Light Probe
Baked light sampled for moving objects
Also known as: Light Probes · Light Probe Group · Adaptive Probe Volumes · Probe lighting
Definition
A light probe is a point in a scene that stores the baked lighting around it, so objects that move can be lit by the same bounced light as the static scene. Lightmaps only work for static objects, so characters, props and vehicles sample nearby probes and blend between them. In Unity you place Light Probe Groups by hand, and Unity 6 adds Adaptive Probe Volumes that place and bake probes automatically.
In production
Place probes where lighting changes: doorways, light and shadow borders, corners and near bright lights, and avoid putting them inside geometry. A character looks flat and wrongly lit when probes are missing or too sparse. Probes are baked together with the lightmaps, so rebake after changing lights. Reflection probes are separate and capture reflections, not diffuse light.
