Another fresnel highlight.. this I refer to as the "backlight / spotlight". It acts like light bouncing off surfaces back onto things. When light hits a surface, it reflects light. That's how we're able to see the surface (our eyes take in the light bounced off the surface). The bounced light also heads out into other areas, like into shadows and such. This creates a back-lighting effect. But, if we were facing a sunlit surface, the light would bounce off it and onto other things and back onto it, too... helping to highlight the sunlit area even more. So, basically, this is simulating light bounces, which add body and depth to objects and the overall scene.
The red shading in the image above demonstrates this. Lots of shadow-side highlighting. EG: the pipes.. but even the doors to the shipping crate, and even the vehicle has some. And the building all the way at the end is lit up, too.
The amount shown is actually boosted just to demonstrate this effect. The amount used in the actual shaders is much less to create a much more subtly, ambient light.. one that's hard to see in pictures, but is noticeable as you're driving around and get up near things and realize there's light impacting it slightly and giving it more body and depth as you drive around.
Another fresnel highlight.. this I refer to as the "backlight / spotlight". It acts like light bouncing off surfaces back onto things. When light hits a surface, it reflects light. That's how we're able to see the surface (our eyes take in the light bounced off the surface). The bounced light also heads out into other areas, like into shadows and such. This creates a back-lighting effect. But, if we were facing a sunlit surface, the light would bounce off it and onto other things and back onto it, too... helping to highlight the sunlit area even more. So, basically, this is simulating light bounces, which add body and depth to objects and the overall scene.
The red shading in the image above demonstrates this. Lots of shadow-side highlighting. EG: the pipes.. but even the doors to the shipping crate, and even the vehicle has some. And the building all the way at the end is lit up, too.
The amount shown is actually boosted just to demonstrate this effect. The amount used in the actual shaders is much less to create a much more subtly, ambient light.. one that's hard to see in pictures, but is noticeable as you're driving around and get up near things and realize there's light impacting it slightly and giving it more body and depth as you drive around.