# lighting gets black when start 

**URL:** <https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/lighting-gets-black-when-start/2532763>\
**Category:** Rendering\
**Tags:** hdri, unreal-engine, Lighting, question\
**Created:** [May 29, 2025, 1:18pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/lighting-gets-black-when-start/2532763 "2025-05-29T13:18:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![300jh003](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@300jh003](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/300jh003)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2025, 1:18pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/lighting-gets-black-when-start/2532763/1 "2025-05-29T13:18:22Z")

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so i got a simple modeling on a new Level, but everytime i start the map, the modeling just turn black.  
so when i move the HDRIBackdrop the light gets on again.  
this has been forever. can anybody plz help me?

i have a image for the labels

 ![image](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/0/d/d/0ddbdf6dd7f9d6a370f6d9cdc370bedccd8bcbc4.png)

 ![image](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/3/e/7/3e74a62b7f1f2d6f960c4d702857f39921d4d719.jpeg)

 ![image](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/e/3/b/e3b019da478ad5005deda8662c42907664a7cf40.jpeg)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sarahlenker](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/sarahlenker/32/994419_2.png) [@sarahlenker](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/sarahlenker)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2025, 3:45pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/lighting-gets-black-when-start/2532763/2 "2025-05-29T15:45:43Z")

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Hi @300jh003,

What lighting/GI method are you using? Looks to me like maybe you’re set to use baked lighting but not actually baking it.