light

GoldSrc

Source Engine

Source 2

Counter-Strike 2

Edit Tabs

light is a semi-internal point entity available in all  GoldSrc games. It's an invisible static point light source, which can optionally be toggled or flicker.

AltNames:In light and light_spot are both tied to the same C++ class in game, and only differ in QRAD/HLRAD.

Note: In HLRAD only light will act as a point light.
In the older QRAD, however, any entity other than light_spot and light_environment that starts with the prefix light will act as a point light. This is legacy behavior from  Quake, which had multiple in-game entities with this prefix that displayed models or sprites.

Confirm:Did this change happen in ZHLT, or later down the line in VHLT?

Key Values

Target (target) <targetname>

The targetname of an entity this entity will trigger when activated.

Note: If a light targets a entity, it becomes a spotlight, like light_spot.

Name (targetname) <string>

The targetname that other entities refer to this entity by, usually via the target, killtarget, and TriggerTarget KVs.

Important: Naming a static light radically changes its behavior. See Naming Lights for details.

Light:

Color + Brightness (_light) <color255 + int>

The RGB color and brightness of the light. Colors must be between 0 and 255; brightness can be anything.

Note: Negative brightness will suck out the amount of lighting that the equivalent positive brightness would cast.

Appearance (lightstyle) (style) <choices>

Various lightstyle presets. Cannot be used on named lights.

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
63	Testing (Off) !FGD	a

Custom Appearance (pattern) <string>

A string of english letters, like a sequence of piano keys, that define a pattern of brightness. a is 0%, m is 100%, and z is 200%. Updates at 10 Hz. Requires light to have a targetname.

ZHLT light source:

ZHLT Fade <float>

ZHLT Falloff <integer>

• 0 : Default
• 1 : Inverse Linear
• 2 : Inverse Square

Texlight (VHLT+) (_tex) <texture>

HLCSG will rename this entity to light_surface, using the specified texture as the emissive texture. See light_surface page for additional relevant KVs.

Flags

Initially dark : [1]