I've tried playing around with lightmaps and smoothing/hardening groups and can't get this disgusting effect on shadows to go away. This is on a surface with a lightmap scale of 4. What can I do to fix this? It really is just unsightly D:
[IMG_thumb]http://i55.tinypic.com/20zbbpi.jpg[/IMG_thumb]
[QUOTE=wizardsbane;27679730]I've tried playing around with lightmaps and smoothing/hardening groups and can't get this disgusting effect on shadows to go away. This is on a surface with a lightmap scale of 4. What can I do to fix this? It really is just unsightly D:
[IMG_thumb]http://i55.tinypic.com/20zbbpi.jpg[/IMG_thumb][/QUOTE]
Increase the lightmap scale? Default is 16. [URL]http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Lightmap[/URL]
[QUOTE=Stinkyarmpit;27681000]Increase the lightmap scale? Default is 16. [URL]http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Lightmap[/URL][/QUOTE]
He just said that it was set to 4.
[QUOTE=Stinkyarmpit;27681000]Increase the lightmap scale? Default is 16. [URL]http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Lightmap[/URL][/QUOTE]
I tried all powers of 2 below 36 (36 being blob shadows which I don't want) and any of the ones that produce nice, defined or even slightly blurred but still defined shadows come with this terrible pixel-like jagginess.
Is the shadow coming from a brush or a prop?
[QUOTE=WebOfTrust;27681715]Is the shadow coming from a brush or a prop?[/QUOTE]
A brush. I think I'll screenshot the actual structure, maybe it'll be of use.
[img_thumb]http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/3876/hl22011012622112742.png[/img_thumb] [img_thumb]http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/8930/hl22011012622113221.png[/img_thumb]
[img_thumb]http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/6789/hl22011012622114115.png[/img_thumb]
I added an arch to it but the shadow problem still remains.
[QUOTE=wizardsbane;27682333]I added an arch to it but the shadow problem still remains.[/QUOTE]
you can't get rid of that jaggyness, unless you increase the lightmap so much that the lightmap itself is so big that the boundary between light and dark becomes so blurry it obscures the jaggyness.
or, you could set the lightmap to 1 (not recommended) so that the lightmap is so sharp that the jaggyness is not noticeable
your best bet is to just put a texture on the ground that makes the jaggyness not noticeable
[QUOTE=brerben;27682594]you can't get rid of that jaggyness, unless you increase the lightmap so much that the lightmap itself is so big that the boundary between light and dark becomes so blurry it obscures the jaggyness.
or, you could set the lightmap to 1 (not recommended) so that the lightmap is so sharp that the jaggyness is not noticeable
your best bet is to just put a texture on the ground that makes the jaggyness not noticeable[/QUOTE]
Well, that's depressing. So this is just an engine problem?
Open your light_environment and set the sun spread angle to .2
[QUOTE=Firegod522;27682779]Open your light_environment and set the sun spread angle to .2[/QUOTE]
It had no effect besides a very, very slight blur on the jaggies.
Then play with it a little more. try 1.3 or something
[QUOTE=Firegod522;27683062]Then play with it a little more. try 1.3 or something[/QUOTE]
I've been playing around with it and it seems to have the desired effect of lessening the jagginess. However, even at a setting of 5, where the shadow was a blob as much as a lightmap of 32 would portray, there was still this observable jag to the edges, the same jag as shown in my original post, only slightly faded. I also tried out values such as 2.5. I don't know if I'm just being a perfectionist or if this is actually a problem.
You are being a perfectionist. Valve's tool don't make shadows 100% sharp, and irl shadows are never that sharp either.
Why did everyone tell him to increase his lightmap scale. If he wants smoother shadows he'd have to decrease the scale.
[QUOTE=MacHaddock;27687086]Why did everyone tell him to increase his lightmap scale. If he wants smoother shadows he'd have to decrease the scale.[/QUOTE]
Oh, the general problem was the jaggies that appeared. It seems that it was just a lack of having a sun and sun-spread angle value and my being very aesthetically inclined :3
[QUOTE=MacHaddock;27687086]Why did everyone tell him to increase his lightmap scale. If he wants smoother shadows he'd have to decrease the scale.[/QUOTE]
He needs to scale up the number of luxels per pixel. What you gonna say to that?
[QUOTE=HiddenMyst;27687649]He needs to scale up the number of luxels per pixel. What you gonna say to that?[/QUOTE]
My argument is still valid. Nothing further needs to be said. Also problem's fixed.
Lightmap -2 :D
Try adding something like -smooth 80 to the compile settings, also, compile on final.
[QUOTE=Mr. Chop;27759971]Try adding something like -smooth 80 to the compile settings, also, compile on final.[/QUOTE]
That only works on smoothing groups.
then i would guess you should compile with -final
When you are editing it, double-click the light_environment in the 3d preview and set the 'SunSpreadFactor' to 1 or 2. It makes the shadows appear smoother and less jagged while keeping the lightscale at whatever it is you have selected.
[QUOTE=LifeIsGood;27843025]When you are editing it, double-click the light_environment in the 3d preview and set the 'SunSpreadFactor' to 1 or 2. It makes the shadows appear smoother and less jagged while keeping the lightscale at whatever it is you have selected.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Firegod522;27682779]Open your light_environment and set the sun spread angle to .2[/QUOTE]
Compile the map in expert mode with -final in vrad.exe
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