Archive: 21 posts

---

Imagine you're making a dark level, with only a few lights which still leave a lot of areas in shadow. Do you build the level in this state, or you turn the darkness down whilst building and change it back when you're done? Apparantly a lot of my friends do it the latter way, but I prefer building in the dark. I like to see how my level will look at all times, and I think that getting the lighting right is the first thing you should do. The only time I don';t build like this is if an area starts off pitch black but will change through switches - obviously I need to see what I'm doing. But most of the time I just invert the switches so the lights come on how they will be when you're playing it, rather than changing the global lighting settings. The same is also the case if I use colour correction. I would rather build a whole level in black and white rather than keep changing it back to normal, but a lot of people seem to find that idea absurd. What does everyone else do?

2009-09-08 19:21:00 Author: Nuclearfish Posts: 927

---

I'll set up all the lighting first, but I'll disable everything and reset it for building. In EFTUTOD it got a bit darker when you were in the temple, and at one point it was set to pitch black, aside from a few lights.

2009-09-08 19:25:00 Author: ARD Posts: 4291

---

Lighting is always the first thing I think about, and the last thing I actually do.

2009-09-08 19:25:00 Author: MrsSpookyBuz Posts: 1492

---

Yeah it's pretty much I at the end that I am tweaking this. I prefer to create the level with the most neutral view as possible. .

2009-09-08 19:31:00 Author: RangerZero Posts: 3901

---

I build the first section, than play around with the lighting, reset it back to normal when I found a good lighting and than build everything else. I just check every now and than again whether it still fits to the level, but in general I just have a mental image of how it would look anyway so I don't do that often. I do change it to the way I want it when I place extra light sources to get it just right. Edit: Speaking of lighting. Did you know that the standard colour of spotlights is unique and is only available as long as you don't change the colour or brightness. Once you made a change you can never get it back.

2009-09-08 19:31:00 Author: Syroc Posts: 3193

---

Both at the same time - I'm constantly setting the lights bright for creating, and turning them down to set materials and get an idea what it will look like.

2009-09-08 19:31:00 Author: CCubbage Posts: 4430

---

It's the first thing I do. I'll put a global lighting tool in now so I can light it as I work but I want the overall lighting established from the get go. For spotlights and LCD's I add those as I go. Working completely in the dark is too difficult for me so I toggle between the "real" lighting and the artificially adjusted Global lighting tool to check how things look ever hour or so.

2009-09-08 19:33:00 Author: Morgana25 Posts: 5983

---

I like to do the lighting for each section first and build around it. It's safer that way when you're playing with colour schemes.

2009-09-08 19:35:00 Author: Killian Posts: 2575

---

What I do is place two global lighting tools right next to each other. One at max bright and the other at the final setting. By attaching them to DM, I can drag them with me throughout the level. Just drop into the zone of one and it'll change nice and quickly. Drop into the other and it'll change back. No more going through the popit... Building in the dark makes it harder to see the little details, but that's just me. [So, when should we expect your HP level? Soon, I hope ] Edit: Sorry, one more off topic question... is your avatar a LOST reference? Dharma Initiative, ftw?

2009-09-08 19:37:00 Author: comphermc Posts: 5338

---

I build the first room, get the lighting right and keep it set while building the rest of the level. I need to see how it will look before I get to the end.

2009-09-08 19:42:00 Author: pm317b Posts: 32

---

Interesting how everyone seems to do it a different way. Edit: Speaking of lighting. Did you know that the standard colour of spotlights is unique and is only available as long as you don't change the colour or brightness. Once you made a change you can never get it back. Yeah, those lights come in really useful, they have a natural daylight kind of look. They really should allow more colours. [So, when should we expect your HP level? Soon, I hope ] Edit: Sorry, one more off topic question... is your avatar a LOST reference? Dharma Initiative, ftw? It's coming soon. It's done, I could publish it now if I wanted, but there's still some little things I want to tweak and improve first. And yes, I call it the 'Dharma Fish'.

2009-09-08 19:45:00 Author: Nuclearfish Posts: 927

---

Lighting comes first for me. I like to see what it looks like when i build it, and often find if i mess with it later, it just doesn't have the same effect.

2009-09-08 19:59:00 Author: Burnvictim42 Posts: 3322

---

I always create with the final light setting (obviously, when i know which one i want use...which is the case most of the time ). I THINK it is the only way to have the good "view" of the atmosphere you are create.

2009-09-08 20:01:00 Author: Takelow Posts: 1355

---

Lighting is always the first thing I think about, and the last thing I actually do. Same here. Currently, all of my levels are in the complete dark (except the Emitter Engine Demo) and it would be nearly impossible to create like that. I much prefer to create where I can actually see.

2009-09-08 20:28:00 Author: BSprague Posts: 2325

---

Lol, i wrote on Geosautus' Jailbirds recommended page about how i thought it was silly he was creating in black-and-white and he found it difficult. I think its rediculous to create in a dark atmosphere where u cant see what ur doin! Obviously i check the colour i want and then reset back to normal for creating... I will then change the colour back for playing back that section of the level. simples.

2009-09-08 22:09:00 Author: ladylyn1 Posts: 836

---

There are about 30 GLTs in setbacks, so I used to just drop down on one of them (they trigger in pause y'know), then swap back by making a minor tweak to the actual global settings. Simple. Somethings make no sense to do in normal lighting, some things make no sense to do in the dark

2009-09-08 22:13:00 Author: rtm223 Posts: 6497

---

I change the lighting first to get the right mood for the level.

2009-09-08 22:18:00 Author: S-A-S--G-U-N-R Posts: 1606

---

What I do is place two global lighting tools right next to each other. One at max bright and the other at the final setting. By attaching them to DM, I can drag them with me throughout the level. Just drop into the zone of one and it'll change nice and quickly. Drop into the other and it'll change back. No more going through the popit. This is how I do things too. I don't think I've made a level yet that doesn't change the lighting to some degree. While it's good to see what the player will see, I prefer the lights on when I'm doing something fiddly (keep your mind out the gutter please).

2009-09-08 22:33:00 Author: Matt 82 Posts: 1096

---

I always build the starting area then change the global settings and light the area to hoe I want the style of the level, then leave it like that. I can't see how you could get a feel for the look of the level and how the lights will look if it's bright. Plus detailing anything may be pointless, when you switch back, how do you know you can see it? I set it at the start and leave it.

2009-09-08 22:37:00 Author: GruntosUK Posts: 1754

---

I do tests in between and I don't necessarily do it last - but I don't build in the dark.

2009-09-09 19:28:00 Author: BasketSnake Posts: 2391

---

It was something I would play with from start to finish. Maybe once before building just to get a feel for a dusty look or a certain color scheme in my head... maybe again after building a few objects or a single area, and play through a bunch of times on different settings to see how it feels. As I build, and change, extend and rearrange I would continuously play with different settings - sometimes the lighting would be dictated by the design, sometimes the lighting would give things a different look that directed what I would design from that point on, as well as how I would alter what was already in place. Even months after I publish a level I continue to play with lighting and schemes to find new feels to it, and sometimes find a whole new idea in the process. When the GLS came out I was working on False Idols III, and I must have altered the lighting in different spots a few hundred times with a quick play through to go with it

2009-09-09 20:36:00 Author: Unknown User

Posts: 1077139    Threads: 69970    Members: 9661    Archive-Date: 2019-01-19

Aus dem Archiv wurden alle persönlichen Daten wie Name, Anschrift, Email etc. - aber auch sämtliche Inhalte wie z.B. persönliche Nachrichten - entfernt.
Die Nutzung dieser Webseite erfolgt ohne Speicherung personenbezogener Daten. Es werden keinerlei Cookies, Logs, 3rd-Party-Plugins etc. verwendet.