1: it seems that you have only a 16 bit color buffer… use 32 bit (you can change that in the system settings of et)
2: radiosity (aka -bounce N) might cause more or less strange colors due to the fact that colors from objects in the vicinity are kind of “reflected” on your wall
3: believe me or not: bounce 3 or 4 is enough for FINAL light compilation
Toss in 2 lights high up on each wall just to see what happens. Wall-mounted lights that shine on the wall. It will perhaps take away some of that colored ring effect.
Main thing is that screenshots are getting better and better (=progression).
Iffy has a tutorial map on lights. You will find it here:
EB’s tutorials comes in the form of -pk3 files, and the .map file is included inside the pk3:
http://www.spyjuice.com/ld.htm
To check your work you can use the console command “/r_lightmap 1”. This will remove the textures so only the lightmap is visible. (Source: http://www.planetwolfenstein.com/detoeni/bump.htm)
Keep on mapping!
//Loffy
Cooperhawkes:
Loffy:
I will try with those lights on the wall.
by the way, i’m using the BSP menu from GTKradiant to compile… how to do it manually so i can control single steps? bsp, vis, light…
everything with the q3map2 command?
Oh, you can do that, but there are other ways. You can compile using:
a) a batch file (that’s what I use)
b) or a “add-on” programme.
I cannot remember what that “add-on” is called, but it is a tool (an external programme) that helps the mapper setting up the compiling parameters and to execute the compile.
I’m sure someone can give you the name (and download link) here. EDIT: Check out this place: http://www.wikibooks.net/index.php/wiki/Q3Map2
By the way, what version of the compiler are you using?
The latest version?:
http://www.splashdamage.com/index.php?name=pnPHPbb2&file=viewtopic&t=10278
EDIT: Here is my batchfile, for my current mapping project called hundis_guld_beta2.
"C:\Program\Wolfenstein - Enemy Territory\q3map_2.5.16_win32_x86/q3map2" -game et -fs_basepath "C:/Program/Wolfenstein - Enemy Territory/" -meta -mv 1024 -mi 6144 "C:/Program/Wolfenstein - Enemy Territory/etmain/maps/hundis_guld_beta2/maps/hundis_guld_beta2.map"
"C:\Program\Wolfenstein - Enemy Territory\q3map_2.5.16_win32_x86/q3map2" -game et -fs_basepath "C:/Program/Wolfenstein - Enemy Territory/" -v -vis -saveprt "C:/Program/Wolfenstein - Enemy Territory/etmain/maps/hundis_guld_beta2/maps/hundis_guld_beta2.map"
"C:\Program\Wolfenstein - Enemy Territory\q3map_2.5.16_win32_x86/q3map2" -game et -fs_basepath "C:/Program/Wolfenstein - Enemy Territory/" -v -light -fast -samples 2 -patchshadows -bounce8 -external -lightmapsize 256 "C:/Program/Wolfenstein - Enemy Territory/etmain/maps/hundis_guld_beta2/maps/hundis_guld_beta2.map"
As you can see, it is just three paragraphs, one for each phase.
NOTE!: It works for me, but it might not be the optimal way.
It is just a textfile (in Wordpad for example), saved and then renamed to xxxx.bat
All I do, is just double-click on it for the compiling to start.
The compiler is version 2.5.16 and it rests inside a folder that I have named “q3map_2.5.16_win32_x86”.
Check out the command “-lightmapsize 256”. That is the size of the lighmaps. You can increase it to 512 or even 1024 if you fell like crazy, to see how it affects your shadowsharpness and the like in game. (And yes, it will increase your mapping project’s total file size.)
NOTE! (again): I have three separate batchfiles. The one above for “final” compile. A second one for fast compiles including a light compile. That second batch is almost identical to the above, but the third paragraph is changed to
"C:\Program\Wolfenstein - Enemy Territory\q3map_2.5.16_win32_x86/q3map2" -game et -fs_basepath "C:/Program/Wolfenstein - Enemy Territory/" -v -light -fast -external "C:/Program/Wolfenstein - Enemy Territory/etmain/maps/hundis_guld_beta2/maps/hundis_guld_beta2.map"
The third batchfile is identical to the above, but the third phase is removed totally.
//Loffy
These are the infos about my q3map2 version:
2.5.5-SD
2 threads
Q3Map - v1.0r © 1999 Id Software Inc.
Q3Map (ydnar) - v2.5.5-SD
GtkRadiant - v1.3.8-ET Jul 8 2003 13:02:47
I m using q3map2build by bobdev… nice frontend, easy to use. What it basically does is giving u all the options to switch on and then it does the batch-file for you and logs the compile if you switch that on (and i strongly recommend that cuz the logs give u a lot of info).
i wish that all mappers will tweak lightmap resolution before final compiling…
Just look on latest TCE screens
in the end, wrong colored shadows or not, it seems that 0.25 lightmapscale with that compile option isn’t enough to get a sharp, realistic shadow.
Later i’ll try to compile it with the new q3map2, setting _lightmapscale=0.0625 (which is 1 quarter of 0.25, totally 1/16 of the default scale) only on that wall.
Let’s see what happens… i’ll keep you in touch.
Mike
First of all, thank you all again for all your support, specially Loffy.
Update:
Recompiled the map. Used Q3map2 2.5.16, Lightmapscale 1 on worldspawn and a value of 0.0625 (1/16) for those two walls.
Compile settings: -meta -v -vis -v -light -fast -samples 2 -bounce 8 -patchshadow - external
This is the result:
sharper, no doubt… maybe too much.
Any suggestion?
Sometimes I get a jagged edge even if all is optimal. I guess it has to do with the angle of the light/shadown, but I am not sure.
I mean, imagine that you draw a line in a pixel-drawing programme (i.e. not a vector based fancy drawing programme, rather a simple programme with pixel-based lines).
If that line is horisontal, it will be sharp. But if you draw a second line at, for example, a 38 degree angle to that first line, it will have jagged edges.
I think it looks better. Still need a couple of spotlights, but I guess you’re adding them later on.
Also, you could try the -lightmapsize switch in the light-phase.
Try -lightmapsize 512 (or 1024, which is something I’ve never tried):
-v -light -fast -samples 2 -patchshadows -bounce8 -external -lightmapsize 512
Just for fun, to see: 1) if light-rendering is improved, and 2) how much bigger you total file size will be.
About mapping and “ugly shadows”: I sometimes (as a last resource) use spotlights to take way ugly shadows. Just like I sometimes add boxes and wooden boards to the terrain, to cover ugly terrain. It might not be proper, but it works 
Thanks for taking the time to test various compile settings and for sharing your screenshots.
//l.
and thank you for following my tests! about the shadows… i got your point, but the floor is really weird with the last rendering. you can notice the first 2 screenshots has bright floor, while the last one has white dots on black background.
I’ll try to recompile the map with the same settings of the first time, but using the new q3map2. I hope it’s not related to it - it’s really faster than the old one, specially the light session.
Mike
Just my 2cts: you are still trying to change the car’s color by washing and polishing it… means u r using the wrong approach for your problem imo.
If its about shadows cast by the skylight/sunlight, you really should change the settings of that shader (see my post above) and let the penumbra-shadow cast a real soft one, and compare that with a sharp-edge-setting.
If the soft setting fails… then its time to worry about lightmapsize and compile settings because then the compile obviously doesn’t get the edges right.
McNite, solving the problem without understanding it is not enough for me. i know what’s the architecture of my map, nothing can generate such non-linear shadows, that’s why i’m making tests.
Fueldump map has no weird shadows, so…why should i get them? No matter if, with another shader, i don’t have the problem - but does it matter learning why it happens with this one.
Anyway, if the last option is to change the skyshader, i’ll do it, but that should be the very last option.
Mike
No, it should be the first.
The sky shader used in fueldump uses an older set of shader pramiters, the compiler your using has a very diffirent skylight code to the one used in the q3map2 that made the sd maps. It has been set up to work best with the stuff ]UBC[ McNite is going on about.
(the new stuff works a lot better than the old)
You don’t get good map lighting unless you use a good shader for the job 
Shaders control your map, not the brushies in radiant.
hum… it makes sense.
I didn’t know the code of that sky could be not so compatible with the new compiler. Thanks for the info detoeni.
I will post soon new screenshot with different illumination of the same scene.
Mike
Detoeni, I owe you one :drink: next round is on me 
@ Mike: copy the rv2nd_sky11 (or so) from the shader of my map mp_theriver_2nd.pk3. That s a complete and well-working sky-shader with penumbra-shadowcasting.
Are you using custom shaders or stock shaders/textures on these walls and floors we (should) see on the pics? I think a foozled shader could eat up the light.
You MUST post there to let us know what was your settings for your map (especially for the shadows, what kind of lightmapscale is it?).
From the tavern_b1 readme:
-light -fast -bouncegrid -custinfoparms -dirt -export -nocollapse -patchshadows -shade -compensate 3 -gamma 1.5 -lightmapsize 512 -samples 3
Since lightmapscales on func_groups seem to be 1 by default and I had loads of them -didn’t want to set a _lightmapscale for each- what I did is to create different shaders for each texture I wanted to have detailed shadows on it. One of the shaders has the key “q3map_lightmapsamplesize 1” (default is 16), which should actually be equal to _lightmapscale 0.625. This way what you do is just use the detailed lightmap shader in the places you need it, and reduce some compile time leaving the rest of it with the default lightning.
Red
I used high res lightmapping on my map (dgdm_underground) and got it looking descent.
For compile i used -light -patchshadows -super 2 -filter
and “_lightmapscale 0.125” in worldspawn (alsow works with func_group)
Theres more screenshots but i dont think it shows off the cool lighting.