Hi Guys,is being able to use our own lightmaps for buildings on the to do list .

Dave

Why would you want this as a feature? If you want to use your own lightmaps simply make them _I.dds and they will work as illumination maps...same thing really since you would need to associate them with each individual model. The lightmapper produces a mesh 'overlay' with auto unwrapped uv which is totally different from the original uv so you cant just drop your own into the lightmaps folder, even if you could work out which map was for which entity. Thing is if you want to use your own you are going to have to create duplicates of shared textures for each model you want resulting in a bloated game file size. There is no way around this even if the developers find a way for you to use your own, perhaps this is why there is no such feature in any other game engine. Or it is a hack such as I mention above.
If you must use your own, say for directional or cone lighting and not the point lighting currently in GG then keep it to a minimum and only on objects you require it on, or overlay them onto your diffuse....or wait till GameGuru gets a lighting upgrade

At the end of the day all entities you want to have your own lightmaps for must have no overlapping or repeated tiling uv's with all islands in their own space and that is going to chew up your fps and memory pretty fast.

Thanks for taking the time rolfy .
( trying to place lights is killing me in GG )

Dave

I get it and I find that difficult too particularly when you try to grab them side on, I have meant for some time to look and see if the light markers are actual models and if I can swap 'em out for simple cross shape meshes. Even in Classic I hated those darn light bulbs and swapped them out as they are pointless and awkward, not to mention unprofessional looking in a game engine.

Edit* Just looked and found in files\entitybank\_markers so I will definitely be swapping that one out.

If I wanted a 'feature' it would be a way to hide all light, zone,waypoint and such markers in editor view as they sure can clutter up a map once you get a lot of 'em particularly as they are in view through all entities etc whatever angle you look.

Let me no if you do please .

Dave

Hacked this up quickly, would go a little further with some colour on it later, does make it easier to see where centre of light is and far easier to see and grab from side angle.



The original is a plane.

Looking better already.

Dave

Hoping these will help me place them better .



Dave

Better now i can see them







Dave

Looks good, just remember to make a backup of them, there's a chance that when there's an update they may get overwritten and return to default when the client updates.

@ Belidos

Will do,thanks for reminding me .

Dave

If anyone wants to send me the 'much improved' light model and texture markers, send away, happy to improve GameGuru in every quarter!

Sent Lee ( ime sure other people will make better ones)

Dave

would like to see these in place of the icon too

Here we go .



Dave

Much better to handle ... But .... Somethings missing still ... A globe in the middle perhaps to give them a little more body ?

That's It !!

Much better

Perfect for me
Thanks Bod .... They look good as well

Maybe I use these modifications in the next build

Looking good Bod,a bit more refined than mine .

Dave

tried the modified lights and must say I can now place them confidently and accurately, thanks Bod

I have already adopted them, and I think it's a good idea to integrate them by default in GG official build !

Nice one!, thanks Bod for share.

3com

I've also added them to the V1.14 build - what a great idea

maybe Lee can add something like this?
here are 3ds max Spots lights

I like what is going on in this thread guys! Please keep it up.



-Wolf