Discover how to create light cards in Unreal Engine to enhance your scenes with realistic, dynamic lighting. This guide walks you through modeling, texturing, and placing light cards for film, games, and virtual production.
Key Takeaways
- Light cards simulate real-world light sources: They mimic the soft, directional glow of practical lights used in film and photography.
- Use emissive materials for realistic glow: Apply high-intensity emissive textures to flat planes to create convincing light emission.
- Position and angle matter: Proper placement and rotation ensure light cards interact naturally with characters and environments.
- Combine with post-process effects: Use bloom and lens flares to enhance the visual impact of your light cards.
- Optimize for performance: Use light cards sparingly and adjust intensity to avoid overloading your scene.
- Great for virtual production and cinematics: Light cards are ideal for LED volume stages and previsualization.
- Customize with textures and colors: Use gradient or patterned textures to simulate colored gels or diffused lighting.
Introduction: What Are Light Cards and Why Use Them?
Light cards are flat, textured planes that emit light in Unreal Engine. They’re commonly used in virtual production, cinematics, and game development to simulate real-world lighting setups like softboxes, windows, or practical lamps. Unlike traditional lights, light cards give you full control over the shape, color, and falloff of the emitted light—making them perfect for creating realistic, cinematic lighting without complex rigs.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to create and use light cards in Unreal Engine 5. Whether you’re working on a film project, a game level, or a virtual production stage, mastering light cards will help you achieve professional-quality lighting with ease. We’ll cover everything from setting up your scene to troubleshooting common issues.
Step 1: Setting Up Your Unreal Engine Project
Before creating light cards, make sure your project is configured for high-quality lighting. Start a new project using the Games or Film/Video & Live Events template. Enable Lumen for dynamic global illumination, as it responds beautifully to emissive surfaces like light cards.
Visual guide about How to Create Light Cards Unreal Engine
Image source: awesometuts.com
Enable Lumen and Ray Tracing (Optional)
- Go to Edit > Project Settings > Rendering.
- Under Global Illumination, set Lumen Global Illumination to Enabled.
- For higher fidelity, enable Ray Tracing if your hardware supports it.
Set Up a Test Scene
Create a simple room or outdoor environment to test your light cards. Use basic geometry like walls, a floor, and a character model. This helps you see how the light interacts with surfaces in real time.
Step 2: Creating the Light Card Geometry
Light cards are typically flat planes. You can create them directly in Unreal Engine or import them from a 3D modeling tool like Blender or Maya.
Create a Plane in Unreal Engine
- Right-click in the Content Browser and select Geometry > Plane.
- Name it LightCard_Plane and drag it into your scene.
- Scale it to the desired size—common sizes range from 100×100 cm to 300×300 cm depending on use.
Import from a 3D Tool (Optional)
If you prefer custom shapes (like a window frame or softbox outline), model a flat plane in Blender and export it as an FBX. Import it into Unreal Engine and place it in your scene.
Step 3: Creating the Emissive Material
The magic of light cards comes from emissive materials. These materials glow and emit light into the scene, simulating a real light source.
Create a New Material
- In the Content Browser, right-click and select Material.
- Name it M_LightCard_Emissive and double-click to open it.
Set Up the Emissive Channel
- In the Material Editor, right-click and add a Constant3Vector node.
- Connect it to the Emissive Color input.
- Click the color picker and choose a bright white or colored value (e.g., warm white for a tungsten light).
- Add a Scalar Parameter named Emissive_Intensity and connect it to the Multiply node.
- Multiply the color by the intensity (start with 5–10 for strong glow).
- Connect the result to Emissive Color.
Use a Texture for Realism (Optional)
For more realism, use a texture instead of a solid color. For example:
- Import a soft gradient or light diffusion texture.
- Use a Texture Sample node and connect it to the Emissive Color.
- Adjust UV tiling to control the spread of light.
Apply the Material
Drag your new material onto the plane in the scene. You should immediately see a soft glow if Lumen is enabled.
Step 4: Positioning and Orienting the Light Card
Where and how you place the light card drastically affects the final look. Think like a cinematographer.
Place Near the Subject
Position the light card close to your character or object—just like a real softbox or window. Avoid placing it too far, or the light will appear weak.
Angle for Natural Falloff
Tilt the light card slightly so it faces the subject. This creates soft shadows and realistic light direction. For example:
- For a window light, angle the card downward at 30–45 degrees.
- For a key light, place it at eye level, 45 degrees to the side.
Use Multiple Cards for Complex Lighting
Combine multiple light cards to simulate three-point lighting:
- Key Light: Brightest card, main illumination.
- Fill Light: Softer, lower-intensity card to reduce shadows.
- Back Light: Small card behind the subject for rim lighting.
Step 5: Enhancing the Effect with Post-Process
To make your light cards pop, use post-process effects.
Enable Bloom
- Go to Window > World Settings > Post Process Volume.
- Check Unbound to affect the entire scene.
- Increase Bloom Intensity to 0.5–1.0 for a soft glow around the light card.
Add Lens Flares (Optional)
Use a Post Process Material with lens flare effects to simulate camera artifacts when the light card is in frame. This adds cinematic realism.
Step 6: Optimizing Performance
While light cards are efficient, overuse can impact performance—especially with Lumen enabled.
Limit the Number of Light Cards
Use only as many as needed. One or two well-placed cards often look better than five poorly placed ones.
Adjust Emissive Intensity
High emissive values (above 10) can cause overexposure or performance drops. Use values between 3–8 for most scenes.
Use Lightmass Importance Volume (For Baked Lighting)
If you’re not using Lumen, place a Lightmass Importance Volume around your subject to ensure the light card is properly calculated during baking.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Even with the best setup, you might run into problems. Here’s how to fix them.
Light Card Isn’t Glowing
- Check that Lumen is enabled in Project Settings.
- Ensure the material is applied and emissive intensity is above 0.
- Verify the light card is not inside a mesh or occluded.
Light Looks Too Harsh or Artificial
- Reduce emissive intensity.
- Use a softer texture or blur the emissive map.
- Increase the size of the light card for softer shadows.
Performance Drops in Editor
- Disable Real-Time in the viewport when not needed.
- Lower Emissive Intensity during testing.
- Use Stat FPS to monitor performance.
Advanced Tips for Cinematic Results
Take your light cards to the next level with these pro techniques.
Use Animated Textures
Simulate flickering lights (like a TV or candle) by using a flipbook texture in the emissive channel. Animate the UVs or use a material parameter collection.
Color Gels and Filters
Use colored emissive materials to simulate gels. For example, a blue card can mimic moonlight, while orange mimics tungsten.
Combine with Real Lights
Use light cards alongside Rect Lights or Sky Lights for hybrid lighting setups. This gives you the best of both worlds.
Conclusion: Master Light Cards for Stunning Scenes
Creating light cards in Unreal Engine is a powerful technique for achieving realistic, cinematic lighting. By combining emissive materials, proper placement, and post-process effects, you can simulate real-world lighting setups with ease. Whether you’re working on a game, a short film, or a virtual production stage, light cards offer flexibility, control, and visual impact.
Start simple—create one light card, adjust its intensity and position, and observe how it changes your scene. As you gain confidence, experiment with textures, colors, and multiple cards. With practice, you’ll be able to light any scene like a professional cinematographer, all within the power of Unreal Engine.