NewLights settings

Class hierarchy
CNewLightsSettings ↳CBaseEntity

NewLights_settings is a point entity available in Black Mesa. This entity dynamically changes some lighting settings for newLight_Spot and newLight_Point if triggered by the input.

Tip:You can change values dynamically via AddOutput input.

Keyvalues

TargetNewLightEntity_Name (TargetNewLightEntity) <string>

Here you enter name of new light source for which you want to apply changes. Works with multiple lights if they have the same name.

TransitionTime (TransitionTime) <integer>

Transition time in seconds (0 for instant) to transition into new settings. Its a lerp operation A + (B-A) * TimeFactor.

LightType (LightType) <choices>

Type of light source for which you want to apply settings. Entity will not apply settings for spot lights if selected Point Light and will not apply settings for point lights if selected Spot Light.

• 0: Point Light
• 1: Spot Light

Light Color (LightColor) <color255>

The RGB color of the light. Colors must be between 0 and 255.

Light Intensity (Intensity) <float>

Intensity/brightness of the light. It's RGB * intensity.

Note:With 0 it will make the light disabled, including the effects. Doesn't affect shadows.

Range (Range) <float>

Range of the light, or how far the light source can illuminate. Measured in Hammer Units.

Warning:This is one of the parameters that affects performance in the game. Smaller values ​​allow you to process less geometry and save performance.

Important:Range is limited, the limit depends on intensity value. Do not use values ​​bigger than the intensity value allows.

Examples

Range - 50 Range - 1000 Range - 15000

Enabled (Enabled) <choices>

Sets light state on spawn, enabled or disabled.

• 0: Enabled
• 1: Disabled

Appearance (style) <integer choices>

Appearance presets.

Lightstyle presets (epilepsy warning)

Literal Value	Description	Sequence	Preview
0	Normal	m
10	Fluorescent flicker	mmamammmmammamamaaamammma
2	Slow, strong pulse	abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcba
11	Slow pulse, noblack	abcdefghijklmnopqrrqponmlkjihgfedcba
5	Gentle pulse	jklmnopqrstuvwxyzyxwvutsrqponmlkj
1	Flicker A	mmnmmommommnonmmonqnmmo
6	Flicker B	nmonqnmomnmomomno
3	Candle A	mmmmmaaaaammmmmaaaaaabcdefgabcdefg
7	Candle B	mmmaaaabcdefgmmmmaaaammmaamm
8	Candle C	mmmaaammmaaammmabcdefaaaammmmabcdefmmmaaaa
4	Fast strobe	mamamamamama
9	Slow strobe	aaaaaaaazzzzzzzz
12	Underwater light mutation	mmnnmmnnnmmnn

Tip:Use new lights instead for lights with custom appearance, because static lightmapped lights reduces performance with this feature (especially near displacements).

Note:Custom light styles are not possible.

Light Ambient Color (LightColorAmbient) <color255>

The RGB color of the shadows. Colors must be between 0 and 255.

Examples

0 0 0 0 0 255 255 168 168

SpecularMultiplier (SpecMultiplier) <float>

Specular multiplier. Sets intensity of new specular shader from this light source. It's RGB * Intensity * SpecularMultiplier. 0 means disabled.

Examples

0.5 1 2

falloffConstant (falloffConstant) <integer> !FGD 

Deprecated.
Constant value (can work only if old falloff is enabled).

falloffLinear (falloffLinear) <integer> !FGD 

Deprecated.
Linear value (can work only if old falloff is enabled).

falloffQuadratic (falloffQuadratic) <integer> !FGD 

Deprecated.
Quadratic value (can work only if old falloff is enabled).

OuterAngle (phi) <float>

Outer angle for spot light.

Warning:This affect shadow quality, less is better.

Important:Don't use values 180 and higher, this will make shadows and lighting broken.

InnerAngle (theta) <float>

Inner angle value for spot light.

Warning:Using values higher than in OuterAngle will not make ShadowFOV value higher. This will result in broken shadows.

AngularFallOff (angularFallOff) <float>

Angular falloff value.

Examples

Note:Results depend on values of OuterAngle and InnerAngle. AngularFallOff - 1 (OuterAngle - 60, InnerAngle - 30) AngularFallOff - 30 (OuterAngle - 60, InnerAngle - 30) AngularFallOff - 60 (OuterAngle - 60, InnerAngle - 30)

Inputs

InputApplySettings <void>

Triggers the entity to apply the settings.

Bugs/Limitations

Range increasing doesn't increase BBOX

This results in the lighting disappearing before the player's field of view moved away completely from the lighting. This affects all light types, including Dynamic type.

Workaround:You can use InputFixRotBugDueToTram input to reset BBOX values.

• 

  Before applying settings. Range - 56.
  

• 

  After applying settings. Range - 500.
  

OuterAngle increasing/decreasing doesn't change ShadowFOV

Static shadowmaps will be broken after increasing outer angle value for newLight_Spot (fixes after save reload). For Static light type, you will not have notable issues with decreasing, but shadows will not look better. Stationary light type will be broken after decreasing as well.

• 

  Before applying settings. OuterAngle - 30.
  

• 

  After applying settings. OuterAngle - 60.
  

AngularFallOff may broke shadows for Stationary light type

Sometimes, for some reason, changing AngularFallOff value for Stationary light type will make your shadows look broken.

• 

  Before applying settings. AngularFallOff - 0.
  

• 

  After applying settings. AngularFallOff - 5.
  

Range increasing/decreasing will make static shadowmaps broken

Range increasing/decreasing doesn't update static shadowmaps, this leaves old static shadowmaps that cannot be properly overlaid with the changed range value.

This is how it looks with increasing.

• 

  Before applying settings. Range - 50.
  

• 

  After applying settings. Range - 500.
  

• 

  This is how it supposed to look like.
  

This is how it looks with decreasing.

• 

  Before applying settings. Range - 500.
  

• 

  After applying settings. Range - 50.
  

• 

  This is how it supposed to look like.
  

See also

• newLight_Dir - directional sun light with godrays only.
• NewLights_Spawner - spawner of deferred point lights.
• env_lensflare - cinematic dynamic lens flare.
• newLight_Spot - spot deferred light entity.
• newLight_Point - point deferred light entity.
• godrays_settings - entity that changes godrays settings.
• env_cascade_light - deferred cascade sun light entity.
• New Lights Editor - in game deferred lights editor.
• Effect flags - effects flags, some of them are dynamic light effects.
• BlackMesa XenEngine: Part 4 – Lighting & Shadows - page from Chetan (lead programmer for Black Mesa) about new lights.
• BlackMesa XenEngine: Part2 – How a Frame is Rendered - page from Chetan (lead programmer for Black Mesa) about how a frame is rendered.
• BlackMesa XenEngine: Part1 – Heavily Modified Source Engine page from Chetan (lead programmer for Black Mesa) about Xengine.