03 Rendering, Lights and Materials

Updated: 5 Nov 2026

Step into 3D in this next chapter. Armin, Notch’s lead trainer, walks you through rendering, lighting and materials in Notch.

You’ll get to know NURA, the Notch Unified Rendering Architecture, and when to use each of its four renderers: Standard, Hybrid, Smart Tracer and Path Tracer. Then you’ll light a scene with skylights, HDRs, spotlights, omni lights, area lights and volumetrics.

From there, you’ll build materials from texture maps, drive displacement with video, work with Substance and glass materials, and optimise your textures for faster load times. Finally, you’ll bring it all together in a full scene with decals, 2D planes and depth of field.

If you haven’t already: #

• Install the latest version of Notch: https://go.notch.one/XMnv8SI4
• Need a license? Start a trial: https://go.notch.one/FaA6s7r2
• Download the course asset packs: https://go.notch.one/CaoQQnAg
• Missed Chapter 2? Watch it here: 02 Post-FX & Video Compositing

Free resources Armin uses in this chapter: #

• Poly Haven (HDRs, textures, models): https://polyhaven.com
• Unsplash (photos and textures): https://unsplash.com
• Pexels (photos and video): https://www.pexels.com
• NVIDIA Texture Tools Exporter: https://developer.nvidia.com/texture-tools-exporter

Go deeper in the Notch manual: #

• NURA rendering architecture • Substance materials • Decal

Next up: modifiers and animation.