3D Lighting and shadowing features
Software theme
Modern 3D shadowing techniques depend on stencil buffer, a GPU hardware feature introduced in 1998.
Parent group
Child groups
| Ambient occlusion | Uses any ambient occlusion shading technique, commonly the very simple and fast SSAO. | 2007 / 2019 | 89 games | |
| Blob shadows | The most basic shadow projection invented that exists as a simple, indistinguishable dark blob below whatever it belongs to. Including other static shadow sprites, especially if everyone shares the same looking shadow. | 2006 / 2018 | 7 games | |
| Bloom | A lighting effect where brightness bleeds over an area around it in an image, simulating a type of glare. | 2003 / 2020 | 92 games | |
| Crepuscular rays | Simulates light rays seen at edges of light and dark areas of air, essentially caused by light scattering from air particles. | 2002 / 2016 | 69 games | |
| Glare | Simulates glare to some degree, making it difficult to see in presence of a bright light. | 2001 / 2011 | 4 games | |
| High Dynamic Range Lighting | Employs some technique for HDRL. | 2003 / 2016 | 37 games | |
| Lens flare | A visual artefact seen in photography, video recording, telescopes, and others where lenses are used. That said, human eye sees the effect quite differently than what cameras and such do, but the camera variety is often used regardless. | 1999 / 2016 | 23 games | |
| Lightmaps | Uses pre-computed (static) lighting conditions. | 1996 / 2002 | 10 games | |
| Map shadows | Geometry shadows are part of the map design rather than projected or dispelled by lighting conditions. | 0 game | ||
| Shadow maps | Uses the now outdated shadow mapping technique of producing shadows. | 1999 / 2003 | 4 games | |
| Shadow volume | A shadowing technique proposed by Frank Crow in 1977 and expanded on by Tim Heidmann in 1991. | 2004 / 2015 | 15 games | |
| Volumetric lighting | 2008 / 2014 | 4 games |