Guide to Making a Beautiful Game: Light Cookies in HDRP

Hello all!

Today, I will be talking about how to use Cookies on your lights! I always wondered how they added realistic lighting to in-game flashlights!

Left: Normal Spot Light / Right: Spot light with Cookie

Adding a Cookie to Your Light

Cookies in this context are images that have light run through them to create more realistic lights. The spot light above is like having a flashlight with a worn out lens.

1. Find or make an image you wish to make your “lens”.
2. Import it into Unity.
3. Select the image.
4. Make the texture type Cookie.
5. Set the type of light to whatever light you wish to use.
6. Set “Alpha is Transparent” to true.
7. Now select the light you wish to use.
8. Under emissions, drag and drop the image in the box beside Cookie.

And that was Cookies! Making realistic lights seemed like it would take some hardcore engineering, but I was so wrong!

Next up, Screen Space Reflections!

Thank you for your time!