q3map2, radiosity and sharp shadows

(motorsep) #1

I tryed to compile my map-room with q3map2 with -bounce 8 (from GTKRadiant) and I got nice ambiently lit room with soft shadows.
Now if I would have a window or a lamp in real room, besides ambient lighting I would have light coming from a windows or a lamp, that would cause objects to cast sharp shadows.
Is it possible to have it done with q3map2?

(Shaderman) #2

I don’t know if I get you right so I offer two answers :slight_smile:

Calculating shadows casted by a skybox (sun light) and other light sources is the default behaviour of q3map2 for a light compile. There are several ways to improve the sharpness of shadows (bounce may be one thing). Search this forum - you’ll find several threads like this one: http://splashdamage.com/index.php?name=pnPHPbb2&file=viewtopic&t=13047

If you want to know how to get light through a window from the outside, you’ll probably want to use a skybox. If you want to place lamps in your house for example, you could use the light entity.

(motorsep) #3

Thanks. I will try.

(Loffy) #4

yes, and I can add that finding the perfect light/shadow is mostly about trial and error. Try using a spotlight (a light entity that targets an info_notnull), try using several lights with low values, try using one light with a massive value (like 2000), experiment.

(obsidian) #5

By default, light entities, sky lights, and surface lights will all cast sharp shadows, even with radiosity enabled. They usually look blurry because of the relatively low lightmap resolution. You can change this of course at the cost of texture memory usage and compile time. To soften shadow edges, you can enable penumbra effects, filtering and other options.

It also has much to do with how you use your lightsources. A single, strong light source will create a much sharper shadow than muliple weaker light sources.

(carnage) #6

also distance to the light source

also worth mentioning that unless the window is getting direct sunlight your unlikely to get since the light that will come though is the light bounced around in the atmosphere

rather then trying to create this with multiple soft suns in the skybox ambient light comes in very handy here. although this causes problems deep indoors were the bounced light from the atmosphere would not reach

its also imposible to create realistic looking lighting within a pre compiled game like this owning to the fact that indoor lighting is actauly much darker then outside and a very very differnt colour, our minds alter the colour that we see to make indoor to make it look more natural

next time your outside at night look though the a window to see its very goldy glowing colour but when inside you dont see this

to get sharp shadows igher res lightmaps are needed but this will use up a lot more memory. also all mappers can note that lightmaps can be turned into jpg without any loss in quality just in filesize, although in game it will be just as much size in video memory it will be easier on your download

iv got a very nice docment on lighting for photography purposes but its very useful for mappers wanting to get the maximum effect from lighting and shadows. ill put it up when im home