Animatable graphics lighting analysis reporting

A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing unit, cause the processing unit to display lighting values associated with a graphics model, by performing the steps of:

• generating a light meter on a surface associated with the graphics model, wherein the graphics model includes one or more graphics objects, and the light meter defines a set of points on the surface associated with the graphics model;
• generating a light meter object corresponding to the light meter;
• computing a lighting value for each point in the set of points based on at least one light source associated with the graphics model to generate a first set of computed lighting values;
• storing the first set of computed lighting values in the light meter object;
• and
• rendering the graphics model, a first overlay grid, and the first set of computed lighting values transmitted from the light meter object for display in a first display window, wherein the first overlay grid and the first set of computed lighting values are superimposed on the graphics model, and each grid point in the first overlay grid corresponds to a computed lighting value stored in the light meter object;
• wherein an area in the display image covered by the first overlay grid is shaded based on the first set of computed lighting values.

A computing system configured to display lighting values associated with a graphics model, the computing system comprising:

• a processing unit;
• and
• a system memory coupled to the processing unit and including a graphics application configured to perform the steps of:
• generating a light meter on a surface associated with the graphics model, wherein the graphics model includes one or more graphics objects, and the light meter defines a set of points on the surface associated with the graphics model;
• generating a light meter object corresponding to the light meter;
• computing a lighting value for each point in the set of points based on at least one light source associated with the graphics model to generate a first set of computed lighting values;
• storing the first set of computed lighting values in the light meter object;
• and
• rendering the graphics model, a first overlay grid, and the first set of computed lighting values transmitted from the light meter object for display in a first display window, wherein the first overlay grid and the first set of computed lighting values are superimposed on the graphics model, and each grid point in the first overlay grid corresponds to a computed lighting value stored in the light meter object;
• wherein an area in the display image covered by the first overlay grid is shaded based on the first set of computed lighting values.