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Lighting a map properly ideas? - RMJ - 09-15-2010

Im finding it a bit hard to get the proper lighting for a simple room test map. It just feels a bit to dark. ive looked at the light tutorials and looking at the timelapse video to see how it was done.

In the timelapse they seem to use a pointlight with a radius 11 i believe to help get som basic lighting.

or maybe its just me that wants it to bright. It just seems hard to get a bit of ambient light out into the corners and such of the room, without the lights, lighting up the entire floor and roof like a big spotlight :S

Im trying to get a lighting like this in the timelapse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XojVUZJPmc
ambient light just seems so much better, there isnt so many total dark places.

couldn take a screenshot ingame, so took one from the editor and included map.

screenshot:
http://www.gratisupload.dk/download/49232/

map:
http://www.gratisupload.dk/download/49231/

if you can do a better job with lighting feel free to change it and upload it.

Thanks.


RE: Lighting a map properly ideas? - jens - 09-15-2010

Do indeed as the light tutorial says, it is the same method as in the timelaps video. It is basically 1 large pointlight, very faint and then you use the lamp entities and spotlights for windows and the alike to those those brighter areas. You can also add in additional semi-large pointlights, that are not as faint as the large light, but not as bright as the lamp entities either, that you place at the entities to make them appear to have a large light cast.

Another idea is to cover the whole room in a boxlight, that would also give it a faint ambient overall lightning.


RE: Lighting a map properly ideas? - RMJ - 09-16-2010

Thanks alot for the responce. i Will try that, to see if that helps.


RE: Lighting a map properly ideas? - avager - 09-16-2010

Indeed, learn how to use box light, it will save you some time, nerves and will make map more "playable". I've learned that lesson today... It helps you lit up whole rooms evenly, which can fake interior light, making "small light sources" (like torches, candles, etc) a bit stronger, at least in eyes of player.


RE: Lighting a map properly ideas? - Armored Cow - 09-16-2010

(09-16-2010, 01:45 AM)avager Wrote: Indeed, learn how to use box light, it will save you some time, nerves and will make map more "playable". I've learned that lesson today... It helps you lit up whole rooms evenly, which can fake interior light, making "small light sources" (like torches, candles, etc) a bit stronger, at least in eyes of player.

Well actually if you use the technique given in the light tutorial on the wiki, you can make "tinderbox-able" light sources brighter by tying them to a point light.


RE: Lighting a map properly ideas? - avager - 09-16-2010

(09-16-2010, 01:48 AM)Armored Cow Wrote:
(09-16-2010, 01:45 AM)avager Wrote: Indeed, learn how to use box light, it will save you some time, nerves and will make map more "playable". I've learned that lesson today... It helps you lit up whole rooms evenly, which can fake interior light, making "small light sources" (like torches, candles, etc) a bit stronger, at least in eyes of player.

Well actually if you use the technique given in the light tutorial on the wiki, you can make "tinderbox-able" light sources brighter by tying them to a point light.


That's not the point, sometimes, room is way too dark and your goal is not to provide player with many light soruces in it but still be somewhat able to see in pitch black darkness on longer distances than 1 meter. I hope you understand that Smile .

With pointlight you get a light source that HAS a source, so you can't make "magical" enviromental/ambient lightining ( can't find correct word for it in english).

I found that boxlight is better to be used when it comes creating upper levels of your map, like near outdoors or a room with many windows. You don't use super bright boxlight but use it as a base for other lights.


RE: Lighting a map properly ideas? - Armored Cow - 09-16-2010

(09-16-2010, 01:55 AM)avager Wrote:
(09-16-2010, 01:48 AM)Armored Cow Wrote:
(09-16-2010, 01:45 AM)avager Wrote: Indeed, learn how to use box light, it will save you some time, nerves and will make map more "playable". I've learned that lesson today... It helps you lit up whole rooms evenly, which can fake interior light, making "small light sources" (like torches, candles, etc) a bit stronger, at least in eyes of player.

Well actually if you use the technique given in the light tutorial on the wiki, you can make "tinderbox-able" light sources brighter by tying them to a point light.


That's not the point, sometimes, room is way too dark and your goal is not to provide player with many light soruces in it but still be somewhat able to see in pitch black darkness on longer distances than 1 meter. I hope you understand that Smile .

With pointlight you get a light source that HAS a source, so you can't make "magical" enviromental/ambient lightining ( can't find correct word for it in english).

I found that boxlight is better to be used when it comes creating upper levels of your map, like near outdoors or a room with many windows. You don't use super bright boxlight but use it as a base for other lights.

Oh I understand, I was just saying.

I actually enjoyed my map much better after adding a very subtle orange boxlight.