Lightmapping

Lightmapping is a technique used in 3D graphics to enhance realistic lighting in virtual scenes. It involves pre-calculating how light interacts with surfaces and storing this information as textures called lightmaps. When rendering the scene in real-time, these lightmaps are applied to objects, providing detailed lighting, shadows, and reflections without taxing the computer's resources. This results in visually rich environments that run smoothly, making scenes appear more natural without the need for real-time calculations of complex lighting interactions.