 0)
        }
    });

Update the light at runtime​

The lightingController redraws the scene when its settings change. setLightDirection() is relevant only in GlobalSpace; direction is normalized here so the sliders change direction rather than brightness.

        // setting amibent light:
        sciChart3DSurface.lightingController.ambientLight = Number(ambient.value);

        // setting the directional light mode and direction:
        sciChart3DSurface.lightingController.lightMode = mode;
        sciChart3DSurface.lightingController.setLightDirection(
            new Vector3(x / length, y / length, z / length)
        );

Choosing a light mode​

  • GlobalSpace: the direction is fixed in the 3D world. Use this for a consistent studio-style light.
  • CameraForward: the light follows the camera, which is useful when orbiting a scene for inspection.
  • None: disables the directional light; ambient light still applies.
tip

Start with low ambient light (around 0.1–0.25) and a diagonal global direction. High ambient intensity flattens contrast and makes surface shape harder to read.