Your awsome lightning in maps!

    Hello all

    I've worked with the VALVe Hammer Editor for allmost 3 years, and in that time - this is embarising - I've NEVER finished anything you can call a map - except for a shitty aim_map, this is because everytime I make something in the editor, I feel like it isn't good enough, sometimes it's the atmosphere, sometimes it's the archetecture, lack of good texture, optimization problems etc, etc. BUT THE WORST OF ALL PROBLEMS is that goddamn lightning!

    So the question is : How do you make the lightning look so good? How do you guys use the light_environment, and how do you use the ordinary "light" entity - yes ofcorse I know how to put them in a map, but how do you get it looking that good?

    JacK,

    Norway.

    I try to make lighting as realistic and atmospheric as possible, (who don't). This is my first source map, and I think I succeeded pretty good in that. The key in source is that the lightmap looks very good, very highquality. Using low values where there is alot of shadowing is a good thing (now always ofc), as you can see I forgott that on the arches, and those doesen't look that good cause of that.

    http://zfight.com/vexii/de_velvet_east13.jpg

    Another thing is, this is mainly that I come from Q3, but I use alot of textures that emits lights, like lamps and such, I don't think the point light is any good when making square lamps, I've seen that some people uses that, and I don't think its looks good at all.

    Here I used light spots under the lamps, and also the lightmap on the wall is standard (16u) which makes it more smooth, good for that scene.

    http://zfight.com/vexii/de_velvet_east14.jpg

    I don't think that to much flares and coronas adds much to a map, its not that realistic as many seems to think, if its not very hazy or lush, seems people puts those in snow maps cause they think just cause its coold the light rays are visible, that is not true.

    I for most part makes sunlight much brighter than the skylight, sometimes almost 'over saturated' cause it give a very hot feeling (see the garage shot), and I like that, of course it depends on the map.

    http://zfight.com/vexii/de_velvet_east06.jpg

    Sometimes the right texture give the right feel also, not only the light, not all textures looks the same in the light, some textures looks better than others.

    Also, phong shading is a great way to make hard edges look smooth, you could, with the right light tweaks make a ~6 faced brush look almost as if it were ~14 faces thus making a round pilar.

    Edit: Sorry if those images are non AA, I forgott that when I shot those. Looks bad I know.

    well we started it cause no norwegians knew ANYTHING about mapping. And we were like 3-5 people who started it, had alot of ups, and even more downs, but we still try to keep up.

    Looks the same from my foreigner view. But now, if some of you write anticonstitutionnellement (take that) with only one "n", i would be really pissed off !

    Quote from JacK

    Wooow, cool .D So many replies, thanks, I'll work on this, and idiotking, how did you know I was norwegian? lol

    I think he aimed for, 'Norway isn't his last name'

    I was thinkkng about 3dmike'scomment about eyes changing as you go inside and out. At first I didn't think much of it cause I've always been loving to contrast to get ambience out of levels, but when i was washing my cars it was friggin annoying. In the end your levels have to play well to be fun, not look swseeeeet. But than again hourence made a good point too in another thread, but I forgot it.... damn that was a worthelss post.

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