---
title: "Light Shaders"
url: "https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/html/Light_Shaders.html"
section_path: "The Node Editor > Redshift Nodes > Light Shaders"
description: "Light shaders in Cinema 4D are able to set some of the properties of Redshift Lights. For this their Light Color Shadow Amount output has to be connected …"
---

# Light Shaders

## Introduction

Light shaders in Cinema 4D are able to set some of the properties of Redshift Lights. For this their *Light Color Shadow Amount* output has to be connected to the *Light* Input port of a Redshift *Output* node. Finally this node material has to be assigned to a matching Redshift Light object. Although it is possible to apply, for example, a *Dome Light* shader to any other type of *Redshift Light* object, only applying a *Light* shader to a matching type of *Redshift Light* guarantees that all the shader's settings can be applied to the light object.

Only the *Physical Light* shader can be applied to any type of *Redshift Light* as it only sets standard light parameters, such as the *Color* of the light, the *Decay* or the *Shadow* options.

All settings of the *Light* shaders are identical to parameters found at the *Redshift Light* objects. The only exception is a **Gobal On** option, to switch the light emission on or off directly from within shader.

The fastest way to use a matching *Light* Shader with an existing *Redshift Light* is by using the *Add Graph* button in the dialog of the *RS Light* object.

![Image: Light_Shader_Add_Graph.png](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/Light_Shader_Add_Graph.png)

*The "Add Graph" button creates a new light shader material that corresponds to the selected 'Type' of light object.*

The new material is automatically applied to the light source and controls its settings from now on. Because of this, you can now edit the light parameters by double-clicking on the new *RS Light Material* in the Material Manager and selecting the *Light Node* in the *Node Editor*. For the common types of lights, the *Physical Light Node* is used.\
When working with a *Dome Light*, *IES Light*, *Portal Light* or *Sun Light*, special shader nodes matching the type of the light source are used in the *RS Light Material* instead.

For an in depth description of the *Redshift Lights* and their parameters, please refer to the description of [Lights](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/html/ORSLIGHT.html.md) in this documentation.