[Request] Pointlights

[laser50]

I made this because there are a lot of expierenced Map makers here that could help out.

I was hoping that some people could explain me how Pointlights work, how to make good effects using them and more of that stuff.
I've tried them but i dont seem to be friends with them at all.
(Please DO NOT lead me to the wiki, i've read those.)

Could someone Please explain me nicely how to use them? (Pictures could make a big help.)

[Tottel]

The best help you can get is opening the official maps in the level editor.

[laser50]

How are they going to explain me how they work/How to use them correctly?

[Mina Darsh]

I assume you don't know what PointLights are, right? PointLight as basically a spherical light source in the game engine, they give light in all directions for a set distance, which can be edited at their properties. They cannot like SpotLight shine in one direction and/or make objects cast shadows, and they are not used to set a basic ambient light in box-shape like BoxLights.

PointLights are used to make a local light source to imitate light that is reflected by a strong light source, like a candle or a SpotLight used at a window. (With the latter, the SpotLight is used to shine into the room through the window, or make it seem like light comes in, and the PointLight to make some remaining light 'spread' into the room.)

Hope this info helps a bit.

[laser50]

That definatly helped!

Another small thing about Boxlights, Any tips on how i can get those to give a nice ambient light?
Btw, Bedankt voor de Info

[Mina Darsh]

No problem/Geen probleem.

The BoxLight is pretty much used as a 'minimum amount of light' light source, pretty much the amount of light left when most lights are out, though if you do not plan to make any more lights turn off in the scene you're making, it may be a tad brighter.

But, for example:

You have room in which only some light is shining through a window, and maybe only one or two candles are lit. The BoxLight in this kind of room should be subtle and prevent the scene from being so dark that it all seems pretty much black. (Though it should still be dark enough in the corners where the light does not reach that the player still has trouble seeing.)

Better said, the BoxLight is best to only be set a bit or much brighter if there is brighter upto clear day light coming from non-covered (i.e. Curtains.) windows. So pretty much always should they be set really dark. As for the color, this depends on the scene itself, best to let the color of the scene in general decide the color of the BoxLight, perhaps even some of the PointLight that do not represent reflected light from other colored sources. (Like candles.)

So, green icky sewer? BoxLight leans towards green. This is of course decided after the majority of lights is added, as walls may be gray originally, but if the blue light that shines because of the night sky through the windows, the scene may look blue, so the BoxLight is best also set to lean towards blue.

Again, hope it helps, tend to keep ranting on, but I can't explain it with fewer words.