Ziemanskye on 24/6/2005 at 16:59
In a desperate fit of struggling with framerates, I started to play with the lighttype properties, but there are quite a few, and most don't seem to have any real use. Any help?
FL_Unknown - Old UEd light, I guess. Doesn't seem to do anything.
FL_Omni - The normal regular shadowcaster.
FL_OmniNoShadows - The normal switch to improve performance.
FL_Unsupported - <shrugs>
FL_Ambient - doesn't seem to do anything
FL_AmbientVertex - I like these, great for glow on the edges of smeshes, but almost useless on bsp surfaces.
FL_Spot - pretty much what you expect, and when combined with the FLLightTexture property does nice projector stuff.
FL_SpotNoShadow - does what I expect. It's a FL_Spot that doesn't cast shadows.
FL_Directional - Needs the DirectionalLightShape property. Casts light straight down the tube it creates. Can also work with the FLLightTexture to give uniform projections (use the FL_Spot if you want it to flare/taper)
FL_DirectionalNoShadow - Guess, go on.
FL_Project - Not a clue, show's up all over the original missions, but don't actually seem to do anything.
OrbWeaver on 24/6/2005 at 20:51
Quote Posted by Ziemanskye
FL_Project - Not a clue, show's up all over the original missions, but don't actually seem to do anything.
I would guess that FL_Project is used for projected textures, such as the window shape projected onto floors.
Ziemanskye on 24/6/2005 at 21:05
If you move them nothing changes, seems the actual window projections are FL_Spot lights, with the projector properties added.
Krypt on 24/6/2005 at 22:51
Directional lights cast all the light in one direction within a cylindrical radius, which you should be able to see if you go into light radii view. We were originally going to use these to do sunlight in outdoor areas, but the performance hit made it very impractical. This was because any shadows cast by it cast all the way to the bottom of the cylinder, even into areas where they shouldn't. Putting a big directional light over an outdoor area looks great, but will probably get you into the "seconds-per-frame" realm of performance :p
Gestalt on 25/6/2005 at 00:40
Hmm. Might be useful in a few years, though. I'd assumed that they were for shafts of light.
Ziemanskye on 29/6/2005 at 12:22
Edited the directional lights on the list at the top.
Still not got Unsupported, Unknown, Ambient or Project to work.
jermi on 29/6/2005 at 19:19
Neither of the two directional light types cast shadows, right?
Ziemanskye on 30/6/2005 at 09:54
Uh, Directional does, and DirectionalNoShadows doesn't. I think.
I tend to have shadows turned off on bsp, use non-shadowcasting lights, and raw static meshes rather than actors (so the shadows aren't turned on by default, and so you can't frob anything that doesn't have some more meaningful use than annoying me/making a noice near to the player)
MorbusG on 5/7/2005 at 21:49
I'm not at all sure about this, but iirc, I played around with the FL_project -light since it was all around the original missions, and came to the conclusion that it makes Garrett cast multiple shadows (ie in multiple directions). Ofcource, you don't see that unless looking from 3rd person view.
Krypt on 5/7/2005 at 22:46
FL_Project creates a projected texture (light). You have to pick a texture for it to project and otherwise it is set up the same as a FL_Spot. I don't know the exact property you use to pick the texture offhand, but you might have to add it manually.
