Window lighting: Difference between revisions
(Created page with 'This is an ongoing list of tips and tricks I have picked up from Valve's maps and elsewhere. Feel free to add to this with anything else you feel is useful. ==Window Lighting== …') |
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{{LanguageBar|Window lighting}} | |||
By default, light will only shine in through a window if the {{ent|light_environment}} angle is set so that sunlight shines directly through it; however, real-world windows will often stream in ''refracted'' (indirect) sunlight, independent of the suns angle. | |||
[[Valve]] commonly uses the following technique to simulate this: | |||
[[ | |||
[[File:windowtip1.png|right|thumb|A simple window with a frame.]] | |||
1. Create the opening that you want light to refract through (such as a window). | |||
{{clr}} | {{clr}} | ||
[[File:windowtip2.png|right|thumb|The brush-filled window.]] | |||
2. Cover the opening with a brush using the <code>toolsnodraw</code> texture. | |||
[[ | |||
{{clr}} | {{clr}} | ||
Texture the inward-facing side of this brush with | [[File:windowtip3.png|right|thumb|The brush will now emit light.]] | ||
3. Texture the inward-facing side of this brush with <code>lights/white001</code> or <code>lights/white001_nochop</code>. This particular texture emits light in-game. You can adjust the strength of this light with the "Texture scale" settings. Values between 0.5-1 tend to work well. The closer to zero, the brighter the light. If using the version without nochop, adjusting the "lightmap scale" will adjust the quality of the light. | |||
{{important|Setting the brightness too high will cause an undesired effect where [[CBaseAnimating|dynamically lit models]] such as player viewmodels glow when right next to the windowsill.}} | |||
{{clr}} | {{clr}} | ||
[[File:windowtip4.png|right|thumb|The properties box.]] | |||
4. Tie the brush to a {{ent|func_illusionary}} or {{ent|func_brush}} entity. In its properties, set ''Render Mode'' to ''Don't Render'' to will prevent the non-transparent brush from blocking the view as a white sheet. (It will still emit its light.) If using {{mono|func_brush}}, also set ''Solidity'' to ''Never Solid'' (unless you want the brush to simulate unbreakable glass). | |||
{{note|Alternatively, use {{ent|func_null}}, to prevent wasting [[edict]]s.}} | |||
{{clr}} | {{clr}} | ||
[[Category:Level Design]] [[Category:Tutorials]] | |||
[[Category:Lighting]] | |||
Latest revision as of 17:43, 18 July 2025
By default, light will only shine in through a window if the light_environment angle is set so that sunlight shines directly through it; however, real-world windows will often stream in refracted (indirect) sunlight, independent of the suns angle.
Valve commonly uses the following technique to simulate this:
1. Create the opening that you want light to refract through (such as a window).
2. Cover the opening with a brush using the toolsnodraw texture.
3. Texture the inward-facing side of this brush with lights/white001 or lights/white001_nochop. This particular texture emits light in-game. You can adjust the strength of this light with the "Texture scale" settings. Values between 0.5-1 tend to work well. The closer to zero, the brighter the light. If using the version without nochop, adjusting the "lightmap scale" will adjust the quality of the light.
Important:Setting the brightness too high will cause an undesired effect where dynamically lit models such as player viewmodels glow when right next to the windowsill.
4. Tie the brush to a func_illusionary or func_brush entity. In its properties, set Render Mode to Don't Render to will prevent the non-transparent brush from blocking the view as a white sheet. (It will still emit its light.) If using func_brush, also set Solidity to Never Solid (unless you want the brush to simulate unbreakable glass).
