Tip #1483: Quick Lighting Trick

Here’s a quick lighting trick to add visual interest to 3D text or 3D objects: Add a light.

The default light is “Ambient.” This means equal light from all directions. It makes everything visible, but there’s very limited modeling.

Instead, add a 3D element (object or text):

Select the object and turn off Environmental Lighting in the Inspector. (Don’t panic if everything goes black.!)
Choose Object > New Light (an alternative is to use Object > New Light Group).
Select the light element in the Layers panel.
In Inspector > Light, change the Light Type to either Point (used in the screen shot) or Directional. Then change either the position (Point) or rotation (Directional) for the light.
Keep moving the light until you get a more interesting visual look.

EXTRA CREDIT

Adding lights does not also require adding a camera. Point lights can only be moved, while Directional lights can only be rotated.

You can also use lights for 2D elements, like video, but it won’t be as effective.