How does low lights work?

kmg

I'm working on modifying vents on descent to make horizontal spawns a bit less rushy. It's about done, but I can't figure out how to get my new lights to show up when low lights mode is selected in the vanilla graphics options. Also, is there anything I should do on my end to be compatible with NS2+ lowlights mode?

SamusDroid

You copy paste new lights add one set to group "Low Lights" so you have a set of each lights for each light quality

Rudy.cz

But in Editor both lights actually illuminate the scene right? Thats quite inconvenient. Arent you considering to add low light switch also to editor ?

MasterG

I had the idea of making a low light version of the map, just for editing purposes. It would be as easy as just working in one file with only the "low lights" copying them over then and immediately put the lights in to the required layer/group, because when you copy stuff over from one level file to another they get the exact same coordinates. Unless an editor function for displaying only low lights is implemented(and I doubt it will unless someone in the community does) this is what I will do with mineral once I get that far.

Loki

@masterG i would not bother until your map is done as it just means more work

@rudy yes the editor illumiates both

In essence all you need to do is just copy all the lights in a certain room, duplicate them put them in the "low lights layer" remove any detailing lights to start with, play around with the range / radius of lights etc. Take off any specular lights (and up the brightness) etc

MasterG

Not really. If you work in a separate file it shouldn't be a problem. And since all the low lights would be in one layer it's easy to select all of them and delete them if you want to work on the pretty lighting. And then of course updating the low lights if the layout changes etc in the separate file before copying them over to the main file again. Sure it's gonna take an extra 30-60 min of work first time, then only maybe 15 min of updating work for each release IF it's needed. Don't really see a problem with that.

Rudy.cz

Yep, that is a workaround I have figured out too. But keeping 3 copies of one map - master, low light, high light is inconvenient and should be better implemented. As Loki said its better to bother with low lights as the last thing.

MasterG

Sure it would be great to have a real tool for it, but right now it's probably the best way to do it. And I am balancing mineral for competitive play mainly, and they always cry about "Y U NO LO LIGHT BAD MAP".

Loki

in the early stages of the map low lights is not needed espc if performance is good.

MasterG

I am aware, but most players are not. That is why I'm saying what I'm saying

Vetinari

As the generally accepted mapping noob here, can someone please explain to me what the whole business with high and low lights is?

BeigeAlert

F0rdPrefect wrote: »

As the generally accepted mapping noob here, can someone please explain to me what the whole business with high and low lights is?

Low lights is basically a happy-medium between regular lighting and nsl-style lighting. Ie it looks bad all in the name of performance.

kmg

not sure why this isn't working for me. descent already has a low lights layer, and i have copied my lights into it, but they don't show up in game only high detail lighting shows up.

kmg

ooo i added my light to the low lights group (as opposed to layer) and that seems to have fixed it?

kmg

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=246015799

technically my first map release, hopefully not the last :X