# What are occlusion probes?
**URL:** https://discussions.unity.com/t/what-are-occlusion-probes/800759
**Category:** Graphics
**Created:** [July 19, 2020, 3:30pm UTC](https://discussions.unity.com/t/what-are-occlusion-probes/800759 "2020-07-19T15:30:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@laurentlavigne](https://discussions.unity.com/u/laurentlavigne)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2020, 3:30pm UTC](https://discussions.unity.com/t/what-are-occlusion-probes/800759/1 "2020-07-19T15:30:47Z")
They seem to exist as a feature of lightprobes
> **[Unity - Scripting API: LightProbes.CalculateInterpolatedLightAndOcclusionProbes](https://docs.unity3d.com/ScriptReference/LightProbes.CalculateInterpolatedLightAndOcclusionProbes.html)**
But are not a feature?
> [@Occlusion Probes](https://discussions.unity.com/t/701718):
>
> Hi all, A number of you have been asking about Occlusion Probe system mentioned in the 2018 release blog. There seems to have been some confusion generated by our messaging here. I hope I can offer some clarification. Presently Occlusion Probes are not ‘a feature’ and do not exist officially on our roadmaps. Rather they are an example of how the Custom Bake API in 2018.1 can be used to extend the Progressive Lightmapper. While an experimental implementation of the Occlusion Probe system exist…
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### Author:  [@BattleAngelAlita](https://discussions.unity.com/u/BattleAngelAlita)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2020, 5:54am UTC](https://discussions.unity.com/t/what-are-occlusion-probes/800759/2 "2020-07-20T05:54:30Z")
This a different things. First is additional part of light probe that contains shadow data. Second is 3D texture with sky visibility.
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### Author:  [@laurentlavigne](https://discussions.unity.com/u/laurentlavigne)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2020, 7:18am UTC](https://discussions.unity.com/t/what-are-occlusion-probes/800759/3 "2020-07-20T07:18:12Z")
Gotcha thanks.
" occlusion" because the probe is occluded from direct light rays I guess…