# Lightmap
A Lightmap is a pre-rendered texture that stores lighting information, including environmental lighting, local light sources, and material properties of each object within a scene. Using a Lightmap texture significantly enhances the realism of lighting without compromising real-time performance.
Key features of lightmap:
* Captures detailed information about the environmental lighting, local light sources, and material attributes of objects
* Improves rendering efficiency by reducing the need for real-time lighting calculations
* Provides highly realistic lighting and shadow effects for static scenes
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It is possible to import externally created **Lightmap** textures into Vectary Studio: **JPG**, **PNG**, **HDR**, **EXR**
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Vectary Studio includes a real-time preview mode specifically for Lightmaps, facilitating fast visual assessment before committing to final texture baking.
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