Lighting & rendering · Intermediate

Volumetric lighting

Light made visible in fog, dust or smoke, creating beams and haze

Also called volumetrics, god rays

What is volumetric lighting?

Volumetric lighting is light made visible as it passes through air filled with fog, dust, smoke or mist. Instead of lighting only surfaces, the renderer lights the air itself, creating beams through windows, glowing halos around lamps and hazy depth across a scene.

Think of it like this

It is like a flashlight beam on a foggy night: the light is always there, but only the mist lets you see its shape.

Where it fits in a 3D project

  1. Create
  2. Surface
  3. Rig
  4. Animate
  5. Render
  6. Export

Render: Lighting the scene and turning it into images or video.

How volumetric lighting works

  1. 01A volume, such as fog or smoke, fills part of the scene.
  2. 02Light passing through it hits tiny particles and scatters.
  3. 03Some scattered light reaches the camera, so the air itself glows.
  4. 04Objects blocking the light cast shadow shafts through the haze.

Volumetric lighting vs fog

PropertyVolumetric lightingFog
What it isLight made visible in a volumeThe haze or medium itself
Shows beamsYes, with shadowsNot on its own
CostHigherLow as a flat distance effect

Fog is the ingredient and volumetric lighting is the result; simple distance fog is cheaper when you only need depth, not beams.

Where volumetric lighting is used

  • Light shafts through windows and trees
  • Atmosphere in concert, sci-fi and horror scenes
  • Adding depth to large landscapes

Beginner tip

Keep volume density low and let one strong, narrow light do the work. Thick fog everywhere flattens the image and slows renders sharply.

Terms related to volumetric lighting

Volumetric lighting FAQ

What are god rays?
God rays is the everyday name for visible shafts of light, such as sunbeams through clouds or trees. In 3D, volumetric lighting produces them, or real-time engines fake them with a screen effect.
How do I make volumetric lighting in Blender?
Add a large cube around the scene, give it a Principled Volume shader with low density, then point a spot or sun light through it. Either render engine will show the beams.
Why are volumetric renders so slow?
The renderer must sample light at many points inside the volume along every ray, instead of once at a surface. Lower density, fewer volume bounces and a larger step size all speed it up.

Updated October 29, 2026 · Browse all 3D terms