<!--
{
  "documentType" : "article",
  "framework" : "RealityKit",
  "identifier" : "/documentation/RealityKit/scene-content-lights-and-cameras",
  "metadataVersion" : "0.1.0",
  "role" : "collectionGroup",
  "title" : "Lights and cameras"
}
-->

# Lights and cameras

Control the lighting and point of view for a scene.

## Overview

In RealityKit, cameras define the point of view from which RealityKit renders a scene.
In AR mode, RealityKit creates and controls the camera for you based on the location and orientation of the device.
In non-AR mode, you can control the camera by adding an entity that holds one of the camera components
below and changing its [`Transform`](/documentation/RealityKit/Transform).

Lighting and shadows are an essential part of creating immersive and realistic experiences.
You can craft dynamic and visually appealing environments that respond naturally
to the viewer’s movement and other actions by strategically placing and configuring lights and cameras.

## Topics

### Cameras

[`PerspectiveCameraComponent`](/documentation/RealityKit/PerspectiveCameraComponent)

A component that defines a virtual camera and its controls.

[`OrthographicCameraComponent`](/documentation/RealityKit/OrthographicCameraComponent)

A component that defines an orthographic virtual camera and its settings.

[`CameraFieldOfViewOrientation`](/documentation/RealityKit/CameraFieldOfViewOrientation)

The orientations that a camera’s field-of-view degrees can apply.

[`ProjectiveTransformCameraComponent`](/documentation/RealityKit/ProjectiveTransformCameraComponent)

A component that defines a virtual camera with a custom projection matrix.

[`PerspectiveCamera`](/documentation/RealityKit/PerspectiveCamera)

A virtual camera that establishes the rendering perspective.

### Point lights

[`PointLightComponent`](/documentation/RealityKit/PointLightComponent)

A component that defines a point light source.

### Directional lights and their shadows

[`DirectionalLightComponent`](/documentation/RealityKit/DirectionalLightComponent)

A component that defines a directional light source.

[`DirectionalLightComponent.Shadow`](/documentation/RealityKit/DirectionalLightComponent/Shadow)

A directional light component that adds shadows to entities that it illuminates

[`DirectionalLightComponent.Shadow.ShadowProjectionType`](/documentation/RealityKit/DirectionalLightComponent/Shadow/ShadowProjectionType)

[`DirectionalLightComponent.Shadow.ShadowMapCullMode`](/documentation/RealityKit/DirectionalLightComponent/Shadow/ShadowMapCullMode)

### Spotlights and their shadows

[`SpotLightComponent`](/documentation/RealityKit/SpotLightComponent)

A component that defines a spotlight source.

[`SpotLightComponent.Shadow`](/documentation/RealityKit/SpotLightComponent/Shadow)

A spotlight component that adds shadows to entities that it illuminates.

[`SpotLightComponent.Shadow.ShadowClippingPlane`](/documentation/RealityKit/SpotLightComponent/Shadow/ShadowClippingPlane)

An object that specifies the mode of a shadow clipping plane.

[`SpotLightComponent.Shadow.ShadowMapCullMode`](/documentation/RealityKit/SpotLightComponent/Shadow/ShadowMapCullMode)

### Image-based lights

[`ImageBasedLightComponent`](/documentation/RealityKit/ImageBasedLightComponent)

[`ImageBasedLightComponent.Source`](/documentation/RealityKit/ImageBasedLightComponent/Source-swift.enum)

[`ImageBasedLightReceiverComponent`](/documentation/RealityKit/ImageBasedLightReceiverComponent)

### General shadows

[`GroundingShadowComponent`](/documentation/RealityKit/GroundingShadowComponent)

A component that controls an entity’s grounding shadow.

[`DynamicLightShadowComponent`](/documentation/RealityKit/DynamicLightShadowComponent)

A component that controls an entity’s shadow from dynamic (virtual) lights.

### Environment

[`EnvironmentResource`](/documentation/RealityKit/EnvironmentResource)

An environmental resource that contains background and lighting information for a scene.

[`EnvironmentLightingConfigurationComponent`](/documentation/RealityKit/EnvironmentLightingConfigurationComponent)

A component that scales the amount of light that an entity receives from its environment.

[`VirtualEnvironmentProbeComponent`](/documentation/RealityKit/VirtualEnvironmentProbeComponent)

A component that provides environment lighting for entities you place within the same virtual world.

[`VirtualEnvironmentProbeComponent.Probe`](/documentation/RealityKit/VirtualEnvironmentProbeComponent/Probe)

A sample of the environment around a point in a scene the system uses for environment-based lighting.

[`VirtualEnvironmentProbeComponent.Source`](/documentation/RealityKit/VirtualEnvironmentProbeComponent/Source-swift.enum)

Options that define the source of diffuse and specular lighting for environment lighting calculations.

### Entity compliance

[`HasPerspectiveCamera`](/documentation/RealityKit/HasPerspectiveCamera)

An interface that enables you to configure a virtual camera that you can use
to define the rendering perspective when you’re not in an AR session.

[`PointLight`](/documentation/RealityKit/PointLight)

An entity that produces an omnidirectional light for virtual objects.

[`HasPointLight`](/documentation/RealityKit/HasPointLight)

An interface that defines a point light source component.

[`SpotLight`](/documentation/RealityKit/SpotLight)

An entity that illuminates virtual content in a cone-shaped volume.

[`HasSpotLight`](/documentation/RealityKit/HasSpotLight)

An interface that defines a spot light source component.

[`DirectionalLight`](/documentation/RealityKit/DirectionalLight)

An entity that casts a virtual light in a particular direction.

[`HasDirectionalLight`](/documentation/RealityKit/HasDirectionalLight)

An interface that defines a directional light source component.


---

Copyright &copy; 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. | [Terms of Use](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/terms/site.html) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy)