Lighting tips

[Lazy_Moron]

Sry for another post of mine, but I need some tips for lighting. Please list tips dealing with lighting. I have over 66 direct lights in my map, and one enviroment light(think thats what it called, to lazy to open the sdk to find out) for my 2d skybox. Also,how many direct lights should be in a map? This shall be my last question for awhile.

 

[sabre0001]

cant really give a number for lights...just use whatever looks good and fits the map theme and all...

 

[PvtRyan]

One piece of advice I can give you is to NEVER use pure white lights, always add a bit of blue or green to them, or whatever fits best. Even when white is the right color.

Second: lights ALWAYS need a lightsource, one of the uglies things in maps are the bright spots on the ceiling but without any hint of a lightbulb or anything.

Third: usually, a light_spot is better than an omni.

Fourth: use env_sprites for glows around light to make it look better. Put the mode to world glow. Usually looks stupid without it.

 

[JFry]

Excellent points so far. A few more are:
-Try to limit your color scheme to 2-3 colors of light. Pick colors that go well together like blue and yellow.
-Don't overdo it on the colored lighting. A room completely flooded in red light generally looks bad, except in rare occasions.
-Flashing/flickering light is best when it is subtle. Otherwise it can cause migranes.
-Balance is important. If you make it too bright things will appear washed out, and too dark is bad for obvious reasons. A nice contrast of the two is good, as long as it's not too extreme.

 

[Lazy_Moron]

Sry for sounding like a noob but can you clearify what you mean "light ALWAYS need a lightsource".

 

[Limpet]

Sry for sounding like a noob but can you clearify what you mean "light ALWAYS need a lightsource".

I think that means have something that would look like its giving off light. Like a lamp. Don't just put a bunch of light entities in your map and don't look like they are coming from something.

But I'm sure there are some execptions to that.

 

[sabre0001]

people demand more when they see screenshots - no-one commented to id that lights would often come from 'nowhere' for early games such as Wolfenstein, Dooms and Quakes...

Light sources (ie. lamps) are a good idea because they give it a better feel but there is no need to go overboard - have the image and then use a light and increase the brightness...That way you can light an area without millions of light-sources...

Also as stated above - colour is very important...

 

[blazertailgunner]

Second: lights ALWAYS need a lightsource, one of the uglies things in maps are the bright spots on the ceiling but without any hint of a lightbulb or anything.

i found that a little tricky, is there a shortcut to doing these or must they all be done by hand [doing the transparent bulb, the casing, etc]?

 

[Penguin929]

a prop_static helps...? is that what you mean?

 

[Lazy_Moron]

Ok I had some time to add some things to my map today, its not very far at all. Well I added some lighting, and this is what I get:

What can I do to make it bright like office if not a tab bit brighter, and get rid of the spots on the ceiling. Yes the textures are office, but that will change someday, once I get the real textures going. I just trying to figure out lighting for the future!!!

 

[short recoil]

^^^^ i like the chairs a few inches off the ground bolted to the walls.

 

[Limpet]

I think you're going to want to use the same colored lights on your ceiling in one room. Maybe its just me but the light over the chairs seems whiter than the others, and maybe im pointing something out way too early.

 

[Lazy_Moron]

^^^^ i like the chairs a few inches off the ground bolted to the walls.

LOL, I never noticed that before. Shows how much a pay attention, lol. Yeah the brighter light over the chairs, is me trying to configure the damn lighting. I shall fix this lighting issue soon, hopefully. Well back to Hammer and trying to fix it. I wish they had a way like the Unreal Editor has, where you can view your lighting in the editor, and not compile the map, and have to run it, to look at the lighting. If there is a way, please tell me how, to save me from the 8 minute compile process.

 

[Dead-Inside]

Uh, how about optimizing your map and reducing the compiletime to less than 3 minutes?

Anyway, just as a styletip, for walls out in the open, especially in officestyled maps, you should try and round them off. So the wall doesn't end suddenly.

It's pretty easy to acomplish with the archtool (Select the brushtool, to your upper left is a new menu). Or alternativly you can use a small displacementmap, which gives a rounder edge, btw. If you use brushes, though, don't forget to tie them to a func_detail to releave VVIS of trying to draw complicated visleafs which are totally unneccesary.

 

[Lazy_Moron]

Uh, how about optimizing your map and reducing the compiletime to less than 3 minutes?

Anyway, just as a styletip, for walls out in the open, especially in officestyled maps, you should try and round them off. So the wall doesn't end suddenly.

It's pretty easy to acomplish with the archtool (Select the brushtool, to your upper left is a new menu). Or alternativly you can use a small displacementmap, which gives a rounder edge, btw. If you use brushes, though, don't forget to tie them to a func_detail to releave VVIS of trying to draw complicated visleafs which are totally unneccesary.

Thank You, ive been wondering on how to do arches, and curves. And thanks for the other tips. Remember im a noob to the editor, and still learning the ways.

 

[sabre0001]

to rid the spotlights from the roof have your light entity positioned lower - for more brightness set this in the colour part - its the last digit...

Colours are something like this 200 200 200 xxx (where xxx will be the brightness)

And to make the lights look even better - put a bulb or something...People prob wont care when actually playing the map once its fun but for screenshots its important (look at how unrealistic the original mansion/estate was)

 

[Lazy_Moron]

Oh hell, I did that func_detail entity, and it tied all my brushes into one, and now I cant edit them. Please tell me there is a way to remove the entity, without deleting it or be able to edit stuff(yes I tried ungroup). If not, SON OF A BITCH!!!!!!!! :frown:

Oh yeah im pretty sure undo wont help, since I got it set to 25 undos, and im pretty damn sure im over 25 undos since that tie entity.

 

[JFry]

select the entity, right-click, and select 'move to world'.

 

[FireCrack]

press the button with 'ig' on it on your toolbar. then you can edit grouped/tied objects.

 

[Lazy_Moron]

select the entity, right-click, and select 'move to world'.

THANKS ALOT, yeah I know im sounding like a huge noob, but im a noob in need, LoL.

 

[Phisionary]

Another way is that you can select by 'solid' instead of 'group' or 'object'. Just click it in the top-right.
Note that 'Move to World' removes any entity ties and makes it a world brush.