A C/C++ single-file library for drop-in lightmap baking using your existing OpenGL renderer.
Lightmapper is a C/C++ single-file library that enables developers to bake lightmaps for static scene geometry using their existing OpenGL renderer. It solves the problem of adding precomputed global illumination and ambient occlusion to games or applications without requiring external baking tools or complex integrations.
Graphics programmers and game developers working with C/C++ and OpenGL who need to integrate lightmap baking directly into their rendering pipeline.
Developers choose Lightmapper for its simplicity and drop-in design—it leverages their existing OpenGL code, supports multi-bounce global illumination, and includes performance optimizations like selective hierarchical interpolation, all in a single-file library.
A C/C++ single-file library for drop-in lightmap baking. Just use your existing OpenGL renderer to bounce light!
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As a header-only library, Lightmapper can be dropped into any C/C++ project with minimal dependencies, requiring only the inclusion of lightmapper.h.
It uses your existing OpenGL renderer to compute light bounces, eliminating the need for separate rendering systems and simplifying integration.
Supports multiple light bounces for realistic indirect lighting, as demonstrated in the example for ambient occlusion and beyond.
Selective hierarchical interpolation accelerates baking by up to 10x on large lightmaps, as described in the README with debug images.
The README explicitly recommends using tools like thekla_atlas or xatlas for geometry preparation, adding an extra step and dependency to the workflow.
Improving quality requires disabling backface culling and using alpha channel markers, which demands additional graphics programming knowledge and tweaking.
Designed only for precomputed lighting on static scenes, making it unsuitable for applications with moving or deformable objects.