glLightfv function

The glLightfv function returns light source parameter values.

Syntax

void WINAPI glLightfv(
         GLenum  light,
         GLenum  pname,
   const GLfloat *params
);

Parameters

light

The identifier of a light. The number of possible lights depends on the implementation, but at least eight lights are supported. They are identified by symbolic names of the form GL_LIGHTi where i is a value: 0 to GL_MAX_LIGHTS - 1.

pname

A light source parameter for light. The following symbolic names are accepted.

Value	Meaning
GL_AMBIENT	The params parameter contains four floating-point values that specify the ambient RGBA intensity of the light. Floating-point values are mapped directly. Neither integer nor floating-point values are clamped. The default ambient light intensity is (0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0).
GL_DIFFUSE	The params parameter contains four floating-point values that specify the diffuse RGBA intensity of the light. Floating-point values are mapped directly. Neither integer nor floating-point values are clamped. The default diffuse intensity is (0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0) for all lights other than light zero. The default diffuse intensity of light zero is (1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0).
GL_SPECULAR	The params parameter contains four floating-point values that specify the specular RGBA intensity of the light. Floating-point values are mapped directly. Neither integer nor floating-point values are clamped. The default specular intensity is (0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0) for all lights other than light zero. The default specular intensity of light zero is (1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0).
GL_POSITION	The params parameter contains four floating-point values that specify the position of the light in homogeneous object coordinates. Both integer and floating-point values are mapped directly. Neither integer nor floating-point values are clamped. The position is transformed by the modelview matrix when glLightfv is called (just as if it were a point), and it is stored in eye coordinates. If the w component of the position is 0.0, the light is treated as a directional source. Diffuse and specular lighting calculations take the light's direction, but not its actual position, into account, and attenuation is disabled. Otherwise, diffuse and specular lighting calculations are based on the actual location of the light in eye coordinates, and attenuation is enabled. The default position is (0,0,1,0); thus, the default light source is directional, parallel to, and in the direction of the -z axis.
GL_SPOT_DIRECTION	The params parameter contains three floating-point values that specify the direction of the light in homogeneous object coordinates. Both integer and floating-point values are mapped directly. Neither integer nor floating-point values are clamped. The spot direction is transformed by the inverse of the modelview matrix when glLightfv is called (just as if it were a normal), and it is stored in eye coordinates. It is significant only when GL_SPOT_CUTOFF is not 180, which it is by default. The default direction is (0,0,1).
GL_SPOT_EXPONENT	The params parameter is a single floating-point value that specifies the intensity distribution of the light. Integer and floating-point values are mapped directly. Only values in the range [0, 128] are accepted. Effective light intensity is attenuated by the cosine of the angle between the direction of the light and the direction from the light to the vertex being lighted, raised to the power of the spot exponent. Thus, higher spot exponents result in a more focused light source, regardless of the spot cutoff angle. The default spot exponent is 0, resulting in uniform light distribution.
GL_SPOT_CUTOFF	The params parameter is a single floating-point value that specifies the maximum spread angle of a light source. Integer and floating-point values are mapped directly. Only values in the range [0, 90], and the special value 180, are accepted. If the angle between the direction of the light and the direction from the light to the vertex being lighted is greater than the spot cutoff angle, then the light is completely masked. Otherwise, its intensity is controlled by the spot exponent and the attenuation factors. The default spot cutoff is 180, resulting in uniform light distribution.
GL_CONSTANT_ATTENUATION, GL_LINEAR_ATTENUATION, GL_QUADRATIC_ATTENUATION	The params parameter is a single floating-point value that specifies one of the three light attenuation factors. Integer and floating-point values are mapped directly. Only nonnegative values are accepted. If the light is positional, rather than directional, its intensity is attenuated by the reciprocal of the sum of: the constant factor, the linear factor multiplied by the distance between the light and the vertex being lighted, and the quadratic factor multiplied by the square of the same distance. The default attenuation factors are (1,0,0), resulting in no attenuation.

params

Specifies the value that parameter pname of light source light will be set to.

Return value

This function does not return a value.

Error codes

The following error codes can be retrieved by the glGetError function.

Remarks

The glLightfv function sets the value or values of individual light source parameters. The light parameter names the light and is a symbolic name of the form GL_LIGHTi, where 0 = i < GL_MAX_LIGHTS.

The pname parameter specifies one of the light source parameters, again by symbolic name. The params parameter is either a single value or a pointer to an array that contains the new values.

Lighting calculation is enabled and disabled using glEnable and glDisable with argument GL_LIGHTING. When lighting is enabled, light sources that are enabled contribute to the lighting calculation. Light source i is enabled and disabled using glEnable and glDisable with argument GL_LIGHTi.

It is always the case that GL_LIGHTi = GL_LIGHT0 + i.

The following functions retrieve information related to the glLightfv function:

glGetLight

glIsEnabled with argument GL_LIGHTING

Requirements

See also

glBegin

glColorMaterial

glEnd

glLightModel

glMaterial