Need help with good lighting (URP) (THIS IS MIXED LIGHTING)

[tired prawn]

Ive tried a couple of things but the lighting is just really bad.. Any suggestions to improving it? Im using URP. This game will be PC release so im okay with high graphics.

[atomic glade]

Some objects are not receiving the direct and/or indirect lighting, as they are way too dark with lighting enabled
Main reason for missing indirect and baked lighting is missing Lightmap UV generation on GI contributing lightmapped objects, for which it can be enabled in model import settings
It's harder to miss realtime lighting, but it could occur if the light is inside the mesh
Objects which are dynamic, or GI static but receiving GI to light probes will be missing indirect lighting if there are no light probes, and lighting entirely if the light is baked rather than mixed

The light near the bookcase might be baked rather than mixed, as it seems to cast no direct lighting on objects which are missing indirect lighting also, and because it causes no specular reflection like the light on the left

[tired prawn]

Ive been trying to learn uv lightmap but I haven't found many useful tutorials.. What do you suggest I should do?

Ah @atomic glade you're talking about this correct?

Youre right some of them are not set as static. I'll try that and rebuild the lighting.

[atomic glade]

Lightmap UVs are as simple as finding a checkbox by that name in each model's import settings and enabling it
Consider also the "minimum lightmap resolution" option in the same place, which should be no smaller than the resolution in lighting settings you're baking with
Otherwise you start getting light leaking, though your lighting won't flat out break even that setting is not totally right

[tired prawn]

Oh! Can you tell me where is that option so I can check to see if it's enabled for each model?

[atomic glade]

This setting specifically includes the mesh in the raycasting process when lighting is baked, so it can cast shadows and lighting can bounce off of it
By default enabling that also sets it to receive GI to lightmaps, so the mesh gets its own lightmap space according to its lightmap UVs
GI can alternatively received from light probes, which is what all non-static meshes also will use (and will require)

[atomic glade]

https://docs.unity3d.com/6000.3/Documentation/Manual/FBXImporter-Model.html
Model import settings

Not all meshes need lightmaps, or benefit from them
With small and detailed meshes lightmaps don't tend to work well, so even if they should cast static shadows during baking, aka Contribute GI, having them use probes for lighting is the best option

https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/GIVis.html
Make use of the scene window lightmap debug views

• Contributors / Receivers view allows you to quickly see whether meshes use lightmaps or not or if they're dynamic
• Global Illumination shows exactly what kind of lighting was baked on the lightmap, together with a resolution grid to make sure there are no wild variances in lightmap space, or missing indirect where there should be lights
• Texel Validity helps you hunt for artifacts caused by exposed mesh backfaces, which are okay and expected at seams when objects overlap but not on open surfaces
• UV Overlap reveals when meshes are missing lightmap UVs at a glance, or if the lightmaps bleed onto each other

[atomic glade]

Beyond technical issues what you can consider to improve the look is to avoid big changes in texture color contrast
For example the ceiling is a very, very dark material that seems to absorb light
It gives an oppressive feeling which may be what you want, but also feels a bit out of place
If you don't want to brighten it up, it could help to give the wall some dark staining or a pane structure near the ceiling to make them visually transition better
Also, make sure your materials don't have metallicness if they're not supposed to be metallic
Metallicness makes a material absorb way more light than non-metallics would

For a full package of baked lighting you don't need just light probes in addition to lightmaps, but reflection probes too
Metallic objects are only lit by specular reflections, which can only come from direct realtime/mixed lighting and reflection probes
Non-metallic materials don't entirely rely on specular reflections butdo need them

Another point about the look is that your lights have no physical sources in the form of lamps for example
That can be a stylistic choice, but it can look like a mistake unless you make the choice look purposeful

[tired prawn]

Thank you so much!! this is insanely helpful. I'll read through all of this and try it out!!