Box or Point light

[Adny]

Lighting is no doubt one of the most difficult things to do properly in the level editor, and can make or break immersion in your mod.

Box lights are meant to cover very large areas with a very dark light (for example, 0.05/0.05/0.05/0.05). They can be easily used to light entire levels. Every map should have a box light (no exceptions).

Point lights can be used one of two ways: 1. a small colorful/bright point light used to compliment the a light source such as a torch or window, or 2. a large dark light used to brighten a medium sized area.

Finally, spotlights. Spot lights are unique because they can cast shadows, and use gobos. Gobos simulate the effect of light passing through or reflecting off of various materials (i.e. windows, water). I've always found spot lights more tedious because they have a few extra settings. These can be the most effective if used properly.

The best tips I can give you are:

-make sure the alpha (A) value for point and spot lights is 0. This will help improve in game performance with little/no visual loss.


-Color values: A nice blue I tend to use (depending on the building set) is 0.3/0.4/0.7/0
For red: 0.5/0.3/0.07/0

Hope that helped!