How to Make your Lighting Look Good - Developers

Hey facepunch, last time I made 2 tutorials and the response was pretty good. *link to old thread* [URL]http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1065639[/URL] My tutorials doesn't really teach you how to actually use the entities, but teach you visual clarity, color theory, functional design etc. There are plenty of videos on youtube teaching you how to use specific engine features. [IMG]http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/7853/ssws.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/2589/4maz.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/4561/lzhp.jpg[/IMG] Heres the video. [video=youtube;O9sEKs56A9g]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9sEKs56A9g[/video] If you're interested make a map with some cool lighting and upload it to youtube or take some images and post them here. I'll make a video showing off some of the ones i thought were cool. Thanks guys :) If you liked this one check out the other hammer videos i have. Hopefully you find them interesting. - Dredile

This is really cool but how do you effectively use Source Color Correction? Everytime I use it everything gets either super contrast heavy or the colors are ugly as shit.

[QUOTE=The Combine;43437157]This is really cool but how do you effectively use Source Color Correction? Everytime I use it everything gets either super contrast heavy or the colors are ugly as shit.[/QUOTE] It's just something you just need to play around with I feel until you find something you like.

[QUOTE=The Combine;43437157]This is really cool but how do you effectively use Source Color Correction? Everytime I use it everything gets either super contrast heavy or the colors are ugly as shit.[/QUOTE] Maybe you have set your Maximum weight too high? try lowering it to something like .7 or lower.

Your jokes are really funny!!!

what's with your voice? do i intimidate you

[QUOTE=MenteR;43445057]what's with your voice? do i intimidate you[/QUOTE] Puberty, its been a long time since I was 12 working with you on Opposing Force 2 ;)

This is more like how to make your lighting look generic.

Speaking of lighting, with the released sourcecode of the SDK 2013, it's actually possible to enhance the way Source does its lightmap calculations. I recently played around with it a bit and got pretty neat results: [img]http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/505826446716787616/6AC105FC7A86380700ECE576B261C40B053331C6/[/img] [img]http://cloud-4.steampowered.com/ugc/506952427154039564/70C80F1D09259662D5EBD7CF347CA81EAA0AA991/1024x480.resizedimage[/img] More here: [url]http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=209128447[/url] [url]http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=209128422[/url] [url]http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=209128395[/url] [url]http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=209128422[/url] [url]http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=209128367[/url] My code currently enhances the gamma end color-value of each lightbounce. It's still not perfect, but I'll keep working on it...

[QUOTE=Freakrules;43449493]Speaking of lighting, with the released sourcecode of the SDK 2013, it's actually possible to enhance the way Source does its lightmap calculations. I recently played around with it a bit and got pretty neat results: [img]http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/505826446716787616/6AC105FC7A86380700ECE576B261C40B053331C6/[/img] [img]http://cloud-4.steampowered.com/ugc/506952427154039564/70C80F1D09259662D5EBD7CF347CA81EAA0AA991/1024x480.resizedimage[/img] More here: [url]http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=209128447[/url] [url]http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=209128422[/url] [url]http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=209128395[/url] [url]http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=209128422[/url] [url]http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=209128367[/url] My code currently enhances the gamma end color-value of each lightbounce. It's still not perfect, but I'll keep working on it...[/QUOTE] That is truely amazing, is it hard to do?

It's not that hard actually. You need some basic knowledge of C++ and how vRad works, but Valve provides all the code and allows easy compiling with e.G. Visual Studio. It took me some while to dissect and understand the code, but if you want to try it for yourself, I can tell you what I've got so far...

[QUOTE=Freakrules;43450392]It's not that hard actually. You need some basic knowledge of C++ and how vRad works, but Valve provides all the code and allows easy compiling with e.G. Visual Studio. It took me some while to dissect and understand the code, but if you want to try it for yourself, I can tell you what I've got so far...[/QUOTE] Nice! Is it possible to somehow bring over CS:GO's VRAD lightmappable Ambient Occlusion's code to your version?

[QUOTE=Armageddon104;43446176]This is more like how to make your lighting look generic.[/QUOTE] Regardless, its just some advice to people who struggle. Even if it's only bringing them up to an acceptable level, if it helps it helps. Thanks for watching though.

[QUOTE=TFlippy;43452809]Nice! Is it possible to somehow bring over CS:GO's VRAD lightmappable Ambient Occlusion's code to your version?[/QUOTE] CS:GO SDK is not the SDK 2013. I'd need the code of the CS:GO SDK- code to copy the part that does the AO. Theoretically, it would be possible to code it from scratch for SDK 2013, but I probably don't know enough about the sourcecode and C++ in general to do it. I'll keep the eyes open though...

Is that a build in command to display the output of the light maps? Or is it custom? seen in: [t]http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/505826446716787616/6AC105FC7A86380700ECE576B261C40B053331C6/[/t]

[QUOTE=glitchvid;43469960]Is that a build in command to display the output of the light maps? Or is it custom?[/QUOTE] The command is "mat_showlightmappage 1". Alternatively, you can just use "mat_fullbright 2" to show lightmaps only...