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'''Lighting''' is the arrangement or effect of objects that produce light, in order to depict a lit environment with depth and color. In video games, this specifically refers to any calculated light source that illuminates and shades 3D objects, as well as fog that obscures distant objects. In the [[Pikmin series]], lighting is extremely important to achieving realistic-looking environments and objects, as the designers try to create as much realism in the ''Pikmin'' world as possible.

*"Materials" are the compositions of objects that interact with light in different ways.

Sunlight is the primary source of light in the [[Pikmin series|''Pikmin'' series]], and plays an important role in conveying the passage of a [[day]]. When a day begins, the color and brightness of a landscape try to suggest morning. As the day progresses, the sun gets brighter and the environment more colorful, until late in the day when it begins setting and colors become more orange as in a sunset. Each game in the series has a unique way of handling sunlight and the shadows it casts, and as the games progress, this arrangement gets closer to simulating real sunlight.

The only dynamic light is sunlight, that shades all objects but does not actually calculate shadows. This light moves throughout the day, beginning foggy and bright in the morning, clear and at average brightness for the majority of the day, and fading to yellow to orange and finally to very little light as [[Day#Sunset|sunset]] approaches (except in [[The Forest Navel]]; sunlight is still present there but does not move or change color). All objects in an area have shading based on this light, but none of the scenery casts real moving shadows based on this light. To help players perceive Pikmin locations, up to 50 Pikmin will cast soft shadows that move throughout the day, even when there is no sunlight. In order to optimize processing power, shadows cast by Pikmin are not drawn if more than 51 Pikmin are on the field; instead, they will all have faint shadows directly underneath them. Enemies always have this sort of faint shadow, except for the [[Beady Long Legs]]. Environmental objects like [[Vegetation|plants]] never move on the map, so one large texture accounts for all their shadows. The exception is [[Pellet Posies]], which cast soft dynamic shadows just like Pikmin.

Time passage P1.gif|Typical passage of sunlight on a day in ''Pikmin''.

Pikmin health and numbers.jpg|Leaders and Pikmin cast directional shadows, while enemies cast simple soft shadows.

Impact Site Shadow.png|A texture for shadows in [[The Impact Site]]. The small separated shadows are for the plants in the area.

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Sunlight in [[Pikmin 2|''Pikmin 2'']] behaves very similarly to that in the previous game, except the color of sunlight varies by area, and fog is generally less pronounced. Around noon, the brightness of the sunlight generally increases, and toward the end of the day it dramatically decreases and turns orange. Yet at any point in the day, when a leader approaches an incomplete [[cave]] from above ground, the lighting always mixes a very foggy green color to its current color. All objects are shaded by this sunlight, but most of them (including static objects) do not cast accurate shadows. Instead, most moving objects cast circular shadows directly beneath them, and those shadows never move. However, unlike the shadows in ''Pikmin'', these circular shadows can actually dim other objects, and their simple shape allows many shadows to be rendered at once. Several objects have uniquely shaped shadows for specific reasons, such as:

[[Areas]] have background shadows that are large textures, just like in the previous game, and these shadows sway but do not effect shading in any way. However, now that plants either cast their own shadows or none at all, background shadows do not have to account for the locations of plants in the area, and can add more interest to the look of the environment.

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The [[Wii U]] can process a great deal more data about lighting 3D objects than the [[GameCube]], and so [[Pikmin 3|''Pikmin 3'']] presents a much more accurate representation of physical lighting. All objects in ''Pikmin 3'' cast accurately shaped shadows, including the terrain itself. However, these shadows and lights do not follow the sun depicted in the sky; instead, shadows stay directly under objects for a majority of the day, so that object locations (particularly with airborne objects) can more easily be perceived. A new innovation ''Pikmin 3'' brings is that background shadows, while they are still large textures, actually ''do'' affect the shading of other objects, even as they sway throughout the day. This minor detail greatly enhances the realistic look of the environment.

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Time passage P3.gif|Typical passage of sunlight on a day in ''Pikmin 3''.

Juicy Gaggles Twilight River.jpg|Most lights are dynamic in ''Pikmin 3''; casting highlights even in caves. Shadows in caves are always directly below objects.

RainyDay.png|Darker colors and glossier surfaces during rain in ''Pikmin 3''.

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The [[Pikmin series]]'s in-game objects are made real-world materials, or at least materials similar to those in real life. As such, they try to emulate the interactions with light real-world materials would have. Although these properties are more often faked than accurately calculated, materials allow players a sense of how in-game objects would feel, which gives them more thematic identity. Below is a list of material properties simulated in Pikmin materials, and some prominent examples.

Diffuse surfaces have visibly or even microscopically rough imperfections, so that when light rays hit the surface, it bounce off in many directions instead of one, ''diffusing'' the illumination over a large area. Due to the limits of the GameCube's power, most organic objects in ''Pikmin'' and ''Pikmin 2'' (such as Pikmin and most enemies) have a smooth, matte-like material that does not reflect light sharply. In ''Pikmin 3'', materials meant to look rubbery, dirty, or skin-like will look diffuse.

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Bulborb Fight.jpg|Diffuse skin on Bulborbs in ''Pikmin''.

Pocked Airhead Garden of Hope.jpg|Rough stone, dirt, and grass surfaces.

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