What does "Baked Lighting" mean in Unity?

Baked lighting refers to a method in Unity where lighting data is pre-calculated and stored as textures or data within the scene. This approach is primarily used to optimize performance by reducing the computational load during runtime. By pre-calculating the lighting effects, such as shadows and highlights, developers can achieve high-quality visuals without the performance overhead that comes with real-time lighting calculations.

Baked lighting is especially beneficial in scenarios where the lighting conditions do not change frequently. For instance, static environments where the light source and geometry remain constant can leverage baked lighting to enhance visual fidelity while maintaining smooth gameplay. This technique allows for realistic lighting effects like global illumination without the need for real-time processing.

The other methods listed do not align with the concept of baked lighting. Dynamic lighting, for example, refers to lights that can change in intensity or position during gameplay, which would lead to increased performance demands. Techniques for animating lights focus on changing how light behaves over time, while a type of lighting specifically for 2D games pertains to a different subset of strategies not related to the pre-calculation of lighting data. Thus, baked lighting's focus on pre-calculated, static conditions distinguishes it as a crucial method for optimizing 3D environments in Unity.