Komorebi Lab is a real-time simulation of komorebi — the Japanese word for dappled sunlight filtering through a forest canopy. The shader recreates the interplay of light and shadow as sunbeams pass through layers of leaves, producing shifting pools of warm light on the forest floor.
The effect uses layered noise functions to simulate canopy density variation, with animated leaf movement driven by procedural wind. Light rays are computed through volumetric scattering, creating visible god rays that shift with the sun angle. The ground plane receives projected caustic-like light patches that dance and merge as the canopy sways.
Interactive controls allow adjustment of sun position, canopy density, wind speed, and light intensity, enabling exploration of different forest lighting conditions from dense overhead cover to sparse woodland edges.