The documentation states: "Rather than performing the complex calculations
that would be required to model a true area light, it is approximated as an
array of point light sources spread out over the area occupied by the
light. The array-effect applies to shadows only. The object's illumination
is still that of a point source."

The last two sentences are what interest me. They seem to imply that an
object illuminated by a point light will be exactly the same as one
illuminated by a very large area light. Is this entirely correct? Assume
that the scene has just the light and the object, so soft shadows can be
ignored, unless the object is self-shadowing. I believe a sphere is not
self-shadowing, so let's say the object is a sphere.

So the only way to approximate a true area light source with soft shadows,
is to use an array of area lights -- like the cornell example. Am I right?

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