---
title: "Build a garden light"
content_type: tutorial
url: "https://learn.unity.com/tutorial/build-a-garden-light?language=en"
language: en
difficulty: foundational
duration_minutes: 30
supports_all_unity_versions: true
last_updated: "2026-10-06T19:59:42.000Z"
---

# Build a garden light

In this tutorial, you'll build a simple garden light model based on what you have learned from the ProBuilder tutorials.

## 1. Set up basic shapes

![](https://connect-mediagw.unity.com/h1/20230521/learn/images/c3c3ff2e-9c0f-4738-929a-d6740d5b3c6e_M01.png)

Set up a cylinder to build the kind of garden light that is commonly found in gardens. Set the **Height** **Cuts** to **2** and make it high enough.

## 2. Move the borders

![](https://connect-mediagw.unity.com/h1/20230521/learn/images/e0ca6eda-3500-4159-af10-9e575c344241_M02.png)

The light usually comes out from the top of the garden light, so multi-select the horizontally connected lines and move them up.

## 3. Shrink the surfaces

![](https://connect-mediagw.unity.com/h1/20230521/learn/images/5bb86742-c589-4cd8-bbf6-73a3401cab7b_M03.png)

Multi-select the faces where the light will be and shrink them with the **Scale** tool while holding **Shift** until they are partly inside. Make sure that you put the **Handle** **Position** of the **Scene** view in the center so that it will not lean in any one direction.

## 4. Depict details

![](https://connect-mediagw.unity.com/h1/20230521/learn/images/743cd3d2-0fab-4099-896a-8b55b65d66f0_M04.png)

The top surface seems plain. To fix this, merge the faces on top and add an inside face using the **Shift**+**Scale** tool, then expand it upwards.

Unlike basic shapes, where the smooth effect is applied automatically, this effect is not applied to the added surface. Select the **Smooth Group Editor** tool and select the **Smooth** **Group** (default value: **1**) in use to apply roundness to the surface.

![](https://connect-mediagw.unity.com/h1/20230521/learn/images/f084f761-e1cc-42db-8862-66dd854adc98_M05.png)

## 5. Refine the UV mapping

![](https://connect-mediagw.unity.com/h1/20230521/learn/images/676d8962-3ac5-42b2-a37b-8d1def7a1f53_M06.png)

You can refine the UV if necessary. Slender columns are surprisingly hard to map the UV for. Use the Box type manually from the **UV Editor** window to stretch the UV easily.

## 6. Color the column

![](https://connect-mediagw.unity.com/h1/20230521/learn/images/8613f22f-7e31-4ac1-ad8c-fe398fda6d2c_M07.png)

Decorate the column excluding the lighting surface with vertex colors or materials.

## 7. Assign lights

![HDRP’s Lit shader Emission properties](https://connect-mediagw.unity.com/h1/20230521/learn/images/9e37226d-0233-4a30-af52-152e25ecfb88_M09.png)

Now it’s time to build the most important part of the garden light model: the light source. Create a new material, enable **Emission** properties, and assign a proper color and intensity.

![](https://connect-mediagw.unity.com/h1/20230521/learn/images/a770bb31-bfec-4e5c-bdde-e9180473436b_M08.png)

Once the material for the lighting is complete, select the lighting surface and drag the material or use the **Material** **Editor** tool to apply it.

## 8. Add post-processing

![Addition of HDRP's Bloom effect](https://connect-mediagw.unity.com/h1/20230521/learn/images/d8f7214e-d0e0-45e0-94a8-60bc43334ac6_M10.png)

It's time to add a post-processing effect to display the garden light. Install the **Post-Processing** package using the **Package Manager**, then place a **Global Volume** GameObject in the scene.

Add the Bloom effect and adjust the threshold and intensity.

![](https://connect-mediagw.unity.com/h1/20230521/learn/images/74f31e4b-0ca0-4321-890f-677aa0d34a6e_M11.png)

 Check how the garden light model emits light in the scene as you move it around.

## 9. Complete the model

![](https://connect-mediagw.unity.com/h1/20230521/learn/images/13df6cc9-f344-4f8b-9b5c-bb99fb7d46ba_M12.png)

Assetize the ProBuilder model you completed to use it in the future. First, move the model until the middle of the center of the bottom is positioned at (0, 0, 0). Then, use the **Freeze** **Transform** tool to change the reference point so that the pivot is in that location, then export it for later use.

**Note**: If you select the **Settings** button of **Export** and set it to **Prefab**, the material will not be degraded and it will be saved in a prefab format, which is easy to reuse in Unity.

## 10. Share your creation

> **Submission required**: media

After you've completed your model, take a screenshot or record a video of it and share it for others to see.