Use to control the lighting in the 3D Graphics window.
Enable Lighting. If selected, the view is drawn using the Sun and any user-defined light sources as the source of light enabling you to create shading in a 3D Graphics window. If not selected, the scenario is drawn with all objects illuminated equally.
Sun Lighting
Global
Defines lighting conditions for the globe in the 3D Graphics window.
Ambient Level. Ambient light is added light. Use the slide bar or the text box to specify a value. To illuminate both sides of the central body equally, set Ambient Level at 100 and Sun Level at 0. To make the dark side of the central body completely black, set Ambient Level at 0 and Sun Level at 100.
Sun Level. The sun level specifies the overall brightness of the sun, where 0 is the least amount of illumination and 500 is a very bright illumination.
Night Lights Level. The night lights level specifies the overall brightness of a night lights texture, where 0 means night lights are not visible, and 500 produces night lights that are easily seen. Use the Globe Manager to add a night lights texture file to the globe.
Use Positional Lighting. Uses the position of the Sun to calculate all lighting effects. If not selected, only the direction of the Sun as seen from the 3D window's central body is used in calculating lighting effects.
Turning Positional Lighting off can increase performance but can lead to incorrect lighting when viewing other central bodies or objects far from the view's central body.
Object
Use to define lighting conditions for objects in the 3D Graphics window.
Use Global. Applies the values specified for Global Lighting to objects.
Ambient Level. Objects are drawn using the ambient level set here and ignores the ambient level set globally (that is, the object can be illuminated even if the general ambient level is low). Use the slide bar or the text box to specify a value, where 0 means that the object is dark and 100 means that the object is illuminated.
Sun Level. Objects ignore the Sun level set globally and use the level set here. Use the slide bar or the text box to specify a value for overall brightness level, where 0 is the least amount of illumination, and 500 is a very bright illumination.
Use Solar Intensity. STK checks to see if light is blocked by the Earth so that facilities and targets are not illuminated during umbra and are only partially illuminated during penumbra.
Other Light Sources
Name. Name of the light source. Double-click it to modify the name. All light source names must be unique.
Show. Uses the light source to illuminate the 3D Graphics window.
Type. Indicates the type of light source. Double-click the type field and select the down-arrow to modify it. Types are:
Directional. Directs the light along the reference vector direction as specified in the Direction field. To change the direction, modify the Direction field under Position/Direction.
Positional. Light is displayed from the specified origin in all directions. To change the position of the light source, modify the Origin field under Position/Direction. To offset the light source from the origin, modify the Offset from Origin fields.
Spot. Light is displayed from the specified origin along the specified reference direction. You can control the spotlight's field of view by modifying the half angle field.
Origin. Indicates the position of the light source. To change the position, modify the Origin field. Valid only for positional and spot lights.
Direction. Indicates the direction of the light source. To change the direction, modify the Origin Direction field. Valid only for directional and spot lights.
Reverse. Reverses the direction of the light source. Valid only for directional and spot lights.
New button. Click to create a new light source.
Delete button. Click to delete the selected light source.
Half Angle. Specifies the field of view of the spotlight.
Color. Specifies the color of the light.
Level. Specifies the intensity of the light.
Position/Direction
Origin. Click Select to display a list of available reference systems as the position of the light source. To select a system, highlight it and click OK. The Origin field is updated with your selection for the selected light source.
Direction. Click Select to display a list of available reference vectors for the direction of the light source. To select a vector, highlight it and click OK. The Direction field is updated with your selection for the selected light source.
Offset from Origin
Specify the distance offsets from the origin at which the light source is displayed. The offset is maintained in the specified reference system.
Attenuation
A positional or spotlight source is attenuated by multiplying the contribution of the light by an attenuation factor. The attenuation factor causes the brightness to decrease as distance from the light source increases. The light source's attenuation factor contains three values:
Constant. Affects the overall intensity of the light, regardless of the distance of a surface from the light source.
Linear. As a light moves away from a surface, the intensity of light striking the surface is inversely proportional to the distance between the light and the object.
Quadratic. Attenuates the light intensity by the square of the distance between the surface and the light.
Flashlight
Show. Uses the flashlight to illuminate the globe and/or objects.
Illuminate Globe. Uses the flashlight to illuminate the central body globe.
Illuminate Objects. Uses the flashlight to illuminate objects.
Color. Specifies the color of the light.
Level. Indicates the overall brightness of the light, where 0 is the least amount of illumination and 500 is a very bright illumination.
Direction. Specifies the direction of the light:
- From the central body to the Sun.
- From the camera, in the view direction (into screen).