Interior based games...
by andru · in Technical Issues · 08/26/2002 (1:57 pm) · 10 replies
I'm fairly new to torque, but have been playing with the realmwars demo for a few days. However, I've found problems where lighting is concerned when it comes to interiors. I'm not sure if its just me doing things wrong, but as I can't find any real documentation to help me learn I'm just kinduv figuring it out myself :)
The main problem I'm encountering involves the fact that the sun seems to affect the insides of interiors. Eg, the players shadow is always cast by the sun, and the lights I place (I'm placing the lights in Hammer(worldcraft)...is that the right way to do things?) don't cast any shadows at all. Also, if I give the sun an ambient colour it will give the interiors the ambient colour too, even if you're a long way from anywhere where the sun is getting into the interior.
This is a problem for me, as the game I have planned in my mind would be based inside for a lot of the time. Am I just doing things wrong? If I'm not then would it take major work to the engine to solve this?
The main problem I'm encountering involves the fact that the sun seems to affect the insides of interiors. Eg, the players shadow is always cast by the sun, and the lights I place (I'm placing the lights in Hammer(worldcraft)...is that the right way to do things?) don't cast any shadows at all. Also, if I give the sun an ambient colour it will give the interiors the ambient colour too, even if you're a long way from anywhere where the sun is getting into the interior.
This is a problem for me, as the game I have planned in my mind would be based inside for a lot of the time. Am I just doing things wrong? If I'm not then would it take major work to the engine to solve this?
#2
08/29/2002 (9:10 pm)
the interiors you use have to make use of whats called portals.
#3
This isn't guaranteed though. A few times, I've been sure to structure the interior to have no overlapping brushes, and it still had a tiny splotch of sunlight coming through. I had to resize some of the brushes at the site of the leak, which then fixed the problem.
As much as it irks me to say it, the interior lighting in this engine is the most problematic part I've found.
08/29/2002 (9:37 pm)
The best technique to lessen sunlight "leaks" is to use exact brushes instead of allowing parts of brushes to overlap. It can be tough to do on complex surfaces, but will reduce leaks substantially.This isn't guaranteed though. A few times, I've been sure to structure the interior to have no overlapping brushes, and it still had a tiny splotch of sunlight coming through. I had to resize some of the brushes at the site of the leak, which then fixed the problem.
As much as it irks me to say it, the interior lighting in this engine is the most problematic part I've found.
#4
with portals you can define if the ambient/sun light comes throug the portal.
With this you could set a room directly into the sunlight, and the sunshine wouldn't come in.
08/29/2002 (10:24 pm)
As Robert said, you have to use portals.with portals you can define if the ambient/sun light comes throug the portal.
With this you could set a room directly into the sunlight, and the sunshine wouldn't come in.
#5
Any help would be really appreciated.
08/30/2002 (4:53 am)
How do I go about using portals then? Is there any documentation you can point me to, or gimme some tips? I can't afford the source yet so I'm using only a compiled version with no documentation :)Any help would be really appreciated.
#7
there is a cool "portal" tutorial in this section:
holodeck.st.usm.edu/vrcomputing/vrc_t/tutorials/editing/
09/04/2002 (5:09 am)
Check out Desmond's great site here: holodeck.st.usm.edu/vrcomputing/vrc_t/tutorials/there is a cool "portal" tutorial in this section:
holodeck.st.usm.edu/vrcomputing/vrc_t/tutorials/editing/
#8
By the way, some of the best tuts (including portals) I've used are here:
holodeck.st.usm.edu/vrcomputing/vrc_t/tutorials/
edit: lol, got beat to the punch
09/04/2002 (5:26 am)
Well, we've tried every which way with portals and they make absolutely no difference in light leakage problems. Sure, the portal prevents (or not, it's an option) light coming through where the portal is, but not where a wall meets a ceiling. That is where the problem is, for me at least.By the way, some of the best tuts (including portals) I've used are here:
holodeck.st.usm.edu/vrcomputing/vrc_t/tutorials/
edit: lol, got beat to the punch
#9
If believe that none of the outer walls may be a detail brush, so you might double-check that.
09/04/2002 (6:50 am)
I guess you've made sure your wall and ceiling touch exactly with no overlap or space?If believe that none of the outer walls may be a detail brush, so you might double-check that.
#10
~ Jeff
09/04/2002 (8:16 am)
@ Mac - Personally (I'm no interior artist, mind you, but I do have a good bit of worldcraft experience from my half-life days) I like to make my brushes meet at a 45 degree angle. You may want to try this. If you don't understand what I mean, open worldcraft/QUARK or whatever you are using and draw two non-intersecting rectangular brushes. Now, use the vertex manipulation tool and drag one set of vertecies out one grid line, then do the same for the other brush. You should get something that looks kinda like this |/_ (yeah, text art isn't my forte). That should block light leaks for you.~ Jeff
Torque Owner Shane McLeod