models that need fixed

[Baddcog]

hmm, can't find the old thread.

 

Doing some mapping and coming across a thing or two.

 

--------------

OK, found some issues with the one gaslight (gaslight4.lwo) that has an entity. The non lit version had shadows from the glass but not the base.

 

Which led to a lot of work sorting out issues. The shadow issues are now sorted, and across all the gaslights they are consistant. Which is ::

Lit models cast no shadows.

Unlit models (skins) cast complete lamp shadows.

 

They previously had a mix of either the base or glass casting a shadow when lit or unlit. The bases casting shadows looks weird anyway, so I just went with that convention so they'd all be the same.

 

 

@Springheel

 

--edit-- I'm just going to make a skin to swap this for the lit entity, so no model work needed if you don't want to.

 

One issue remains.

 

gaslight3.lwo

It uses both gaslight1 and gaslight1_shadowcasting materials on the model. So this is the only gaslight that casts shadows from it's base by default. I can't change that. But if you can change the shadowcasting to the regular shader then the skin is set so all the gaslights will match.

 

As we have 2 other gaslights that don't have entities I am of to make them atm...

[Baddcog]

Alright,

 

Got all the gaslights added to the entity list, and shadow bugs fixed and sorted.

 

While I was there, I've also gotten tired of adding lights to mushrooms. So I added all mushroom models with skins to the entity list. Made a new folder for them (entity list folder) > static/nature. between 5 models and the 6 plus skins, there's a pile to choose from. All have correct colored lights to match their colorme skins.

Was much more of an undertaking than I had planned for, but it's done...

 

Mushroom skin names (some of them) had an extra underscore, so that's fixed... hmm, SHIT. That might break stuff. ARGH...

Is there a way to only roll back the skins file?

Alright, well I've reverted it until I fix the skins issue, damn what a pain.

[Tels]

Heh, thanx, that sounds a lot of useful additions and fixes And don't worry about the skin change, we can sort this out tonight.

[Springheel]

gaslight3.lwo

 

Do you mean gaslight4.lwo? That's the only one I see.

[Baddcog]

Ah sorry, I think it's wall_gaslight03, but I fixed the issue with a skin for the entities, so it will only cast the weird shadow if someone just uses the model.

[Springheel]

if you can change the shadowcasting to the regular shader then the skin is set so all the gaslights will match.

 

Ok, done.

[Baddcog]

danka

[Baddcog]

OK, currently adding skins for more glass variations to my windowframes.

 

There are 5 woods with the milky glass, I am going to add the basic opaque yellow/blue/lit... glass to each, would be nice to have more plain glass textures, but for now this'll do.

 

I came across a lot of the doorframe skins that were like this, probably left over from quite awhile back when some noshadow stuff was being removed from stuff that required it. So for awhile all doorframes, window frames were casting double shadows

 

If the first line has a NoShadow texture to begin with, then the replacement also NEEDS ns.

You can see each skin also had a swap version for the shadowed texture, because these skins were used for a lot of stuff.

Anything that uses the noshadow originally will get noshadow after swap, anything that has shadows will still retain shadows after swap.

 

textures/darkmod/wood/boards/rough_wood_grey_ns textures/darkmod/wood/boards/rough_wood_sand_ns

textures/darkmod/wood/boards/rough_wood_grey textures/darkmod/wood/boards/rough_wood_sand

textures/darkmod/wood/boards/worn_01 textures/darkmod/wood/boards/rough_wood_sand

 

 

I'm also trying to add some descriptions to noshadow materials so mappers can see in the texture browser those aren't to be used. I might not get them all but authors will see some and at least it'll clue them in to what ns means (noshadow would've been better but it made sese to me at the time to just use ns)

 

==============

 

Just thought of something I could use opinions on.

 

I have a variation of windows.

 

1-frame with glass intact.

2-frame no glass

3-window glass object (can be opened, used like door, to be placed in frame above)

 

So #3 can be seen inside and out. Realistically it should probably be yellow glass outside (lit from within) and blu glass inside (moonlight) if the author chooses opaque (for performance obviously).

 

So when the window opens all the glass should probably turn blue. Do we want to do this?

And if so, is there a spawnarg on a door (or can be added) that would automatically switch skins?

Also, it could looks weird to player, unless it was a slow blend from one skin to another (not sure it's possible).

 

But a window that was opened that is blue inside and lit yellow outside would be odd.

[Baddcog]

alright,

 

I broke down...an old request of Springs was that I 'close the gaps' on doorframe models. Initially I had modelled them to be 'rugged', gaps, bends, etc.. But IU had noticed at angles once in awhile you'd get an odd flash of color (wallpaper or whatever).

I had also done a pretty quick sloppy job of uv'ing.

 

So all my doorframes have now been re-uve'd, verts welded and extra polys deleted. Window frames later...

[Baddcog]

OK, windows are re-uv'ed, cleaned up, optimized more.

 

I've got 2 skins in addition to the milky glass now, plus a nodraw, mainly to use a worldspawn window texture brush (for quick skins), other wise caulk should be used between glass panes to seal opaque windows.

 

One is the dirty lamp glass, the other is a new 'chipped' glass.

 

Windows now have a different glass inside and out so there is bright yellow lit outside, and moonlit blue inside. Probably need one with moonlight inside and darker outside also...

====================

 

There is also a white opaque glass of the chipped glass. I want to set it up so when you open the window the yellow and blue swap to white. Even better would be a slow fade.

 

I tried setting up a door entity with light skin swaps but they don't trigger.

How to combine door functionality with light skin swapping?

[Baddcog]

lantern_oil_hand_02.lwo has some 'wires' around the glass, they are currently clipping into the glass. Pretty noticeable in game. (and model viewer)

 

 

I'm going to overhaul all of the light entities for 1.08.

 

I only noticed the oddities with the gas lights the other day because I was using one. Now i'm going to fix my lampost spotlight (Melan always puts it up on a tall block). I guess it's a bit short so I'm making a tall version.

I noticed the normal map was wonky, normalizing it fixed it.

 

But I also noticed some of the electric lamps looked like those gaslights I fixed. They have some shadow issues too. It also occoured to me that while the lamposts look great lit up with noshadows and a light texture, they look odd when turned off, no shadows. For the most part they will probably never have their lights turned off, but I guess it's good to have them all on the same system in case.

 

My plan is to try and catch all the lights that are left and have them all cast noshadows when lit, but cast shadows when off. Then on the models that look good with some shadows just use a light texture if it is missing.

 

The standing oil lamp is one of the ones I'm in the air about. The shadows don't look as bad as some models when lit. But then again they don't look that great either. Problem with a light texture is it's the same top to bottom, and they don't have a cover above them like a streetlamp does.

 

@Springheel

So I'm not sure, I think we should just ace the shadows when on. What do you think?

[Springheel]

Yeah, I turn the shadows off on those oil lamps. It's too bad we can't project a light texture downwards but not upwards.

[Baddcog]

I wonder if we could attach a parrellel light, non shadow that just casts down, might not be worth it though.

[Baddcog]

OMG,

 

Does anyone realize how many light objects we have???

 

This is turning into a MAJOR project.

 

I've got all the current light entities for electric pretty much done. And I tried to get most of the skins... but I probably won't get them all.

If a light has a skin, it needs an entity just for that skin, so it'll swap textures correctly when turned on/off.

Then we have 3 versions of that model, each uses several skins...

 

I did figure out that we really don't need entities for lit and unlit of each light. So any lights/skins that I am adding only have a lit entity (though I still have to make an unlit skin), then authors just need to specify starts off 0/1. I'll try and get this on the wiki.

 

gaslights are also done.

Though they could really use some model work around the top of the glass, they have bad shading issues when unlit.

 

desklamp needs a bit of work

 

all the fires/fireplaces are spot on

 

I'll have a look at torches later..from what I recal they've always looked pretty decent, I think the jumping shadows always help, but i'll make sure they are consistant.

 

------

The one exception I am making is any 'spotlights' will have full shadows. We only have one wall model, and one streetlamp model, but since they aim the light down and have a big hood they have to block light going up. And the streetlamp looks odd with only a square shadow above it, plus the light is offset from the pole so it makes sense it would cast a shadow.

 

The rest of the pole lights look good with light texture.

[Tels]

OMG,

 

Does anyone realize how many light objects we have???

 

Yes, I know, because I added almost all of them.

 

This is turning into a MAJOR project.

 

Welcome to TDM Entity Hell ® - Enjoy you Stay! ™

 

Glad to see someone picks up where I left - thought it would never happen

 

As for the noshadows/shadows thing when lit/unlit, this wasn't possible before I added the code for it but then afterwards I burned out and had not the energy to change all the light entities again...

[Springheel]

I've got all the current light entities for electric pretty much done.

 

They're not all using that "flicker hum" light are they? That's nice for effect here and there, but is awfully annoying as a default.

[Baddcog]

Lol, Yeah I know you did a ton of work on em Tels. Without stuff to copy/paste I wouldn't know where to begin

Can't blame ya for getting burnt out, having to cross check 3-4 files and test in editor and game is tough.

 

I'm making a map that'll have all the light entities with switches/water arrows/candles so they can all be tested, etc..

 

 

@Springheel, I haven't touched the sound shaders. All of the electric lights are under flicker so as far as the light itself, yeah to flicker/pulse.

I had music playing so wasn't paaying too much attention to sound anyway.

 

Do you have specifics in mind? I guess indoor electric lights would probably be the first candidates to not have the hum sound (lower voltage, plus competing with ai voices, etc...)

 

I also want to do something about the lamp glass that is off (all street lamps). Right now they are pretty much black, they should probably be more of a dark grey. Not illuminated, but not black. The white fancy glass on the indoor ones is fine.

[Springheel]

Do you have specifics in mind? I guess indoor electric lights would probably be the first candidates to not have the hum sound (lower voltage, plus competing with ai voices, etc...)

 

Yes, I think the fancy-looking indoor ones definitely shoudn't flicker. Maybe for the older/rougher-looking ones it would be good to have the option.

[Baddcog]

Spring, could you change these two models a hair?

 

I think the cage should be double sided, but it needs to be polys as twosided doesn't work with shadows. Since the base is the same material slot as the cage it leaves a hole when turned off and casting a shadow. They'll rarely cast shadows so performance isn't a biggie, but they'll look better too when lit.

 

grill_light.lwo and grill_light_short.lwo

[Springheel]

Sure. Though I'm at work, so there's a good chance I'll forget without a tracker entry.

[Baddcog]

alright, I'll make a tracker, there are a couple models so I'll put em all up in one.