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How to add realistic lighting and shading to 3D scenes in DaVinci Resolve Fusion

DaVinci Resolve Fusion lighting tools let you add ambient lights, directional spot lights, and point lights to 3D scenes with shadows, falloff, and material response controls.

How do you add lighting to 3D scenes in DaVinci Resolve Fusion?

Add a Light node from the 3D tools category and connect it to your Merge3D node. Three light types are available: Ambient Light provides even illumination with no direction, Directional Light simulates distant light like the sun with parallel rays, and Point Light emits light in all directions from a single point. Spot Lights have a cone angle for focused illumination and cast shadows.

To see the effects of your lights in the 3D viewers, click the Lighting button at the top of the viewer. Without lighting enabled, 3D objects render with flat shading. With lighting enabled, objects respond to light positions, intensities, and colors.

For more DaVinci Resolve tips, read our guide on DaVinci Resolve AI Tools for Colorists and Editors.

Master Fusion effects with How to use node-based compositing in DaVinci Resolve Fusion.

How do you set up a three-point lighting system in Fusion?

Position a Key Light as a Spot Light at a 45-degree angle above and to the side of your subject. Set the intensity to 1.0 and enable shadows. Add a Fill Light as a Directional Light from the opposite side at lower intensity (0.3-0.5) to soften shadows. Add a Back Light as a Point Light behind the subject at medium intensity (0.5-0.7) to create rim lighting.

Each light's Color, Intensity, and Falloff parameters can be keyframed for animated lighting changes. The Falloff control determines how quickly the light fades with distance — use linear falloff for realistic lighting and no falloff for stylized looks.

How do materials interact with lighting in Fusion?

Materials determine how surfaces respond to light. The ReplaceMaterial3D node applies materials to 3D objects. The Phong material type provides standard diffuse and specular shading. The Metal material type creates reflective metallic surfaces. The Glass material type adds transparency and refraction.

Connect an Image node to a material's Diffuse input to apply a texture map. Connect images to Specular, Roughness, and Normal inputs for PBR-style material definition. Objects with properly assigned materials respond to lighting with realistic highlights, shadows, and reflections.

Enable shadow casting in the Renderer3D settings to allow objects to cast shadows on each other. Define which objects cast shadows and which receive them using the Shadow controls in the Renderer3D node.

FAQ

How many lights can I add to a 3D scene in Fusion?

You can add an unlimited number of lights. Each light contributes to the render time, so use the minimum number needed for the desired look.

Can lights cast colored shadows?

Lights cast shadows based on their color. A red light casts reddish shadows. Shadow color can be further controlled in the Renderer3D settings.

Do lights affect 2D images placed on ImagePlane3D nodes?

Yes. ImagePlane3D surfaces respond to scene lighting when lighting is enabled in the viewer and renderer.

Can I animate a light's position over time?

Yes. Keyframe the Light node's Transform3D position and rotation to create moving light effects.

Is 3D lighting available in the free version of DaVinci Resolve?

Yes. 3D lighting is available in both free and Studio versions.