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# orthographicScale

The orthographic scale SceneKit uses when rendering the shadow map for a directional light.

```
var orthographicScale: CGFloat { get set }
```

## Discussion

SceneKit draws a shadow map image by rendering the scene from the point of view of the node containing the light. Directional lights ignore the [`position`](/documentation/SceneKit/SCNNode/position) property of the node containing them because their light has a constant direction. Therefore, rendering a shadow map for a directional light requires an orthographic projection. Like the [`orthographicScale`](/documentation/SceneKit/SCNCamera/orthographicScale) property of a camera object, this property specifies the extent of the scene “visible to” the light when rendering the shadow map.

This property applies only if the light’s [`type`](/documentation/SceneKit/SCNLight/type) property is [`directional`](/documentation/SceneKit/SCNLight/LightType/directional).

---

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