Hey all,

This might need to go into the beginner section, but I believe this is the place.

I want to create a sphere that exudes light from specific vertices. Some areas dark, and some areas shining light back out.

Here are my thoughts:

Use Nvidia's cg to create specific areas of refraction or reflection

Add various lights around the sphere

What I don't understand:

How to create custom lights (I'm using unity 3D)

-Something with random points of emission

-spot lights with short range and acute spot angle (multiple preferably from one light object)

Finally, what would be the most gpu efficient solution to creating an effect like this?

I'm not sure you really want lights in this scenario. It sounds like the effect you're really after is God Rays (or Crepuscular Rays to the pedantic). Something like this: https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRLgyNYsX-MqAOZKNPOtkp89eNfKk34jn455IXA-nmG3K-uBVH9LA

These are often achieved a screen facing quad (billboard) with an appropriate texture on it and additive blending (see http://pixel.bnetwork.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/8.jpg).

In the case where you need it to be a little more 3D, you can make God Ray shafts out of long thin quads (a + shape in cross-section works quite well) they need to be additive blended and a texture to smooth out the edges helps.

Yes. Thank you! Exactly what I was looking for. If I could upvote that answer again I would.