Trouble with lighting
by Charlie Higdon · in Constructor · 11/04/2008 (2:21 pm) · 1 replies
I built a few buildings, and was happy with the results. I decided i'd try adding lights to a few rooms to see what kind of effects I could get.
I clicked entities in Constructor, and noticed there are Constructor and Torque light entities.
I chose one of each, each in it's own room, closed off by a door. Most of the Torque entities didnt make a light. For example, Light_Strobe didn't do anything. I am sure it is an error on my part. The Constructor light entities only seemed to make a super bright or dim light, reguardless of my messing around with settings.
I tried using the search box, but it didnt really turn up anything useful. I found one page that did tell how to add a light from in game using the light editor. I got it to work once, it wouldn't add another light after that. I followed the procedure each time. I also noticed alot of the light entites from Constructor aren't in the game's light editor. The light_flicker for example, was only found in Constructor.
There was a page on TDN concerning lighting with the light editor, it was quite vague however.
I'm sure if I play around with it for a good while I'll get it. I was just hoping by posting someone might explain how to add the "Torque light entities" in Constructor, and get them to do what their names suggest...strobe, flicker, etc.
I hope someone might have knowledge of a post or some instructions on how I can use the light editor in game with a bit more confidence.
The lighting isn't critical to my project at the moment, it is something I was using to take a break and try and add more atmosphere to my buildings. I'll need to add them eventually anyway.
Thanks for any help.
I clicked entities in Constructor, and noticed there are Constructor and Torque light entities.
I chose one of each, each in it's own room, closed off by a door. Most of the Torque entities didnt make a light. For example, Light_Strobe didn't do anything. I am sure it is an error on my part. The Constructor light entities only seemed to make a super bright or dim light, reguardless of my messing around with settings.
I tried using the search box, but it didnt really turn up anything useful. I found one page that did tell how to add a light from in game using the light editor. I got it to work once, it wouldn't add another light after that. I followed the procedure each time. I also noticed alot of the light entites from Constructor aren't in the game's light editor. The light_flicker for example, was only found in Constructor.
There was a page on TDN concerning lighting with the light editor, it was quite vague however.
I'm sure if I play around with it for a good while I'll get it. I was just hoping by posting someone might explain how to add the "Torque light entities" in Constructor, and get them to do what their names suggest...strobe, flicker, etc.
I hope someone might have knowledge of a post or some instructions on how I can use the light editor in game with a bit more confidence.
The lighting isn't critical to my project at the moment, it is something I was using to take a break and try and add more atmosphere to my buildings. I'll need to add them eventually anyway.
Thanks for any help.
About the author
Torque Owner Ryan Mounts
CornerstoneViz
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Static: This is an sgLightObject that is added through the Torque World Editor. It uses a datablock with the static field set. Relighting the scene will bake light into terrain and interior lightmaps, which leads to less overhead/better performance, but static light and shadows. It dynamically lights objects and casts dynamic shadows from them.
Dynamic: This is an sgLightObject that is added through the Torque World Editor. It uses a datablock with the static field unset. Terrain, interiors, and objects are all dynamically lit, so there are more performance costs than a static light. Objects cast dynamic shadows. Use this light if you want to animate the color, intensity, etc.
Constructor Lights
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These are not real lights inside Torque. The light in simply pre-baked into the interior's lightmap. It will not dynamically light any objects or cast any shadows. They are good for performance and Constructor can create some nice soft shadows. (The falloff, intensity, etc. parameters are broken in 1.0.51)
Use Constructor to place only Constructor lights, and use the World Editor to place all Torque lights. Once you've placed an sgLightObject in Torque, give it a datablock. Then open the Light Editor, select that datablock, and play with the options and parameters to see the effects ingame. If you check "static" you'll have to relight the scene in order to see the effects on the terrain and interiors.