Let there be light! Our new tutorial shows you how to use CRYENGINE’s lighting systems for gameplay, ambiance, and aesthetics.

In our new tutorial video, Learning Manager Brian Dilg introduces creative and technical lighting concepts in CRYENGINE V. In just over 45 minutes, you will be introduced to the core pillars of CRYENGINE’s lighting system, including dynamic light entities, environment probes, and SVOGI, our voxel-based global illumination solution. The tutorial includes practical steps for lighting an area, a discussion of color theory, shows you how to place different types of lights, and add volumetric fog. By the end of the course, you will have a fully lit level.

The course takes a creative approach to using CRYENGINE’s lighting tools. Where do you place lights in a level? Why would specific light sources be in certain areas? How can you use lighting to guide players through your levels or alert them to threats, goals, and objectives? Demonstrating both how to use the lighting systems and exploring concepts like, for instance, thinking as an architect or interior designer when it comes to placing light sources, the course will leave you able to use CRYENGINE’s real-time lighting system to great effect.

This course is aimed at users who are already comfortable with using the sandbox but are getting started with lighting. It is based on CRYENGINE 5.5.2 and uses assets from the free CRYENGINE GameSDK Sample Project on the CRYENGINE Marketplace. However, you can use your own buildings, furniture, or other props as you follow the course if you have already started building a level. If you are completely new to CRYENGINE, we recommend you download our beginner’s course and watch the accompanying tutorial on our YouTube channel.

And while you're at it, you can find a wide range of tutorials on our YouTube channel, so why not check it out? As ever, we look forward to your feedback on the CRYENGINE official forum, or via Facebook and Twitter, and you can also join the community and our CRYENGINE development team over on our official CRYENGINE Discord channel. If you find a bug in the engine, please report it directly on GitHub which helps us to process the issue quickly and efficiently.

Are you looking for your next career move? At Crytek, we value diversity and actively encourage people from all kinds of backgrounds and experience levels to apply to our open positions, so join us over at LinkedIn and check out our careers page.

- Your CRYENGINE Team