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Bakery Lightmapper Guide

This section covers practical Bakery Lightmapper decisions for VRChat world creators working in Unity 2022, with a focus on render modes, directional modes, lightmap memory, shader compatibility, and scenario-based example settings.

The technical behavior discussed here is grounded in the Bakery manual, then translated into production guidance for VRChat worlds where stable lighting, reasonable VRAM use, and avatar integration matter more than theoretical maximum quality.

Recommended starting point

For most static scenes, start with Full Lighting + MonoSH + L2 probes and adjust from there.

General rule

Use MonoSH as the default. Move to SH when the scene depends on strong colored light arriving from several directions. Move to Shadowmask when real-time direct response matters.

Read This In Order​

If you want the shortest useful path through this guide:

  1. Start with Decision Guide for the fast answer.
  2. Read Render Modes and Directional Modes to pick the actual bake setup.
  3. Use Texel Density and Resolution Control and Lightmap Groups to tune quality and memory.
  4. Use Light Probes vs VRC Light Volumes if avatar and dynamic-object lighting matter.
  5. Finish with Best Practices before committing to the final bake.
PageUse it for
Render ModesChoosing between Full Lighting, Indirect, Shadowmask, Subtractive, and AO-only.
Directional ModesComparing None, Dominant Direction, MonoSH, SH, and RNM.
VRAM and PerformanceEstimating runtime texture cost and downgrade paths.
Lightmap GroupsControlling atlas boundaries, rebake scope, directional overrides, and light isolation in VRChat worlds.
Texel Density and Resolution ControlUsing Texels Per Unit, Scale in Lightmap, checker preview, and atlas preview without overspending memory.
Light Probes vs VRC Light VolumesChoosing how avatars and dynamic objects should receive baked scene lighting in VRChat.
Example SettingsSuggested starting points for common VRChat world lighting scenarios, including night scenes, neon-heavy areas, daylight exteriors, and interiors.
Decision GuideFast setup selection for common lighting goals.
Best PracticesCommon mistakes, testing habits, and production checks.

Rule of thumb: MonoSH for most realistic VRChat worlds. SH for neon-heavy or multi-colored directional lighting. Shadowmask when dynamic direct lighting, shadows, or specular response from real-time lights matters.