newLight_Dir
newLight_Dir is a point entity available in 
Black Mesa. It is one of the many new lighting entities available. Black Mesa incorporates new post processor that allowed to implement Godrays and lensflares with some other effets. This entity draw in skybox post processing effect called GodRays, also include disk to imitate sun.
Warning:New lights use expensive gbuffer, that means that with this entity your scene rendering at least 5 times, which makes your level very expensive, considering that XenEngine uses 32-bit architecture and DirectX 9.5 rendering. In large quantities, new lights can greatly heat up your computer and also cause large FPS drops (depending on difficulty of your map and how your area open). Use wisely.
Note:You maybe seen env_godrays_controller in Hammer or fgd. This is deprecated Crepuscular Rays from the Crossfire Update (22 december 2015 year). With newLight_Dir implementation, this entity is removed with crepuscular rays. Represented by class CNewLightDir.
Keyvalues
- Name (targetname) <string>
- The name that other entities refer to this entity by, via Inputs/Outputs or other keyvalues (e.g.
parentnameortarget).
Also displayed in Hammer's 2D views and Entity Report.See also: Generic Keyvalues, Inputs and Outputs available to all entities
- Parent (parentname) <targetname>
- The name of this entity's parent in the movement hierarchy. Entities with parents move with their parent.
- Pitch Yaw Roll (Y Z X) (angles) <angle>
- This entity's orientation in the world. Pitch is rotation around the Y axis, yaw is the rotation around the Z axis, roll is the rotation around the X axis.
- LightEnvEnabled (LightEnvEnabled) <choices>
- Grab direction and color values from light_env ?
Determines is the entity use Light_environment direction or its own (just like env_sun).
- 0: Enabled : Fetch Angles from Light_Env
- 1: Disabled : Use Manual Angles
- PushbackDist (PushbackDist) <float>
- PushbackDist.
Determines distance from GodRays to player in skybox.
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- EnableGodRays (EnableGodRays) <choices>
- Enable GodRays.
Determines whether godrays are enabled or not.
- 0: Disabled
- 1: Enabled
- Density (Density) <float>
- Density Controls the length of rays/volumetric shadows. 1.0 should work in 99% cases. Good values to start from: 0.5 to 1.5.
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- Weight (Weight) <float>
- Weight Controls the intensity of volumetric shadow. Blocking of rays by geometry. Good values to start from: 0.1 - 10.0.
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- Decay (Decay) <float>
- Decay NOT being used.
- Exposure (Exposure) <float>
- Exposure Controls the intensity of Rays during blending pass with main scene. 2.0 is a good start. Good values are 1.0 - 10.0.
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- DistFactor (DistFactor) <float>
- DistFactor Controls the falloff of rays / length. 1.0f is a good starting value increase or decrease in the increments of 0.1. 0.0 will make the rays dissappear only disk will be rendererd.
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- DiskRadius (DiskRadius) <float>
- Radius of Disk/circle of sun in texturespace. 1.0 will be full screen 0.5 is half screen etc.
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Note:With 0 - will not render.- ColorInner (ColorInner) <color255>
- This is the color of the inner circle.
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Note:Unlike lighting - brightness of inner depends on fourth number which can be written here. Max value is 255, higher doesn't draw.- ColorRays (ColorRays) <color255>
- This is the color of the rays.
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Note:Unlike lighting - brightness of rays depends on fourth number which can be written here. Max value is 255, higher doesn't draw.- DiskInnerSizePercent (DiskInnerSizePercent) <float>
- Used only in Fancy Gaphics Mode. Disk inner circle radius = DiskRadius * DiskInnerSizePercent.
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Note:With 0 - will not render.- ColorOuter (ColorOuter) <color255>
- Used only in Fancy Mode. This is the color of the outer circle.
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Note:Unlike lighting - brightness of outer depends on fourth number which can be written here. Max value is 255, higher doesn't draw.- UseToneMapDisk (m_bUseToneMapDisk) <choices>
- 0: Enabled
- 1: Disabled
Inputs
- TurnOnGodRays
- Turn the Godrays on.
- TurnOffGodRays
- Turn the Godrays off.
Bugs/Limitations
Engine limit
Level can't have more than one newLight_Dir, otherwise game will crash with this error message. However - you still can spawn new with point_template and kill old if you need to change Godrays position, change color, etc.
If you'll try to use more than one simultaneously.
Incorrect work with $translucent
Godrays (also disk) all time fully rendering through textures with material shader parameter $translucent, because of this you will see unexpected results like in the picture. Disable Godrays when you need or use $alphatest if it'll give resualts similar to $translucent. You also can try use some other tricks to escape this problem.
Bug example in bm_c1a3c.
Sign from other side.
Godrays incorrect work with point_viewcontrol
Godrays change position in sky when player move, this affects to what show point_viewcontrol when it's enabled. If you want to see in your background level Godrays - place player on needed position. If your point_viewcontrol moves - attach player to it.
Showcase of problem in background level of Black Mesa: Black Ops - Restored.
Godrays render through 3D Skybox objects
Unlike env_sun Godrays (also disk) render through any object pasted in 3D Skybox environment. Keep in mind this before you will create 3D Skybox.
Clear example (the missiles is 3D Skybox objects).
In bs_c3m2b level from Black Mesa: Blue Shift.
Godrays incorrect work with cloak
Cloak is a material shader parameter for VertexLitGeneric shader, female assassins use it to make them transparent when they need it. Godrays all time fully render through them.
bm_c2a3c, the sun's rays are not cut off despite the fact that she is completely untransparent right now.
Godrays draw through water
Deferred lighting don't fully draw through water, unlike Godrays.
Black Mesa: Blue Shift - bs_c3m0c.
Godrays can't be displayed in monitors and reflections
Godrays is post process effect that depends on player screen. That means that they can't water reflections or monitors can't show it.
An example.
An example.
Godrays incorrect work with $alphatestreference and $allowalphatocoverage
$alphatestreference is a material shader parameter that specifies the threshold alpha channel value at which the surface should be transparent instead of opaque, default "0.5". $allowalphatocoverage creates translucent steps based on alpha values. For examples used this texture with this alpha channel.
Diffuse texture.
Alpha channel.
Godrays process invisable parts, you can't escape this problem, only minimize effect with $alphatestreference 0.1 or if paint alpha correct channel.
An example.
Godrays does not process surface models
If player underwater - godrays will not process surface models, only inwater models. Doesn't work with func_water_analog and func_water.
Player not underwater.
Player underwater.
See also
- New Lights Editor
- godrays_settings
- newLight_Point
- newLight_Spot
- NewLights_settings
- env_cascade_light
- light_environment
- New Specular
- newxog_volume
- Advanced Lighting
- Effect flags (dynamic light effects)
- BlackMesa XenEngine: Part 4 – Lighting & Shadows (page from Black Mesa developer about new lights)
- BlackMesa XenEngine: Part2 – How a Frame is Rendered (page from Black Mesa developer about how a frame rendered, include Godrays.)
- BlackMesa XenEngine: Part1 – Heavily Modified Source Engine (page from Black Mesa developer about Black Mesa engine, better known as Xengine)