[jfx18] RFR: 8279345: Realign class docs of LightBase and subclasses [v2]

[Kevin Rushforth]

On Thu, 27 Jan 2022 15:45:44 GMT, Michael Strauß <mstrauss at openjdk.org> wrote:

>> What examples would you use?
>> 
>> If a light in a room is strong it will barely cast shadows since its reflections from all directions eliminate them.
>> 
>> Maybe I should mention that Ambient light can be used with a dark color to provide a base weak lighting of the environment, and on top of it use other lights.
>
> I think the description should focus on the meaning of the respective term in the lighting equation, and not on a non-technical analogy. In this case, the analogy is a bit misleading on several aspects, including the fact that ambient lighting is not dependent on an area being enclosed. Here's a suggestion:
> 
> Ambient lights add a constant term to the amount of light reflected by each point on
> the surface of an object, thereby increasing the brightness of the object uniformly and
> independently of the orientation of its surfaces. It is often used to represent the base
> amount of illumination in a scene.

I think the key aspects of an Ambient light are that: the light seems to come from all directions (and thus has no position or direction), and that it illuminates objects independently of the position or orientation of the object.

I don't have a problem with also giving a real-world analogy if one can be found that makes it easier to understand without causing confusion.

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PR: https://git.openjdk.java.net/jfx/pull/717