---
title: "3D Models, Lighting, and Rendering"
description: "Render prepared models and primitives with lights, shadows, skies, fog, and post-processing."
canonical: https://docs.nodetool.ai/game-engine/graphics-3d
markdown: https://docs.nodetool.ai/game-engine/graphics-3d.md
product: NodeTool
source: https://github.com/nodetool-ai/nodetool/blob/main/docs/game-engine/graphics-3d.md
---

# 3D Models, Lighting, and Rendering

3D games render through WebGL2. World coordinates use meters, +Y up, and −Z forward. Entity rotations are quaternions in `[x, y, z, w]` order.

![BLACKSITE first-person view showing textured architecture, props, lighting, and HUD](/assets/game-engine/blacksite.png)

*BLACKSITE uses prepared model assets. Embedded GLB textures are distinct from the unfinished separate material-texture interface. [Capture source](/game-engine/screenshots).*

## Add a model or primitive

Bind a prepared GLB and add `model: {assetId}` to an entity. A `nodeId` selects a prepared model node. Model preparation reports bounds, node IDs, clip IDs, and resource costs. Use those reported IDs rather than names guessed from the original file.

Primitives provide procedural geometry without an imported model. Inline materials support color, metalness, roughness, opacity, emissive color, and opaque, masked, or blended alpha. Model material overrides support scalar fields. An embedded model can retain its own supported textures.

The schema also accepts named materials, separate texture slots, toon shading, and outlines. The current primitive and model-override renderers do not apply those fields. Do not use their schema acceptance as proof that a captured frame will show them.

## Set the environment

![AETHER editor showing the 3D viewport and scene environment inspector](/assets/game-engine/editor-3d.png)

*The scene inspector exposes the environment preset, ambient light, and linear fog. The viewport includes editing helpers. [Capture provenance](/game-engine/screenshots).*

The environment contains the background, ambient light, linear fog, shadows, sky, and post-processing. An `update_scene` environment edit replaces the whole environment object. Preserve the fields you are not changing.

Use the Sunny day, Night, Overcast, or Neon interior preset as a starting point. Then adjust the scene's sun and environment. A solid sky uses the background color. A procedural sky uses a directional light for the sun, with turbidity, Rayleigh scattering, ground color, and intensity controlling its appearance and reflected light.

Linear fog fades between `near` and `far`. Height fog and decals are not available in this guide's shipped baseline. HDRI schemas and renderer callbacks exist, but the standard editor, capture, and player hosts do not provide the complete loading path. Use a solid or procedural sky.

## Budget shadows

One directional light can cast shadows. Its shadow map uses `mapSize` and `extent`, or two to four cascades when enabled. Cascades distribute resolution through the camera's depth range. Up to four point or spot lights can cast shadows in a scene. A point shadow renders six views, so use it selectively.

Start with the default bias. If a surface shows striped self-shadowing, adjust `shadowNormalBias` or `shadowBias` in small steps and capture the result. Excessive bias separates a shadow from its caster.

## Finish the image

Post-processing applies bloom, exposure and tone mapping, vignette, then antialiasing. Tone mapping offers ACES, AgX, Neutral, or Linear. Antialiasing offers MSAA, FXAA, SMAA, or none. `enabled: false` preserves the settings while bypassing the chain.

Use [distance culling and frame budgets](/game-engine/debugging) for larger scenes. The editor's inspection camera shows culled entities so they remain editable. Editor wireframe, normal, selection, and light-helper views are inspection aids, not exported gameplay effects.