1.how i can make dynamic lights?
i followed rich diesal's tutorial, (but used imperial/lightnew texture) but my lights still act like normal lights...
2. when i compile my map, it makes folder with my map's name to maps folder, is that important? where i must place it/it's files?
2) That's important, when you want to test your map, it must be in your base/maps directory ;)
If you have your map forexample on your desktop and compile it, all mapfiles (*.map, *.bsp, ...) are on it too the game can't find the map, when you want to load it.
1. A dynamic light becomes dynamic when it’s able to move. According to this definition the dynamic lights are not supported by this engine. You must wait for Doom 3 or switch to Unreal engine if you want them. There’re, however the lightstyles that offer some “special” effects like flashing, pulsing etc. In addition you can turn the lights on and off. That’s all.
The second thing is a “dynamic” shadow. Native dynamic shadows are also not supported by the engine but you can “simulate” them with the _decal feature. See the splashdamage forums for more details about how to use the _decal.
2. If you have such subfolder (or subdirectory) inside you maps\ directory it's most probably that you have compiled your map with external lightmaps support. Check you -light stage for the –lightmapscale option. The only game that supports external lightmaps is Enemy Territory.
You can add moving lights in JA, you use fx files. They have the same ability as weapons projectiles that light up the area as they move.
Semi-dymanic lights have been around since Quake 1 - the old rocket launcher for example.
In Jedi Academy the Lightsaber also gives off what could be considered a dynamic light. What the Quake engine doesn't really have is dynamic shadows, so if you wanted to use dynamic lights to create eerie shadow effects, you're out of luck matey.
As for setting them up in game? Apart from what Mslaf has written about light styles, there isn't much else you can do about it i'm afraid:(
You can turn on stencil shadows on the player model and npcs by going into the console and typing "cg_shadows 2". However, this causes a massive framerate hit and doesn't look that good.
[edit: Wade posted literally seconds before me, so note his post before referring to my 3rd paragraph]
There’s no much use of the light you cannot fully control. But...............
.....you reminded me that I forgot about something I have “discovered” a long time ago. You can create a semi dynamic light utilizing the “lightsaber glow” effect. I thought it maybe useful for the “spot” light illumination but maybe for other things too. :)
Create a func_static with an origin brush “as” the light source. Give it a “light” key and the appropriate value. An origin brush will become a light source (aka dynamic light), and if the func_static moves the illumination from the light source (origin brush) will move with it. In result you will have fully controllable illumination effect. Easy, isn’t it?
Concerning semi “dynamic” shadows, I will make an example when I finish my map for q3. It’s really easy to do and the final effect is very similar to these from Pandora Tomorrow (in example).
I think the biggest use I can think of at the moment is the old "rotating fan" shadow, but that's reasonably easy to do, given some work.
Would this be the decal effect you're talking about?
Yes. Using decals you can project "semi" dynamic shadows in the same way (more less) they are projected in games like DX2, Thief 2 or mentioned Splinter Cell. It needs more work because the feature is not natively supported by the engine but in some cases the final result is really good: a dynamic blurred shadow. The feature that will be introduced in Unreal v3:))
I will give you an example from PT when I find one.
Is the decal another stage in the rendering pass? Does it just effect the geomtry it's targetted at or does anything that comes between the decal and what ever it points at get effected?
Example:
You have a func_rotate fan in the ceiling. You've got a decal projected onto the floor to simulate the rotating fan's shadow. If my player model walked underneath this, would the decal be projected onto the player model?
Decal is a patch mesh precisely touched to the surface. This is the way the real-time shadows are projected (more less). It's an additional surface, though. This is a hack not a game feature, it will affect static geometry only.
I'm working on example....
Have you played SC PT? If yes, do you remember a mission in Paris and shadows from the windows shutters? This kind of things can be "emulated" by decals.
Fan shadows are the most common and the simplest example.
I took me a while to work out you meant Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow - i've played the 1st one, but yeah, you've confirmed what I thought, so:
No enemies near (semi) dynamic shadows then!
Originally posted by Codja X
I took me a while to work out you meant Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow - i've played the 1st one, but yeah, you've confirmed what I thought, so:
No enemies near (semi) dynamic shadows then!
http://www.mslaf.com/tutorials/pt1.jpeg)
Thanx guys, i think i got what i need :)