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Static Lighting

Static lighting refers to pre-computed shadows and illumination baked into your tile map. It offers better performance than dynamic lighting for fixed light sources.

When to Use Static Lighting

  • Fixed architecture: Walls, buildings, trees
  • Non-moving lights: Lamps, windows, torches that don't move
  • Performance-critical areas: When you need many light sources
  • Mobile/low-end systems: Reduce computational load

Creating Static Shadows

Via Tiled Editor

  1. Create an object layer called SHADOWBOX
  2. Add rectangles where shadows should appear
  3. Shadows are automatically rendered based on these shapes

Via utiLITI

  1. Select the Shadow layer
  2. Draw shadow polygons over obstacles
  3. Set shadow opacity in map properties

Shadow Layer

The shadow layer defines areas that block light:

// Shadows are automatically rendered from the SHADOWBOX layer
// No code needed - handled by engine during map load

Ambient Occlusion

Create depth with contact shadows:

  1. In Tiled, add shadow polygons at the base of walls
  2. Use semi-transparent dark colors
  3. Overlap slightly with the wall base

Static vs Dynamic Lighting

Feature Static Dynamic
Performance Excellent Moderate
Light movement Not supported Supported
Real-time shadows No Yes
Light count Unlimited Limited
Best for Architecture Spells, moving lights

Combining Static and Dynamic

For best results, use both:

// Static: Pre-baked building shadows
// Dynamic: Player torch, spell effects

// Base ambient light (static)
Game.world().environment().setAmbientLight(new Color(50, 50, 60));

// Add dynamic player light
LightSource playerLight = new LightSource();
playerLight.setIntensity(80);
playerLight.setColor(Color.ORANGE);
playerLight.setFlicker(true);
Game.world().environment().add(playerLight);

Shadow Opacity

Control shadow darkness:

# In config.properties
gfx_shadowOpacity=0.7

Or at runtime:

// Adjust shadow transparency
Game.graphics().setShadowOpacity(0.8f); // 80% opacity

Best Practices

  1. Bake what you can: Use static shadows for immovable objects
  2. Layer strategically: Place shadow layer below entities but above ground
  3. Match art style: Ensure shadow style matches your game's aesthetic
  4. Test performance: Verify static lighting improves your target frame rate

See Also