Now to add
some realistic lighting to your level. For starting out, I prefer doing lights like this,
making physical lights that look like they are coming from a source like a cieling light.
Look in the picture below how I put the lights in the hallway.
I first created the structure
for the light, what LOOKS like is giving off the light. However, the surface cannot
give off a light.
I made a 32x32 sized (8 tall) cube and
subtracted with a stone texture from the cieling to create the places for the lights. I
then used one of the light textures from the SkyCity texture set (Light group). The
texture was too big, so I went to surface properties/Scale and Chose the 0.25 scale, since
the 128x128 texture was 4x too big. As you can see, the hallway has lighting all down it.
Now to add the lights...
Add those light brushes (well, subtract, put them like I did) and then compile your level.
In dynamic lighting your view of course should turn black, since you don't have any
lights.
Save your work!
At this point, save your level. Nothing like working for an hour, then crashing and losing
all that work. So save often, use incremental filenames, like map0001, map0002, etc...
Now that you have compiled and saved, switch from dynamic lighting to texture mode, so you
can see. Point to the light texture, and add a light. Do it in 3D mode just so you know
where it is being added. Then in 2D mode, center it, and move it a few units BELOW the
light texture, like so...
Since UnrealED does not support radiosity, or
surfaces that give off lights, you have to position the light to where it simulates the
effect most appropriately. Now, only worry about one light right now, as you will be able
to duplicate the properties for the light you create here and move it to the other points
you want the light at too. Lets say we want an orange light, fairly bright, in the
hallway. Look at the hue/saturation chart below...
Open up the light properties for that light,
give it a light brightness of 64, a hue of 32, and a saturation of 32... Now, since this
is a fairly small hallway, the standard light radius will be too big. So switch down to
Lighting section. There is an entry called LightRadius. This is an important attribute of
your light because it tells how far the light reaches. This light doesn't need to reach
very far, so lets give it a radius of 24.
The LightProperties >
Lighting > LightRadius Entry sets how far out your light luminates
Now that your light is set up how you want it,
duplicate it, and put it in all of the other places where that type of light should be.
Duplicating Objects
When you duplicate the light, another one will
be created next to it with the same exact properties. Move it to all of the other places,
duplicate again until you are done.
Once they are all placed, switch the 3D View
over to dynamic lighting and compile your map!
Normal Surfaces
The lighting should look ok, but the light
textures probably don't look as bright as they should be. So select all of the light
textures on the ceiling, and do a surface properties. Under Effects, Check
"Unlit". This will make those textures full brightness and not affected by any
lighting. Compile your map again and they should be unlit.
Unlit Surfaces
That looks a lot better! You should be getting
the hang of adding lights as well now. So go around in your level and add lights as you
see fit. Its always nice to make them look believeable by adding some physical proof like
I did there, but you can add any light anywhere you want regardless. Editing is all about
playing around and tweaking, so you will get used to it messing with things on your own.
Now compile and save what you have now. Its time to make the level playable... |
