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Smooth lighting transitions between zones

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User avatar Sat42
Skaarj Warlord Skaarj Warlord
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Subject: Smooth lighting transitions between zones

Post Posted: 16 Jan 2014, 14:48

So is there any special way of making sure there is a smooth transition of the lighting on surfaces cut by a zone portal? without resorting to your typical evenly lit corridor with the portal falling right in between two groups of similar light actors?
Nali: Magic or Telekinesis
Waffnuffly wrote:It's tarydium-doped smoothies. Drunk by the player, I mean. The player is tripping balls. The whole game actually takes place in a large city and the player thinks he's on an alien world.

User avatar Mister_Prophet
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Subject: Re: Smooth lighting transitions between zones

Post Posted: 16 Jan 2014, 15:49

Typically you shouldn't ever have a problem unless the lighting properties in two adjacent zones are different. For example, if one zone has a blueish ambient zone lighting and is a little brighter than the one next to it, which itself has default properties, then you will notice a very distinct lighting "cut" when you pass through zone boundaries.

The way around this is planning. Make sure you try to keep a steady scheme for a single level and if you have to have a zone with differing ambient lighting in your map, make the cut in a very particular spot. Doorways and other bottle-necking spots work best, especially in situations where a mover or some kind of sheet masks the cut (fluid zones have this easiest since water/lava surfaces always mask this transition).

What exactly is your own situation?

User avatar Sat42
Skaarj Warlord Skaarj Warlord
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Subject: Re: Smooth lighting transitions between zones

Post Posted: 16 Jan 2014, 16:08

Hey thanks for the reply Mister_Prophet! :)

To be honest, I think my situation is OK as in fact the 2 zone portals where you can see a lighting "cut" are indeed positioned in the middle of doorways, so when the doors are shut you really don't see the cut and I suppose it can pass unnoticed by the player walking through.
I believe I don't have "zone lighting" as such at the moment (where no light actors can reach, the level is completely black, I rely solely on light actors for now, which I reckon is OK as I'm only dealing with interiors right now), however it's true that the ambient lighting I'm trying to create can vary from one room to another - and sometimes from one zone to another, hence the the occasional lighting cuts.
Yeah fluid zones are easier to cope with :)
But I'll just stick to what you mentioned then, bottlenecking spots and doorways, and the occasional evenly lit corridor :)
Cheers!
Nali: Magic or Telekinesis
Waffnuffly wrote:It's tarydium-doped smoothies. Drunk by the player, I mean. The player is tripping balls. The whole game actually takes place in a large city and the player thinks he's on an alien world.

diamond
Skaarj Berserker Skaarj Berserker
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Subject: Re: Smooth lighting transitions between zones

Post Posted: 16 Jan 2014, 16:39

sounds like the mover is a culprit. try to remove the door and look for seams. you can make the mover stop casting shadows with its raytrace keys properties.
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UBerserker wrote:Architecture doesn't need to detailed, it just needs to be right.

User avatar Sat42
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Subject: Re: Smooth lighting transitions between zones

Post Posted: 16 Jan 2014, 16:57

Hmm, I hadn't thought of that! Thanks for pointing to that possibility diamond!

I'll check it out later this evening, yet I have to say, won't messing with the raytrace keys' properties affect the bdynamiclighting property of the mover? for I do wish for it to be set to dynamic lighting - actually, would placing the zone portal immediately before or after the sliding doors make a difference?
Nali: Magic or Telekinesis
Waffnuffly wrote:It's tarydium-doped smoothies. Drunk by the player, I mean. The player is tripping balls. The whole game actually takes place in a large city and the player thinks he's on an alien world.

User avatar Sat42
Skaarj Warlord Skaarj Warlord
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Subject: Re: Smooth lighting transitions between zones

Post Posted: 16 Jan 2014, 20:14

OK guys I've solved the problem, turns out I was an idiot! :B

Prophet you were saying that, as far as lighting between zone portals go, I shouldn't ever have a problem unless the lighting properties in two adjacent zones are different. Of course I should've realised that, but I didn't exactly understand what it meant in my case at first, hence I only partly answered your question about my situation: yes there is no zone lighting in either zone, only light actors, yet the seam was still there when the doors opened; diamond, you mentioned that it may have to do with the movers in question, but in fact they didn't even cast shadows. The answer was that the surface under the doors, was in fact two adjacent rectangular polygons that met in the middle of the doors, and each stretched slightly further than the actual movers on either side, so that the lighting they received was completely different from one another, hence the lighting cut!! I deleted one subtract brush and extended the other, so now the surface in question is one polygon and the lighting transitions softly. What a stupid mistake! I have to say those doorways were made early in development, like when I was fresh out of basic tutorials, but there you go :shy:
Thanks for the help in anycase, and hopefully in the coming days I'll come to a point where I'll be happy to share a screenshot :)
Nali: Magic or Telekinesis
Waffnuffly wrote:It's tarydium-doped smoothies. Drunk by the player, I mean. The player is tripping balls. The whole game actually takes place in a large city and the player thinks he's on an alien world.

User avatar Mister_Prophet
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Subject: Re: Smooth lighting transitions between zones

Post Posted: 16 Jan 2014, 23:06

I'm glad you were able to zap the problem. Good luck with the level :tup:


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