Lighting Pack version 1.1.5 Q&A
by John Kabus (BobTheCBuilder) · in · 08/21/2004 (5:33 pm) · 125 replies
Hello Garage Gamers!
Welcome to the Synapse Gaming Lighting Pack general discussion forum!
I've created this thread to answer your questions about the Lighting Pack. If you have any questions feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer them!
-John Kabus
Synapse Gaming
Welcome to the Synapse Gaming Lighting Pack general discussion forum!
I've created this thread to answer your questions about the Lighting Pack. If you have any questions feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer them!
-John Kabus
Synapse Gaming
#2
08/21/2004 (5:47 pm)
Thanks Josh! :)
#3
Question: Is this an add-on to Torque or is it a modified/extended version of Torque?
08/21/2004 (6:09 pm)
Great product here, judging by the demo and screens. Hope to get it eventually.Question: Is this an add-on to Torque or is it a modified/extended version of Torque?
#4
And no, I don't want to know who the mother is. ;-)
08/21/2004 (6:59 pm)
Ahh, I remember when the lighting pack was just a gleam in it's daddy's eye.And no, I don't want to know who the mother is. ;-)
#5
The Lighting Pack is an add-on that requires integration into Torque. The most recent version includes patch files that perform all code integration tasks for you.
Integrating the Lighting Pack into a clean TGE release consists of the following:
-Add the Lighting Pack source files to your project.
-Apply the Lighting Pack patch file.
-Copy the Lighting Pack script files into you Torque directory.
-Build TGE and enjoy the updated lighting (my favorite step :)!
Also there are detailed instructions explaining methods for integrating the pack into a modified TGE source tree!
-John
08/21/2004 (7:10 pm)
Hi Will,The Lighting Pack is an add-on that requires integration into Torque. The most recent version includes patch files that perform all code integration tasks for you.
Integrating the Lighting Pack into a clean TGE release consists of the following:
-Add the Lighting Pack source files to your project.
-Apply the Lighting Pack patch file.
-Copy the Lighting Pack script files into you Torque directory.
-Build TGE and enjoy the updated lighting (my favorite step :)!
Also there are detailed instructions explaining methods for integrating the pack into a modified TGE source tree!
-John
#7
And briefly can you describe how you achieve the "high contrast" effect?
08/21/2004 (7:44 pm)
Roughly how many Torque users would you say are using this Lighting pack?And briefly can you describe how you achieve the "high contrast" effect?
#8
Like most published software I can't comment on sales volumes sorry! :)
The high contrast lighting and shadows are very desirable side-effects of the overexposure lighting model. The high contrast allows scenes to appear dark and moody without becoming so dark that details are impossible to make out.
-John
08/21/2004 (8:58 pm)
Will,Like most published software I can't comment on sales volumes sorry! :)
The high contrast lighting and shadows are very desirable side-effects of the overexposure lighting model. The high contrast allows scenes to appear dark and moody without becoming so dark that details are impossible to make out.
-John
#9
And see, it works ;-)
Okay, at least for programmers art ;-)
btw.
John, great work. Best $50 I spend in the last time.
[Edit]
Yes, that's me. Coding big applications, but simple links I don't get ;-)
[/edit]
08/22/2004 (12:11 am)
Will, at least I can say 3D-Diggers GbR has buy for each of their coders a licences (in word i have one ;-)) hehe.And see, it works ;-)
Okay, at least for programmers art ;-)btw.
John, great work. Best $50 I spend in the last time.
[Edit]
Yes, that's me. Coding big applications, but simple links I don't get ;-)
[/edit]
#10
Thanks!
I'm very impressed with the content packs you guys have created. With all of the content and code packs available it's becoming easier than ever for indies to create professional looking games!
-John
08/22/2004 (7:41 am)
Hi Sven,Thanks!
I'm very impressed with the content packs you guys have created. With all of the content and code packs available it's becoming easier than ever for indies to create professional looking games!
-John
#11
I am having a bit of difficulty with the merge. I have tried a few times to get this merged, but each time i wind up not being able to build the tools due to dependencies on the engine.lib (with regards to concretepolylist.h and ogg.libs).I followed the instructions to the letter.
Would you consider a zip file where a person could just use a windiff program to update the relevant changed files?
08/22/2004 (9:17 am)
I think the changes you made look awesome, and the engine is clearly alot brighter, and shadows are alot more visible now. The Game does build for me, but the tools that come with it are having a bit of difficulty with the addon. I really want this to work for me, without the side affects I seem to be having now.I am having a bit of difficulty with the merge. I have tried a few times to get this merged, but each time i wind up not being able to build the tools due to dependencies on the engine.lib (with regards to concretepolylist.h and ogg.libs).I followed the instructions to the letter.
Would you consider a zip file where a person could just use a windiff program to update the relevant changed files?
#12
I'll take a look at it. I'm not sure what dependencies are causing audio related code to be required by the pack, but I'll see if I can remove them.
-John
08/22/2004 (10:38 am)
Looks like that's a bug.I'll take a look at it. I'm not sure what dependencies are causing audio related code to be required by the pack, but I'll see if I can remove them.
-John
#13
Possible?
- roland
08/22/2004 (11:38 am)
What about Synapse Gaming Lighting Pack and the TSE EA?Possible?
- roland
#14
This version of the Lighting Pack is only compatible with TGE, however a TSE version is in the works. :)
You can check out more information on the Lighting Pack and it updates here:
Garage Games interview with John Kabus
Hope this helps!
-John
08/23/2004 (3:16 am)
Hi Roland,This version of the Lighting Pack is only compatible with TGE, however a TSE version is in the works. :)
You can check out more information on the Lighting Pack and it updates here:
Garage Games interview with John Kabus
Hope this helps!
-John
#15
08/25/2004 (8:07 am)
I got the lighting pack a while ago after seeing the improvements it made to TGE. However, I cannot figure out how to put it into the engine, as I have never done this (patch/merge/anything except add my own code) before. I'm working with a clean version fo the latest HEAD, which is totally unmodified and fresh (not even compiled the first time yet). I unfortunately have a very limited knowledge of c++, so I can't undersatnd how to get it to work. I'm using MS VC++6 (service pack 6) on a win XP machine. I read through the docs and I cannot for the life of me even figure out where to begin. Sorry to be such a pain, but I was wondering if someone could help me out with this. I am so lost.
#16
I recommend getting TGE 1.2.2 from cvs and trying the installation a few times to become familiar with it. Here are the installation steps:
-Get TGE 1.2.2 from cvs.
-Zip up the TGE source directory (the directory is named 'torque') so you have a clean TGE available.
-Download GNU utilities for Win32 from here: unxutils.sourceforge.net/
-Unzip GNU Win32 onto your hard drive.
-Unzip the Lighting Pack onto your hard drive so that the 'synapseGaming' and 'torque' folders are in the same folder.
-Copy the 'release_1_2_2.patch' file from the 'synapseGaming\contentPacks\lightingPack\docs' folder to the 'torque' folder.
-Open the command prompt navigate to the 'torque' folder.
-Enter the command '\patch.exe -p0 --binary < release_1_2_2.patch' and hit enter.
At this point you should see the following:
Don't worry about the volLight errors, you haven't installed the resource and the Lighting Pack doesn't need it, so we can continue.
-Add the Lighting Pack's '*.cc' files to your VC6 project - they're located in the 'synapseGaming/contentPacks/lightingPack' folder.
-Open your VC6 project and compile TGE.
-Enjoy the cool new lighting!
There are other steps related to copying script files, but try this first and we'll tackle the rest later.
Let me know if this helps!
-John
08/25/2004 (5:06 pm)
Hi Travis,I recommend getting TGE 1.2.2 from cvs and trying the installation a few times to become familiar with it. Here are the installation steps:
-Get TGE 1.2.2 from cvs.
-Zip up the TGE source directory (the directory is named 'torque') so you have a clean TGE available.
-Download GNU utilities for Win32 from here: unxutils.sourceforge.net/
-Unzip GNU Win32 onto your hard drive.
-Unzip the Lighting Pack onto your hard drive so that the 'synapseGaming' and 'torque' folders are in the same folder.
-Copy the 'release_1_2_2.patch' file from the 'synapseGaming\contentPacks\lightingPack\docs' folder to the 'torque' folder.
-Open the command prompt navigate to the 'torque' folder.
-Enter the command '
At this point you should see the following:
patching file './engine/dgl/gBitmap.cc' patching file './engine/dgl/gBitmap.h' patching file './engine/game/fx/fxLight.cc' patching file './engine/game/fx/fxLight.h' patching file './engine/game/fx/fxSunLight.cc' patching file './engine/game/fx/particleEmitter.h' patching file './engine/game/fx/particleEngine.cc' patching file './engine/game/fx/particleEngine.h' can't find file to patch at input line 214 Perhaps you used the wrong -p or --strip option? The text leading up to this was: -------------------------- |diff -rdu --binary ./engine/game/fx/volLight.cc ../torque_lp/engine/game/fx/vol Light.cc |--- ./engine/game/fx/volLight.cc 2003-07-10 11:51:12.000000000 -0400 |+++ ../torque_lp/engine/game/fx/volLight.cc 2004-01-24 15:40:56.000000000 -0 500 -------------------------- File to patch: Skip this patch? [y] Skipping patch. 16 out of 16 hunks ignored can't find file to patch at input line 419 Perhaps you used the wrong -p or --strip option? The text leading up to this was: -------------------------- |diff -rdu --binary ./engine/game/fx/volLight.h ../torque_lp/engine/game/fx/volL ight.h |--- ./engine/game/fx/volLight.h 2003-07-10 11:51:14.000000000 -0400 |+++ ../torque_lp/engine/game/fx/volLight.h 2004-01-24 15:40:56.000000000 -0 500 -------------------------- File to patch: Skip this patch? [y] Skipping patch. 4 out of 4 hunks ignored patching file './engine/game/tsStatic.cc' patching file './engine/game/tsStatic.h' patching file './engine/interior/interior.h' patching file './engine/interior/interiorIO.cc' patching file './engine/interior/interiorRender.cc' patching file './engine/sceneGraph/lightManager.cc' patching file './engine/sceneGraph/lightManager.h' patching file './engine/sceneGraph/sceneLighting.cc' patching file './engine/sceneGraph/sceneLighting.h' patching file './engine/sim/sceneObject.cc' patching file './engine/sim/sceneObject.h' patching file './engine/terrain/blender.cc' patching file './engine/terrain/blender_asm.asm' patching file './engine/terrain/fluidRender.cc' patching file './engine/terrain/terrRender.cc' patching file './engine/ts/tsMesh.cc' patching file './example/common/editor/EditorGui.cs' patching file './example/common/editor/objectBuilderGui.gui' patching file './example/starter.fps/client/init.cs' patching file './example/starter.fps/server/scripts/game.cs' patching file './tools/map2dif/editGeometry.cc' patching file './tools/map2dif/lmapPacker.cc' patching file './tools/map2dif/lmapPacker.h' patching file './tools/map2dif/main.cc'
Don't worry about the volLight errors, you haven't installed the resource and the Lighting Pack doesn't need it, so we can continue.
-Add the Lighting Pack's '*.cc' files to your VC6 project - they're located in the 'synapseGaming/contentPacks/lightingPack' folder.
-Open your VC6 project and compile TGE.
-Enjoy the cool new lighting!
There are other steps related to copying script files, but try this first and we'll tackle the rest later.
Let me know if this helps!
-John
#17
In other words, if I've done fairly extensive lighting work by the time I grab the Lighting Pack, will adding that functionality involve replacing all my lights with new light classes?
08/26/2004 (12:49 pm)
Bearing in mind that I haven't yet purchased TGE (although I think I'll b going ahead with that later tonight), what would the wrkflow be like for integrating the new Lighting Pack features into a game that is already in development? Or will the primary new lighting features work out of the box? I'm wondering mainly because I doubt I'll be purchasing the Lighting Pack yet, since I don't have any use for it in the immediate future, but would like the added functionality of it later on, once I start getting into the thick of things, graphics-wise. Essentially, does the Lighting Pack use all-new light classes (for lack of a better word), or does it improve on existing ones, and extend functionality by adding new ones?In other words, if I've done fairly extensive lighting work by the time I grab the Lighting Pack, will adding that functionality involve replacing all my lights with new light classes?
#18
08/26/2004 (3:23 pm)
Oh yes, I forgot to ask about this before, Does any of these changes require any changes to the Torque.fgd file thats used with worldcraft/Hammer? and if so is there an implementation of it done?
#19
The Lighting Pack also upgrades all existing TGE lights, so you can improve your lighting without re-working your content, however due to the increased lighting intensity you will need to tune you lights after applying the Lighting Pack, there's a section in the Modelers Guide that outlines very efficient ways of doing this.
Dean,
Thanks, I'll apply that fix!
William,
The Lighting Pack uses the existing map light entities - the new light objects are used in the TGE mission editor.
Hope this helps!
-John
08/28/2004 (8:03 am)
Hi Teck,The Lighting Pack also upgrades all existing TGE lights, so you can improve your lighting without re-working your content, however due to the increased lighting intensity you will need to tune you lights after applying the Lighting Pack, there's a section in the Modelers Guide that outlines very efficient ways of doing this.
Dean,
Thanks, I'll apply that fix!
William,
The Lighting Pack uses the existing map light entities - the new light objects are used in the TGE mission editor.
Hope this helps!
-John
#20
08/30/2004 (7:08 am)
John, that's definitely helpful. Thanks a bunch for clearing that up for me. I've finally taken the plunge and gotten TGE, but will hold off on the Lighting Pack for the time being while I learn the capabilities of Torque first. :) 
Torque Owner Josh Williams
Default Studio Name
;) Sorry, couldn't resist being the first to spam your forum.