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Artificial Lightning

Archive: 14 posts

So, remember the awesome lightning in the level Death by shockolate? At first I thought that the electric balls were actually objects and tools for utilizing electricity in levels, but after acing and collecting all the object on the surrounding levels I realized that they were just pin balls, and after browsing around on here I found out the best ways to make lightning effects.
Just to let you know, the video doesn't do it justice. My camera couldn't focus on the lightning well enough.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CgEnB383BM
So, I finally rigged it up using holograms and sequencing logic, and I added a whole lot of sweet sound effects to make it sound pretty realistic. I'll be using it for an upcoming tank level for a main gun.

This is a demo level that shows the lightning in action, and then teleports you to a scoreboard with a little scenery.

http://lbp.me/v/1whk6b		2011-04-24 02:16:00

Author:
Ricky-III
Posts: 732

That sounds very interesting.
What exactly do the light effects look like?		2011-04-24 02:24:00

Author:
Maxi
Posts: 1176

I wanna see!2011-04-24 03:12:00

Author:
Sonik42
Posts: 76

Light effects look propably similiar Morgana's Dragons of Myth levels. Before LBP2 these kinds of effects were made with bunches of Spotlights, which were connected to brightness changing ''Piston Switches''. Nothing new, but they're still pretty awesome.2011-04-24 09:20:00

Author:
FreeAim
Posts: 2462

I'm still to play those levels, the stupid PSN is still not working.

It's actually pretty simple, and quite a few around here know how to do it. Once I get the LBP.me link up I'll also put in a brief tutorial with pictures.
I use one sequencer that has all the sound effects, and then I place an emitter in it that emits 3 light blue holograms that look like lightning, elecftrified place in the same spot as 1 object. Thee is also a sequencer that emits with them, and turns batteries on/off connected to the holograms, so you a moving realistic lightning bolt just like in the Story levels.		2011-04-24 15:49:00

Author:
Ricky-III
Posts: 732

its actually incredibly easy. Here you go:

http://i55.tinypic.com/5yzqeb.jpg
FIrst make your lightning bolts. However many you want- The more, the better. They should be the same length, obviously.
Make the bolts white when on, and then a darker color of your choice when off, off being zero percent, on 100 percent, and make usre they are set to dimmer.

http://i52.tinypic.com/k1xxkn.jpg
This is the logic. A randomizer with one timer for each lightning bolt. The randomizer is hooked to the RESET ports.
Each timer has a target time of .2 seconds, with inverted output. THe randomizer is set:
Maximum and minimum off time both .1 seconds. Maximum and minimum off time 0 seconds.

http://i55.tinypic.com/2rxwcbq.jpg
Wire the time outputs to the respective bolts, and put them all together. Looks even cooler in play mode.

To do sequenced, like moving between two conductors, instead of hooking the randomizer straight to the input on the timers, put it to the cycle input on a selector, then hook the selector ports to the timer resets.		2011-04-25 03:37:00

Author:
the Ion Pulsar
Posts: 172

Dude it's my thread, I was about to do that. Anyway, you chose the hard syncronized way of doing it, you should use a sequencer instead of timers. Also, a randomizer isn't really necessary, it goes too fast for anyone to really make out a repeating pattern2011-04-25 04:42:00

Author:
Ricky-III
Posts: 732

I've got something very similar on my moon... it may see the light of day, maybe not - haven't decided. But yes, the lighting effect is pretty easy to pull off and looks great when you put it on stuff.... I'm eager to see how yours turns out. 2011-04-25 04:45:00

Author:
Morgana25
Posts: 5983

Thanks, it's pretty similar to the way ion pulsar said to do it, but I rigged up sounds and mine is a near identical to the story level ones. If you are interested I'll have LBP.me integrated in the thread once the servers are back up.

Is the way you are talking of in your dragons of myth series? I've had them queued, but I havent had a chance to play them bc PSN downtime.		2011-04-25 05:01:00

Author:
Ricky-III
Posts: 732

God I love this site. But one thing I dislike is that PSN is still not working. I can't check out that lighting before it does! Man, why did this s**t have to land directly on my holiday season...2011-04-25 07:34:00

Author:
FreeAim
Posts: 2462

Dude it's my thread, I was about to do that. Anyway, you chose the hard syncronized way of doing it, you should use a sequencer instead of timers. Also, a randomizer isn't really necessary, it goes too fast for anyone to really make out a repeating pattern

The timers are there to facilitate the dimmers on the holograms. Unless you are using emitters set to fade, you would need them, sequencer or not. And the point of the randomizer is to avoid a steadily repeating pattern. ELectric arcs don't move in predictable patterns. If you look at Death by Shockolate they do indeed operate by randomizer.		2011-04-25 08:27:00

Author:
the Ion Pulsar
Posts: 172

I can't wait to queue and play this.2011-04-25 14:41:00

Author:
shane_danger
Posts: 283

Thanks guys, I'll be sure to get it up as soon as soon as the PSN gets up. And Freeaim, dont worry it's not a limited time thing, I'll be sure to keep it up, until I get my tank that uses the lightning for a main gun working, and then I'll replace the lightning level with that.
UPDATE: Hey, I added a video of the level. Just to let you know, my camera was having focusing issues and was having a hard time with lightning bolt. In the vid it looks kind of blurry, so just to let you know if actually looks really great in the level		2011-05-12 01:23:00

Author:
Ricky-III
Posts: 732

Man, its exaxtily wathi want to a game wath i doing. Tank ypu very much =D2011-05-13 00:03:00

Author:
Unknown User


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