Unity 2D Lights Streamline - Tell us your thoughts!

Parametric Light 2D

1. Are you using the Parametric Light 2D component? No, using Sprite Light nearly exclusively.
   
2. If so, how are you using it? What problem are you solving using Parametric Light 2D? N/A.
   
3. If we removed the Parametric Light 2D, how would this impact your productions? None.
   
4. If we provided preconfigured Freeform Lights for commonly used shapes such as Triangle, Square, Hexagon and Circle, would that minimise that impact? N/A.
   
5. What other preconfigured Freeform Lights shapes would you probably find useful? N/A.

Falloff Offset parameter

1. Are you using the Falloff Offset parameter on any of the 2D lights? No.
   
2. If so, how are you using it? What problem are you solving using the Falloff Offset parameter? N/A.
   
3. If we removed the Falloff Offset parameter, how would this impact your productions? I would hold candlelight vigil but move on quickly.

Sprite Cookie on Point Light 2D

1. Are you using the Sprite Cookie from the Point Light 2D, parameter on any of the 2D lights? No, it seemed redundant with Sprite light, so just used Sprite light.
   
2. If so, how are you using it? What problem are you solving using the Sprite Cookie from the Point Light 2D? N/A.
   
3. If we removed the Sprite Cookie from the Point Light 2D, how would this impact your productions? None.

 

Parametric Light 2D

1. Are you using the Parametric Light 2D component? No.
   
2. If so, how are you using it? What problem are you solving using Parametric Light 2D? N/A.
   
3. If we removed the Parametric Light 2D, how would this impact your productions? At the moment it won't impact.
   
4. If we provided preconfigured Freeform Lights for commonly used shapes such as Triangle, Square, Hexagon and Circle, would that minimise that impact? I think it would.
   
5. What other preconfigured Freeform Lights shapes would you probably find useful? N/A.

Falloff Offset parameter

1. Are you using the Falloff Offset parameter on any of the 2D lights? Yes.
   
2. If so, how are you using it? What problem are you solving using the Falloff Offset parameter? I'm using it to create a flickering effect.
   
3. If we removed the Falloff Offset parameter, how would this impact your productions? I would try to find an alternative.

Sprite Cookie on Point Light 2D

1. Are you using the Sprite Cookie from the Point Light 2D, parameter on any of the 2D lights? No.
   
2. If so, how are you using it? What problem are you solving using the Sprite Cookie from the Point Light 2D? N/A.
   
3. If we removed the Sprite Cookie from the Point Light 2D, how would this impact your productions? None.

 

Parametric Light 2D

1. Are you using the Parametric Light 2D component? No.
2. If so, how are you using it? What problem are you solving using Parametric Light 2D? N/A.
3. If we removed the Parametric Light 2D, how would this impact your productions? N/A.
4. If we provided preconfigured Freeform Lights for commonly used shapes such as Triangle, Square, Hexagon and Circle, would that minimise that impact? Yes.
5. What other preconfigured Freeform Lights shapes would you probably find useful? N/A.

Falloff Offset parameter

1. Are you using the Falloff Offset parameter on any of the 2D lights? NO.
2. If so, how are you using it? What problem are you solving using the Falloff Offset parameter? N/A.
3. If we removed the Falloff Offset parameter, how would this impact your productions? N/A.

Sprite Cookie on Point Light 2D

1. Are you using the Sprite Cookie from the Point Light 2D, parameter on any of the 2D lights? Yes.
2. If so, how are you using it? What problem are you solving using the Sprite Cookie from the Point Light 2D? Using it like a projector.
3. If we removed the Sprite Cookie from the Point Light 2D, how would this impact your productions? Can‘t easily make a complicated shape of light.

 

Yes，some time I would use Sprite Light2D for a big shape like a big paper cut. I use to make a fire spark with Point Light2D and cookie because I can control the angle and radius. I would like to remove cookie and get better performance.

 

I am getting a black screen in my WebGL build after implementing 2D lights. Help.

 

The 2D team need to figure out where 2D features live. I missed this post due to the fact that I don't check the 2D forums since 2D lighting is an experimental feature and thus I figured would be asked in the 2D preview forums.
Parametric Light2D

1. Are you using the Parametric Light 2D component? No, we use freeform lights when we need a shape.
2. If so, how are you using it? What problem are you solving using Parametric Light 2D? N/A
3. If we removed the Parametric Light 2D, how would this impact your productions? N/A
4. If we provided preconfigured Freeform Lights for commonly used shapes such as Triangle, Square, Hexagon and Circle, would that minimise that impact? N/A
5. What other preconfigured Freeform Lights shapes would you probably find useful? We feel freeform lights supersede all behaviors of the parametric light and parametric can be removed.

Falloff Offset parameter

1. Are you using the Falloff Offset parameter on any of the 2D lights? Yes!
2. If so, how are you using it? What problem are you solving using the Falloff Offset parameter? We primarily are using it as a way to control light direction of freeform lights. This can represent of day light shifting of the 2D light. So that as the time moves during the day the lights will shift their offset to simulate light shafts at specific angles.
3. If we removed the Falloff Offset parameter, how would this impact your productions? We'd probably need to have unique shafts for every time of day. This would affect our workflows fairly considerably and increase the amount of time it would take to handle these types of lights.

Sprite Cookie on Point Light 2D

1. Are you using the Sprite Cookie from the Point Light 2D, parameter on any of the 2D lights? No
2. If so, how are you using it? What problem are you solving using the Sprite Cookie from the Point Light 2D? Although we don't use it in our current project. I could see this being useful to reuse a cookie at particular angles of light. Sure you could make a custom sprite light for every use case to achieve a similar result, but at a cost of needing to have custom light textures/sprites in memory. I feel you should keep the point light cookie around unless it has a perf impact.
3. If we removed the Sprite Cookie from the Point Light 2D, how would this impact your productions? N/A

 

Falloff Offset parameter
This is how I'm using the Falloff Offset with the Freeform lights to simulate a fluorescent lamp. It helps to control the end of the light falloff and soften the borders of the shape:

If you remove it without any alternative, I would have to redo all my lights.
I've neither used Parametric lights nor Sprite Cookies yet.

 

Parametric Light 2D

1. Are you using the Parametric Light 2D component? No
2. If so, how are you using it? What problem are you solving using Parametric Light 2D? N/A
3. If we removed the Parametric Light 2D, how would this impact your productions? N/A
4. If we provided preconfigured Freeform Lights for commonly used shapes such as Triangle, Square, Hexagon and Circle, would that minimise that impact? N/A
5. What other preconfigured Freeform Lights shapes would you probably find useful? N/A

Falloff Offset parameter

1. Are you using the Falloff Offset parameter on any of the 2D lights? Yes
2. If so, how are you using it? What problem are you solving using the Falloff Offset parameter? Preventing hard edges between lights, which important.
3. If we removed the Falloff Offset parameter, how would this impact your productions? Yes, it would have a significant impact on the lighting since it is used extensively, unless there is another manner of achieving the same effect. In any event, it is likely to require a lot of work,

Sprite Cookie on Point Light 2D

1. Are you using the Sprite Cookie from the Point Light 2D, parameter on any of the 2D lights? yes.
2. If so, how are you using it? What problem are you solving using the Sprite Cookie from the Point Light 2D? Cookies being used to create shadows that are important for the look of the game.
3. If we removed the Sprite Cookie from the Point Light 2D, how would this impact your productions? Yes, unless a viable alternative is provided.

 

Basically, it's a poor man's light shaft. For tall windows that bleed light in the mornings, vs sunset we can use the same light but animate the offset to fake it like a window that is facing north an example could be.
Morning/Noon/Sunset

 

Not sure if this is the right place, but have you considered introducing 2D directional light and something like shadow falloff/cookie?

Let me explain the question/use case:

Right now, all the lights basically behave like point lights when it comes to normal mapping and shadows. Even freeform light shines from pivot spot, so that the shadow has always the direction from pivot of the light to shadow caster (though extended further from shadowcaster), wherever it might be. That doesn't feel very well when it comes to natural light sources which are supposed to be so far away that the shadow casting angle is basically constant, just like 3D directional light works. The same goes for the normals, which are lit from the direction of the pivot spot of the light. So currently there's no way to apply "daylight" on your normal mapped sprites, at least without excessive use of unnecessary amount of lights

The shadow falloff/cookie is meant especially for top-down projects where you can use them as sort of drop shadows extended from shadowcaster, but not for the whole length of the light, but just for preset amount. Or is there any dedicated drop shadow system for top-down projects in development?

Thanks in advance!

 

This is a must-have feature for me.

 

It has been requested here too.

https://forum.unity.com/threads/current-2d-renderers-missing-core-features.1023772

 

Thanks a lot, will watch that thread as well!