A lighting environment simulation system and method meshes a three-dimensional (3D) model of an object into a plurality of triangles, simulates lighting effects for the meshed 3D model, and determines an actual display color for each triangle of the meshed 3D model under the simulated lighting effects. The system and method further displays the meshed 3D model to a display device according to actual display colors and coordinates of all the triangles of the meshed 3D model.