newLight_Spot

newLight_Spot is a point entity available in Black Mesa. It is one of the many new lighting entities available. Black Mesa incorporates a new lighting system which utilizes Deferred lighting to create dynamic lighting system with dynamic shadows, which allows to complement and quite enliven some scenes, it is also nice effect for moving objects, such as trains. It is also include animated lightcookies.

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 can have only 256 spot light entities placed in the map editor.

← Black Mesa Level Creation

NewLight_Spot in Black Mesa: Hazard Сourse After Disaster - Restored.

Represented by class CNewLightSpot.

Keyvalues

Name (targetname) <string>: The name that other entities refer to this entity by, via Inputs/Outputs or other keyvalues (e.g. parentname or target).
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.
ReverseDir (ReverseDir) <choices>: Reverse the direction of spotlight

Reflects Y angle value and applies it.

Important:This additionally impacts performance, use it in extremely rare cases (like moving with NPC flashlight). For example if you want your NewLight_Spot to look up and not down, change value of Y angle from positive number to negative number.

0: No
1: Yes

Examples
ReverseDir - No (Pitch Yaw Roll (Y Z X) - 90 0 0) ReverseDir - Yes (Pitch Yaw Roll (Y Z X) - 90 0 0)

Enabled (Enabled) <choices>: Enable/Disable this Entity.

Determines if the light is off at level start.

0: Enabled
1: Disabled

Appearance (FlareStyle) <choices>: Appearance presets.

Lightstyle presets
(epilepsy warning)
Literal Value	Description	Sequence
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 !FGD	Underwater light mutation	`mmnnmmnnnmmnn`

Tip:Static lightmapped lights reduces performance with custom appearance (especially near displacements). If this cause problems, you can use replace your static lights with new lights, if used correctly - in most cases this will significantly preserve performance.

Light Color (LightColor) <color255>: This is the color of the sunlight.

Determines color of light.

Light Ambient Color (LightColorAmbient) <color255>: This is the ambient color of the sunlight.

Determines color of shadows that light source creates.

Examples
0 0 0 255 0 0 255 128 128

Light Intensity (Intensity) <float>: RGB * Intensity.

Brightness of the light.

Note:With 0 will not draw, process and specular shader be disabled.

SpecularMultiplier (SpecMultiplier) <float>: 0 to 1 RGB * Intensity * SpecularMultiplier.

Brightness the specular shader from this light source.

Examples
SpecularMultiplier - 1 SpecularMultiplier - 10 SpecularMultiplier - 20

Range (Range) <float>: Range.

How far the light source illuminates. Measured in Hammer Units.

Important:It greatly affects optimization, less is better.

Examples
Range - 150 Range - 300 Range - 500

OuterAngle (phi) <float>: Double the value of lightcone for correct value, if you want 45 degrees in-game, put 90 here. hammer 45 deg = 90 in-game

Outer angle value for spot light.

InnerAngle (theta) <float>: Double the value of lightcone for correct value, if you want 45 degrees in-game, put 90 here. hammer 45 deg = 90 in-game

Inner angle value for spot light.

AngularFallOff (angularFallOff) <float>: AngularFallOff

Angular falloff.

Note:Results depend on values of OuterAngle and InnerAngle.

Examples
AngularFallOff - 1 (OuterAngle - 60, InnerAngle - 30) AngularFallOff - 30 (OuterAngle - 60, InnerAngle - 30) AngularFallOff - 60 (OuterAngle - 60, InnerAngle - 30)

Light Type (LightType) <choices>: Determines the light type.

0: Static - shadows are cast only by static objects (prop_static, geometry, etc.). Lighting does not update if it has parent (use if part scene has no large moving parts, or shadow accuracy is not important).
1: Stationary - shadows are cast by static and dynamic objects, lighting does not update if it has a parent.
Important:Shadows for dynamic props update, but baked for geometry. That means that shadows from func_physbox and other dynamic geometry will never update, and shadows from other geometry on them too.
2: Dynamic - lighting is not baked at all. Shadows are cast by static and dynamic objects, lighting updates if it does have a parent. This light is quite expensive, and should only be used for moving light sources, or if your scene have moving geometry.

Examples
Light Type - Static Light Type - Stationary Light Type - Dynamic

HasShadow (HasShadow) <choices>: Do you want this light to have shadows?

Determines whether the light source will cast shadows. Remember that default choices is No.

0: No
1: Yes

Examples
Has Shadow - NO Has Shadow - YES

Important:With closed areaportals, shadows baking for Static and Stationary new light types. With Dynamic new light type all shadows disappear.

An example.

ShadowMapLOD (ShadowLod) <choices>: Resolution of ShadowMap used by this light.

Determines quality of shadows. 1024 is very expensive, use it only in places where it's really needed, in most cases 512 is good alternative. 256 produces the blurriest shadows, but it is also the cheapest.

0: 256
1: 512
2: 1024

Examples
256 512 1024

Important:In one level you can have only 8 light spot/points with shadows which use one and same shadow lod, even if you don't use all them simultaneously. If this limit is not respected - 9-th and next lights will not cast shadows. However - you can rise up this limit with point_template, just kill past lights with kill input and spawn new when you need it. Also use different shadow lods.

NearZ (NearZ) <float>: NearZ used by shadowmap camera for this light.

Determines distance at which light source will cast shadows.

DepthBias (DepthBias) <float>: DepthBias - Offset added to depth values in shadowmaps.

Examples
DepthBias - 0.0002 DepthBias - 0.002 DepthBias - 0.0000000002

SlopeDepthBias (SlopeDepthBias) <float>: Slope Depth Bias - For surfaces having aliasing due to steep angles with light.

Examples
SlopeDepthBias - 0.2 SlopeDepthBias - 8 SlopeDepthBias - 20

NormalBias (NormalBias) <float>: While rendering objects into shadow maps, each vertex will be moved along -ve Normal direction, giving it an appearance of shrinking while rendering to shadow maps. This property determines the amount of Units to be moved. Helps with shadow aliasing.

Examples
NormalBias - 1 NormalBias - 5 NormalBias - 10

Bug:Numbers lower than 0.8 can cause huge graphics problems. [todo tested in?]

The bug example
NormalBias - 0

ShadowFOV (ShadowFOV) <float>: Fov used by shadowmap camera for this light. Keep it 0 to use Outer angle as the fov.

Bug:If value lower than OuterAngle value - it'll cause broken shadow behavior. [todo tested in?]

The bug example
ShadowFOV value is 70 here, but OuterAngle value is 140.

ShadowRadius (ShadowRadius) <float>: Radius of shadow edges for soft shadows. If its value is negative, code will auto assign a value depending on shadowlod. These code based values can be adjusted via convars nr_shadow_rad_High,nr_shadow_rad_Med and nr_shadow_rad_Low.

Determines shadow blur. Low numbers are expensive to render.

Examples
ShadowRadius - 0.0001 ShadowRadius - 1 ShadowRadius - 5

Enable Texture Light (bTexLight) <choices>: Enable Texture Light

Determines whether the given light source uses .vtf texture from game files (just like env_projectedtexture). A great example is survey scanner that use models/props_equipment/survey_lasercookietex.vtf.

0: Disabled
1: Enabled

Examples
Disabled Enabled Texture that use survey scanner.

Note:One of the most expensive features, use wisely. If shadows enabled - it can work with lags even with powerful PC.

Texture name for TexLight (texName) <string>: Texture name for TexLight.

Determines which texture will use light source. It use .vtf files, not .vmt.

TexCookieFramesX (TexCookieFramesX) <integer>: Num of frames in 1 row of Atlas

Note:If value lower than 1 - you'll get message in the developer console:

TexCookieFramesX for LightSpot - class C_NewLightSpot CookieName - TEXTURENAME.vtf is 0. Are you sure this light is using texcookie? If yes then set this property to at least 1.

TexCookieFramesY (TexCookieFramesY) <integer>: Num of frames in 1 column of Atlas

Sets scales for texture, with 2 and higher it allow TexCookieFps to animate texture.

Note:If value lower than 1 - you'll get message in the developer console:

TexCookieFramesY for LightSpot - class C_NewLightSpot CookieName - TEXTURENAME.vtf is 0. Are you sure this light is using texcookie? If yes then set this property to at least 1.

Examples
TexCookieFramesY - 1 TexCookieFramesY - 2 TexCookieFramesY - 3

TexCookieFps (TexCookieFps) <float>: FPS for Texture anim

Determines frame rate for animation. For animation NewLight_Spot divides texture into several parts (their count is indicated in TexCookieFramesY) and changes them in a specific sequence.

Tex Cookie Scroll Mode (bTexCookieScrollMode) <choices>: Tex Cookie Scroll Mode

Enables texture scrolling function. ScrollSpeedU and ScrollSpeedV sets scrolling speed and direction.

0: Disabled
1: Enabled

ScrollSpeedU (fScrollSpeedU) <float>: ScrollSpeedU

Determines scrolling speed along Y axis.

Examples
ScrollSpeedU - 2 ScrollSpeedU - -1

ScrollSpeedV (fScrollSpeedV) <float>: ScrollSpeedV

Determines scrolling speed along X axis.

Examples
ScrollSpeedV - -1 ScrollSpeedV - 2

Enable Prop Only Mode (bNegLight) <choices>: Enable Prop Only Mode.

Todo: Document what it does.

0: Disabled
1: Enabled

ShadowPass_Brush (m_bSRO_Brush) <choices>: Do we want to Render Brushes in shadow passes for this light?

0: YES
1: NO

ShadowPass_StaticProp (m_bSRO_StaticProp) <choices>: Do we want to Render StaticProps in shadow passes for this light?

0: YES
1: NO

ShadowPass_DynProp (m_bSRO_DynProp) <choices>: Do we want to Render Dynamic Props in shadow passes for this light?

0: YES
1: NO

ShadowPass_AlphaTest (m_bSRO__Trans) <choices>: Do we want to Render AlphaTested Objects in shadow passes for this light?

0: YES
1: NO

~~bUseOldFallOff (bUseOldFallOff) <choices>~~ !FGD: Deprecated.
Enable old falloff similar to light/light_spot.

0: No
1: Yes

~~falloffConstant (falloffConstant) <integer>~~ !FGD: Deprecated.
Constant (work only if bUseOldFallOff enabled).
~~falloffLinear (falloffLinear) <integer>~~ !FGD: Deprecated.
Linear (work only if bUseOldFallOff enabled).
~~falloffQuadratic (falloffQuadratic) <integer>~~ !FGD: Deprecated.
Quadratic (work only if bUseOldFallOff enabled).

Inputs

SetColorLight <color255>: Change Light's Color value. Doesnt effect the godrays

SetIntensityForLight <float>: Change Light's intensity value. Doesnt effect the godrays

TurnOn <void>: Turn the light on.

TurnOff <void>: Turn the light off.

Toggle <void>: Toggle the light's current state.

InputFixRotBugDueToTram <void>: InputFixRotBugDueToTram

Lighting behavior with VIS and areaportals

Static type

Static type is the most stable, since its shadows are baked in and updates only with save loads or while lighting turning on. It shows all shadows even with closed areaportal.

Areaportal is open.
Areaportal is closed.

Stationary type

Shadows for static props and brushes are baked, but not for physics props and other dynamic models. This means that shadows from dynamic models will disappear if they are hidden by a closed areaportal or if VIS is hiding such objects. Shadows for static props and brushes will not disappear.

Areaportal is open.
Areaportal is closed.

In some cases, this can be noticeable if dynamic model creates a large shadow.

Areaportal hides the box, note that there is no shadow.

Areaportal shows the box, now there is a shadow of the box.

Areaportal hides the box.

Areaportal shows the box.

Dynamic type

Shadows for static props and world geometry are baked, but not for dynamic models and brushes. This means that shadows from dynamic models and brushes will disappear if they are hidden by a closed areaportal or if VIS is hiding such objects. Shadows for static props and world geometry will not disappear. Moving lighting will update shadows for static props and world geometry, even with closed areaportal.

Areaportal is open.
Areaportal is closed.

Bugs/Limitations

Deferred lighting incorrect work with $translucent

Deferred lighting all time rendering through walls with material shader parameter $translucent. This happen because of game can't tell the depth of scene because of the transparency, what you are see in the picture is just the lighting layer applied to the color of transparency texture.

No $translucent. Behind the wall placed lighting and some models with small room.

With $translucent. Now player see everything, but only what lighted.

Scene behide window. Looks like the gargantua has lost its texture and turned white.

Scene out window. This is what should see player.

This problem also applies to brushes which not have $translucent, but which parented to brushes that have this parameter. Similar will happen if brush with $translucent is part of your brush entity.

This sticker is brush parented to the glass. Flashlight off.

This sticker is brush parented to the glass. Flashlight on.

Same will happen if you use overlays/decals on brushes with $translucent.

Metal speaker is overlay that use $alphatest, but lighting of the health charger visible anyway, because overlay pasted on the transparency window.

This issues does not happen if replace LightmappedGeneric to ShatteredGlass or UnlitGeneric, so, you can use one of them for glass or transparency surfaces when it's needed.

In some cases use $alphatest if it'll give similar to $translucent resualts, with this your surface also will cast dynamic shadows.

```
$translucent.
```
```
$alphatest.
```

Deferred lighting 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. Both have one and same problems with deferred lighting. For examples used this texture with this alpha channel.

```
Diffuse texture.
```
```
Alpha channel.
```

Here deferred lighting placed behind wall with the texture, lighting is red and shadows is blue. We can see the circle part of that have alpha channel part which is invisible due to $alphatest, with enabled deferred lighting we see that the invisible part doesn't show through itself deferred lighting with shadows.

Dynamic light disabled behind wall with the texture, using standart VRAD light.

Dynamic light enabled behind wall with the texture, not using standart VRAD light.

From the opposite side the invisible part illuminates everything in itself equally, without taking into account decay of light, it's also don't show shadows and other dynamic lights in itself.

Dynamic light disabled, using standart VRAD light.

Dynamic light enabled, not using standart VRAD light.

If use very low numbers you will see resualts like in the pictures.

Dynamic light disabled, using standart VRAD light.

Dynamic light enabled, not using standart VRAD light.

Dynamic light disabled, using standart VRAD light.

Dynamic light enabled, not using standart VRAD light.

You can't escape this problem, only minimize effect with $alphatestreference 0.1 or if paint alpha correct channel.

Weird clipping

Often meeting strange clipping/flickering, strange bug that was in early stages of the game (this can be seen even in videos before new lights release in public), this does not depend on OS or drivers. Somehow related to Range value, since changing its value halfway fixes this bug, because it move away the bugged area.

One of many examples.
One of many examples.
One of many examples.

Brush polygons may clip deferred lighting

Rare phenomenon, sometimes brush polygons clip deferred lighting, the reason that cause this is unknown. Can be easy fixed if divide invalid brush into two parts.

```
One of examples (mat_wireframe 0).
```
```
One of examples (mat_wireframe 1).
```

```
One of examples (mat_wireframe 0).
```
```
One of examples (mat_wireframe 1).
```

Spot lights have sharpness bug if shadows enabled

It is most noticeable if spot light is at not a right angle. It greatly degrades quality of shadows. Issue can be partially fixed if make NormalBias value bigger. Also can be minimized with shadow quality, range, outer and inner angles.

```
An example.
```
```
bm_c1a2b.
```

Deferred lighting shine through nodraw texture

Not a bug, but a pattern. Unfortunately, this cannot be controlled in any way, you should keep in mind this before paint nodraw to escape situations like in the gifs. If your dynamic light source illuminates face that player never see - use cheap textures with low resolution and which don't use material shader parameters, a good solution would be tools/toolsblack or any UnlitGeneric texture.

```
Black Mesa - bm_c2a2a.
```
```
Black Mesa: Blue Shift - bs_c0m0c.
```

Shadows don't appear immediately after reload

After game save and load shadows don't appear for short time, maybe it has something to do with caching. This appearance duration may vary depending on power of user PC and how much of lights with enabled shadows are turned on at level, but in any case user will get this issue even with most powerful PC. Enable in worldspawn settings Level Fade In to hide this problem, this setting also will hide some other problems with loads that avaible in Black Mesa.

With no Level Fade In. It seems like the shadows flicker, which makes it unpleasant for eyes.

With Level Fade In. Everything looks fine.

Shadows don't appear immediately with a lot of lights with shadows

If your level use a lot of lights with shadows - shadows from enabling lights will not appear immediately, this happens if light source was disabled and if player's camera did not see this light source enabled initially.This happen because shadows use passes per frame for memory, if level use a lot of new lights - game change integer value of cvar nr_shadow_max_passes_per_frame to lower numbers. Can be fixed if change cvar value with point_servercommand to 25 or if enable light source at level start and keep it enabled before drawing of level allows player's camera to see this light source, disable this light source and than enable when we need this.

```
An example.
```
```
bm_c2a1a.
```

Dynamic lights with shadows may buggy

In some cases your attached lights may have buggy shadows if parent is moving, work smart when use this feature. If your moving light is decoration - highly recommended to leave shadows disabled to save limits and performance.

```
An example.
```
```
bm_c1a1c.
```

Moving newLight_Spot clipping if shadows enabled

Even with low speed, newLight_Spot clipping when rotating, but only if shadows enabled. With pause this bug get fix.

```
An example.
```
```
bm_c1a3a - emergency light sources.
```

bs_c3m0a - scene with the stucked scientist.

```
bs_c3m2a - Dr. Rosenberg scene.
```

Viewmodel illuminated by deferred render draw in refract shader

Refract shader and Water shader take and refract player screen space without taking into account viewmodel. However - viewmodel illuminated by deferred render draw in refract shader because of game can't tell the depth of viewmodel because of the transparency, what you are see in the pictures is just the lighting layer applied to the color of transparency texture.

Clear example in test map, the hivehand illuminated by deferred render draw in the refract texture, plus it's completely discolored there..
Black Mesa - bm_c4a1a.
Black Mesa: Blue Shift - bs_c2m0a.

Objects with refract shader self refract if illuminated by deferred render

Objects with refract shader in their own refraction disable self, to escape some problems. However - objects with refract shader illuminated by deferred render refract self because of game can't tell the depth of objects because of the transparency, what you are see in the pictures is just the lighting layer applied to the color of transparency texture.

as_c3map01 - flashlight disabled, everything looks fine.
as_c3map01 - flashlight enabled, now this magnifying lamp refract self.

Similar issue happen if model with refraction behind wall with refraction.

Flashlight disabled, everything looks fine.
Flashlight enabled, now this wall show one of magnifying lamp deferred lighting layers.

Viewmodel doesn't support self-shadowing with deferred ligths

Unlike cascade shadows - viewmodel doesn't support self-shadowing with deferred ligths. Not a bug, but this is not what you expect from real life, it also isn't so with env_projectedtexture.

Here you can see how one of gluon gun switches create shadow that fall on other part of gun.

Light spot illuminates gluon gun, but lighting just ignore viewmodel and fully shine through, although only the side of the gun should be light.

Godrays and deferred lighting 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, same for deferred lighting.

bm_c2a3c, the sun's rays are not cut off despite the fact that she is completely untransparent right now.

bm_c2a3c, she is completely untransparent, but we still can see one of lighting layers.

Strange "holes" when player's camera is at a great distance

In some cases may will appear strange "holes" when player's camera is at a great distance. Strange bug that occurs quite rarely. It is affected by game resolution, for example in bm_c4a1b1 this bug shows up well with a resolution wtih 1920x1080, but with 3840x2160 the light source from the teleporter flickers, but does not form a hole. Can be fixed if increase NormalBias number.

Confirm:Does it happen with newLight_Spot ?

Example in bm_c4a1b1, the green teleporter light source starts to glitch when player move certain distance (crossbow zoom doesn't effect to this bug, unlike HEV zoom).

Black Mesa, map bm_c4a1b1. NormalBias - 1.

Black Mesa, map bm_c4a1b1. NormalBias - 5.

Black Mesa: Black Ops - Restored, bmops_map_2. NormalBias - 0.5.

Black Mesa: Black Ops - Restored, bmops_map_2. NormalBias - 1.5.

Weapons dynamic light incorrect work with damaged func_breakable_surf

For some reason weapons dynamic light can illuminate damaged func_breakable_surf even if position of it very far from position of damaged func_breakable_surf.

Confirm:Is there a way to fix this?

An example.

New lights don't work with 3D Skybox

Don't use new lights in your 3D skyboxes, none of them will work at all.

An example. We see that deferred lighting and Godrays works fine, but 3D Skybox don't draw both.

Motion blur blurring viewmodel lighting layer

For some reason Motion blur blurring viewmodel lighting layer, you can notice this when you just rotate camera.

```
An example.
```

Deferred lighting incorrect work with Customize Character window

For some reason Customize Character take player's screen, inserts it into character preview window and show one of deferred lighting layers.

An example with zombie scientist model.

Deferred lighting does not draw with `-tools`

If you don't use Full Screen - deferred lighting will not draw.

In Full Screen.
Out Full Screen.

Deferred lighting that use shadows disappear after materials reload

This issue happen when you open Hammer while game is opened, when you disable speculars with mat_specular 0, when you reload all matelias with mat_reloadallmaterials, e. t. c. Can be fixed with save reload.

Before mat_reloadallmaterials.
After mat_reloadallmaterials.