DTS to DIF shadow problem
by Jeff Gran · in · 08/31/2005 (2:06 pm) · 10 replies
So, I've got this interior, portaled off from the outside world, with sg static lights inside, and I get this problem:
With some dts's, whose collision boxes are exactly the size of the object, and nothing is scaled, before or after export:
Deleted one dts and relit the scene:
Deleted the other one and relit the scene:
So.. can anyone tell me why those little tiny dts's are blocking the entire brush from receiving light? It baffles me.
With some dts's, whose collision boxes are exactly the size of the object, and nothing is scaled, before or after export:
Deleted one dts and relit the scene:
Deleted the other one and relit the scene:
So.. can anyone tell me why those little tiny dts's are blocking the entire brush from receiving light? It baffles me.
#2
08/31/2005 (3:12 pm)
I've actually had similar problems, Jeff, but I never figured out a solution. I'm interested to see if anyone knows whats up.
#3
08/31/2005 (5:07 pm)
Could be that the collision for those pictures is too thin and that's making it go crazy. Or bad karma...
#4
Does that happen regardless of where on the wall the object is located or only in that spot? Also what is your interior lighting scale set to?
Oh, and what version of TLK are you using?
-John
08/31/2005 (5:13 pm)
Hi Jeff,Does that happen regardless of where on the wall the object is located or only in that spot? Also what is your interior lighting scale set to?
Oh, and what version of TLK are you using?
-John
#5
lol. Well we figured out the problem. Dave tried to take all the credit but as you can see below it was a bit of both of us that solved it. :)
[16:46] codevinc: there was some stuff in there i didnit understand
[16:46] jboy_123: well, basically the problem is that if I have any pictures on the wall the lights don't work
[16:46] codevinc: ah hah
[16:46] codevinc: that is a problem
[16:48] codevinc: you don't have this problem in the hotel?
[16:49] jboy_123: no, that's the other weird part. I don't know why it works there but not in the bar
[16:49] codevinc: hmmm
[16:49] jboy_123: there's nothing on the wall there...
[16:52] jboy_123: actually there is stuff on the wall in the hotel. the clock and the phone
[16:52] codevinc: right
[16:53] codevinc: not flat stuff though
[16:53] codevinc: maybe it doesn't like flat stuff
[16:53] jboy_123: I suppose that could be...
[16:55] jboy_123: actually you just gave me an idea
[16:55] codevinc: Boom!
[16:55] jboy_123: it could be that the collision for those pictures is too thin and it's making it go crazy.... I'm gonna try making them bigger and see what happens.
[16:56] codevinc: good deal
[17:02] jboy_123: you're brilliant
[17:02] jboy_123: that fixed it
Having the collision too small thin seems to make the front/back planes infinite, I guess the tiny side planes get "rounded off" into oblivion. I'm not sure the exact limit on how small the engine will let you go, but it's somewhere around 0.05 M IIRC.
Sorry to be so quick to blame the light pack, John. Turns out it was a standard TGE thing. ;)
08/31/2005 (6:28 pm)
lol. Well we figured out the problem. Dave tried to take all the credit but as you can see below it was a bit of both of us that solved it. :)
[16:46] codevinc: there was some stuff in there i didnit understand
[16:46] jboy_123: well, basically the problem is that if I have any pictures on the wall the lights don't work
[16:46] codevinc: ah hah
[16:46] codevinc: that is a problem
[16:48] codevinc: you don't have this problem in the hotel?
[16:49] jboy_123: no, that's the other weird part. I don't know why it works there but not in the bar
[16:49] codevinc: hmmm
[16:49] jboy_123: there's nothing on the wall there...
[16:52] jboy_123: actually there is stuff on the wall in the hotel. the clock and the phone
[16:52] codevinc: right
[16:53] codevinc: not flat stuff though
[16:53] codevinc: maybe it doesn't like flat stuff
[16:53] jboy_123: I suppose that could be...
[16:55] jboy_123: actually you just gave me an idea
[16:55] codevinc: Boom!
[16:55] jboy_123: it could be that the collision for those pictures is too thin and it's making it go crazy.... I'm gonna try making them bigger and see what happens.
[16:56] codevinc: good deal
[17:02] jboy_123: you're brilliant
[17:02] jboy_123: that fixed it
Having the collision too small thin seems to make the front/back planes infinite, I guess the tiny side planes get "rounded off" into oblivion. I'm not sure the exact limit on how small the engine will let you go, but it's somewhere around 0.05 M IIRC.
Sorry to be so quick to blame the light pack, John. Turns out it was a standard TGE thing. ;)
#6
Thanks for posting your findings - that will definitely help in the future!
Btw: awesome snapshot.
-John
09/01/2005 (1:25 am)
Hmmm, that's good to know, TGE can be weird sometimes. :)Thanks for posting your findings - that will definitely help in the future!
Btw: awesome snapshot.
-John
#7
09/28/2005 (1:43 pm)
If the light on the wall on the left is the actual light wouldn't the picture above the character have a shadow on the lower left instead of upper right ? Matter of fact all the pictures look like they are casting shadow from a light source off screen lower left
#8
09/28/2005 (1:50 pm)
That's a great catch Howard...it does look that way!
#9
09/28/2005 (2:48 pm)
The light map density on that interior is very low, light mapping naturally becomes inaccurate as the light maps become smaller. Personally I would use the TLK lighting scale entity to boost the light map sizes on the wall brushes, while leaving the less important surfaces at a lower density.
#10
09/28/2005 (3:29 pm)
John's got it. It's just that the light scale is too big so the shadows are getting as close as they can to the right position, which makes them shift slightly. Good call on the light scale entity... I kinda forgot about that. I'm going to have to look into it now. :) 
Torque Owner David Tiernan