Light Texture Help

o_thx1138 · 02-17-2005, 03:17 AM

Hey.

So Im working on a map, and I got a few custom textures for it. So far, Ive had no problems with the custom textures. But now Im working on a light texture, and its being a pain in the butt.

I understand how light textures work, Ive read all the tutorials I could find on them. But for some reason, I cannot get mine to work. What I am trying to do is to make a texture, one similar to that of "lights/fluorescentcool003a." That texture I believe is self illuminating, and is exactly what I am trying to recreate with my custom texture.

I can get the texture to show up ingame, but it does emit light like the fluorecentcool one. I have made a .rad for my map, which works fine. I set the .vmt for my custom texture to this:

Code:

"LightmappedGeneric"
{
    // Original shader: BaseTimesLightmapSelfIllum
    "$basetexture" "cubewall_white"
    "$selfillum" 1
    "$surfaceprop" "glass"
}

The think the problem lies somewhere in the original tga, and how I am saving it. It does have an alpha channel, and have been saving at both 24 and 32 bits, w/and w/o compression. Im not sure which I need in order for it to work. But maybe its the alpha channel itself that might be wrong. Im not sure.

Any ways, I was wondering if anyone here has made a custom light texture, one which is like the "lights/fluorescentcool003a" texture. If you have, or think you can help, please reply.

Thanks

o_thx1138 · 02-18-2005, 02:08 AM

Ok well I figured it out. It was the alpha channel that was messing it up. Fixed it, and now the texture works flawlessly.

o_gambit · 02-24-2007, 07:44 AM

figured i would use this thread instead of starting another seeing as how i searched and this came very close to the problem i'm having...

i'm trying to create light textures...or i am actually...i know how to do them in TFC and in HL2 i can get the to emit light and selfillum and all that good stuff....BUT...in game it does not appear to be emiting light...heres a screen shot of a quick room i made...

see how the fluorescentcool1a on the right appears lit? and mine is emiting light but doesnt actually look like it....

it has to do with the "alpha channel" i know that...but my question is this...how the hell do i create an alpha channel and add it to my image???...

i am using Paint Shop Pro X...if that matters...if anybody has ANY kinda tutorial that would help i would greatly appreciate it...i have 64 light textures(blue,red,green,yellow,white) i would like to have working before the weekend is up...

seriously...i've tried to figure it out myself and cant do it...PLEASE help!!

o_agret · 02-24-2007, 01:45 PM

This is probably pretty outdated since it's from 1999 but I don't use Paint Shop Pro seeing as how it sucks (kidding?). Anyway, check it out...
http://www.campratty.com/1faq/faqpages/a12.html
It might still be applicable.

o_gambit · 02-24-2007, 04:40 PM

thanks man but doesnt help to much...

PSPX is pretty nice...its a biiiiiig improvement over PSP6....the wall and floor/ceiling textures in that SS i made from one texture in HL2...they came out pretty good...and get off me im not making bump maps...lol...

o_nezumi · 02-24-2007, 08:17 PM

I don't understand the problem? Both fixtures are emitting light.

o_gambit · 02-24-2007, 08:31 PM

yes but the one on the right actually looks like a fluorescent light...it has that glow to it...mine is emitting like just fine but doesnt have the same appearance as the other one

o_nodnarb · 02-24-2007, 08:33 PM

what he is saying is that it doesn't look like the light is coming from that texture.

o_donny · 02-25-2007, 03:08 AM

So you have the 'black 'n white texture'?
If you have and white part (the part of the texture that shows that this is suppose to be lit) is actually white, then I think the problem is that your texture is too dark.

o_gambit · 02-25-2007, 05:00 AM

below is a SS of the 2 textures used in the image above..the problem lies in the "alpha channel" which i do not know anything about...that is where i need help...i can not find anything on it when it comes to creating HL2 light textures....i have 89 light textures that i want to have working i'd really appreciate it if y'all could help me figure it out...

o_kam · 02-25-2007, 05:44 AM

change the colour

GambiT · 03-06-2007, 04:14 AM

ok well...its good to be back...thank god to...i've been bored as hell at work...lol...anyway glad to see y'all got things straight...

back to the point of this thread...i figured out alpha channels and now have the textures looking good...

only took a month of searching to find something that barely resembled what i was trying to do just enough for me to figure it out....if any of you use Paint Shop Pro (i have X) and you need to know how to make an alpha channel let me know i have a real easy way to do it....

ok now for my new question...for the lights i've made i want to have them emit light based on the color of the texture...which i know how to do...BUT...how do i send that out with my pack??...do i create a ".rad" file named after my texture pack? are what?....i hope you understand what i'm asking...

Nezumi · 03-06-2007, 05:09 AM

Lights.rad doesn't do anything after you compile the map. Once you do a rad the lightmap with all the apropriate information is saved in the .bsp.

GambiT · 03-06-2007, 12:33 PM

i know that but thats not my question...

ok i have this texture i want to send to you..i have in the vmt that its nochop and all that good stuff...and i have it lets say 0 0 255 300(rgb brightness) in my lights.rad...when i send you that texture how do i send you the info on it?..

i'm not explaining this right...hmm....

when i give out my light texture pack i dont want everybody to have to go into their lights.rad and set up each texture to whatever they want it to emit...unless y'all would prefer that....

maybe i'll just send out a text file with the pack with the suggested color of emission per texture...

EDIT!!!!!!!!!!

though y'all might like to see some of the light textures i have so far...also any other ideas you have for lights would be greatly appreciated...i'm all out of ideas...right now i'm just making different tones of the ones i have...also these are not half of the ones i have...just dont have a SS of all of them...and yes a few of those are from HL..lol....a few are from HL2 and a couple i made myself...also i'm making lights in 7 colors...red,blue,green,yellow,cool,and warm..and a few white ones

nodnarb · 03-06-2007, 07:39 PM

looks good. keep up the good work!

GambiT · 03-07-2007, 02:02 AM

how do y'all like these?

nodnarb · 03-07-2007, 02:02 AM

what you neede to do is learn how to make skiks for models, and put those on the spotlights

Those look good though

GambiT · 03-07-2007, 02:07 AM

skiks?

nodnarb · 03-07-2007, 02:11 AM

skins*

GambiT · 03-07-2007, 02:15 AM

i've actually been thinking about modeling...i dont care for the lights HL2 has to offer...

02-17-2005, 03:17 AM	#1
o_thx1138 Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	Light Texture Help Hey. So Im working on a map, and I got a few custom textures for it. So far, Ive had no problems with the custom textures. But now Im working on a light texture, and its being a pain in the butt. I understand how light textures work, Ive read all the tutorials I could find on them. But for some reason, I cannot get mine to work. What I am trying to do is to make a texture, one similar to that of "lights/fluorescentcool003a." That texture I believe is self illuminating, and is exactly what I am trying to recreate with my custom texture. I can get the texture to show up ingame, but it does emit light like the fluorecentcool one. I have made a .rad for my map, which works fine. I set the .vmt for my custom texture to this: Code: "LightmappedGeneric" { // Original shader: BaseTimesLightmapSelfIllum "$basetexture" "cubewall_white" "$selfillum" 1 "$surfaceprop" "glass" } The think the problem lies somewhere in the original tga, and how I am saving it. It does have an alpha channel, and have been saving at both 24 and 32 bits, w/and w/o compression. Im not sure which I need in order for it to work. But maybe its the alpha channel itself that might be wrong. Im not sure. Any ways, I was wondering if anyone here has made a custom light texture, one which is like the "lights/fluorescentcool003a" texture. If you have, or think you can help, please reply. Thanks

03-06-2007, 05:09 AM	#13
Nezumi Retired FF Staff Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: The Peoples Republic of Harmfull Free Radicals. Class/Position: Soldier, O Gametype: Doubble Mode Affiliations: Cassiotone Nation Posts Rated Helpful 1 Times	Lights.rad doesn't do anything after you compile the map. Once you do a rad the lightmap with all the apropriate information is saved in the .bsp. __________________ TG: pretty much you have no idea how much i fuckin own at this game. TG: i bested no less than three flaming tornados and broke a huge wizard.

03-06-2007, 12:33 PM	#14
GambiT Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Baton Rouge Class/Position: Spy Affiliations: -=DoM=- Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	i know that but thats not my question... ok i have this texture i want to send to you..i have in the vmt that its nochop and all that good stuff...and i have it lets say 0 0 255 300(rgb brightness) in my lights.rad...when i send you that texture how do i send you the info on it?.. i'm not explaining this right...hmm.... when i give out my light texture pack i dont want everybody to have to go into their lights.rad and set up each texture to whatever they want it to emit...unless y'all would prefer that.... maybe i'll just send out a text file with the pack with the suggested color of emission per texture... EDIT!!!!!!!!!! though y'all might like to see some of the light textures i have so far...also any other ideas you have for lights would be greatly appreciated...i'm all out of ideas...right now i'm just making different tones of the ones i have...also these are not half of the ones i have...just dont have a SS of all of them...and yes a few of those are from HL..lol....a few are from HL2 and a couple i made myself...also i'm making lights in 7 colors...red,blue,green,yellow,cool,and warm..and a few white ones Last edited by GambiT; 03-06-2007 at 02:21 PM.

02-18-2005, 02:08 AM	#2
o_thx1138 Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	Ok well I figured it out. It was the alpha channel that was messing it up. Fixed it, and now the texture works flawlessly.

02-24-2007, 07:44 AM	#3
o_gambit Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	figured i would use this thread instead of starting another seeing as how i searched and this came very close to the problem i'm having... i'm trying to create light textures...or i am actually...i know how to do them in TFC and in HL2 i can get the to emit light and selfillum and all that good stuff....BUT...in game it does not appear to be emiting light...heres a screen shot of a quick room i made... see how the fluorescentcool1a on the right appears lit? and mine is emiting light but doesnt actually look like it.... it has to do with the "alpha channel" i know that...but my question is this...how the hell do i create an alpha channel and add it to my image???... i am using Paint Shop Pro X...if that matters...if anybody has ANY kinda tutorial that would help i would greatly appreciate it...i have 64 light textures(blue,red,green,yellow,white) i would like to have working before the weekend is up... seriously...i've tried to figure it out myself and cant do it...PLEASE help!!

02-24-2007, 01:45 PM	#4
o_agret Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	This is probably pretty outdated since it's from 1999 but I don't use Paint Shop Pro seeing as how it sucks (kidding?). Anyway, check it out... http://www.campratty.com/1faq/faqpages/a12.html It might still be applicable.

02-24-2007, 04:40 PM	#5
o_gambit Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	thanks man but doesnt help to much... PSPX is pretty nice...its a biiiiiig improvement over PSP6....the wall and floor/ceiling textures in that SS i made from one texture in HL2...they came out pretty good...and get off me im not making bump maps...lol...

02-24-2007, 08:17 PM	#6
o_nezumi Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: The Peoples Republic of Harmfull Free Radicals Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	I don't understand the problem? Both fixtures are emitting light.

02-24-2007, 08:31 PM	#7
o_gambit Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	yes but the one on the right actually looks like a fluorescent light...it has that glow to it...mine is emitting like just fine but doesnt have the same appearance as the other one

02-24-2007, 08:33 PM	#8
o_nodnarb Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Austin, Texas Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	what he is saying is that it doesn't look like the light is coming from that texture.

02-25-2007, 03:08 AM	#9
o_donny Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Finland Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	So you have the 'black 'n white texture'? If you have and white part (the part of the texture that shows that this is suppose to be lit) is actually white, then I think the problem is that your texture is too dark.

02-25-2007, 05:00 AM	#10
o_gambit Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	below is a SS of the 2 textures used in the image above..the problem lies in the "alpha channel" which i do not know anything about...that is where i need help...i can not find anything on it when it comes to creating HL2 light textures....i have 89 light textures that i want to have working i'd really appreciate it if y'all could help me figure it out...

02-25-2007, 05:44 AM	#11
o_kam Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Melbourne Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	change the colour

03-06-2007, 04:14 AM	#12
GambiT Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Baton Rouge Class/Position: Spy Affiliations: -=DoM=- Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	ok well...its good to be back...thank god to...i've been bored as hell at work...lol...anyway glad to see y'all got things straight... back to the point of this thread...i figured out alpha channels and now have the textures looking good... only took a month of searching to find something that barely resembled what i was trying to do just enough for me to figure it out....if any of you use Paint Shop Pro (i have X) and you need to know how to make an alpha channel let me know i have a real easy way to do it.... ok now for my new question...for the lights i've made i want to have them emit light based on the color of the texture...which i know how to do...BUT...how do i send that out with my pack??...do i create a ".rad" file named after my texture pack? are what?....i hope you understand what i'm asking...

03-06-2007, 07:39 PM	#15
nodnarb Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts Rated Helpful 5 Times	looks good. keep up the good work!

03-07-2007, 02:02 AM	#16
GambiT Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Baton Rouge Class/Position: Spy Affiliations: -=DoM=- Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	how do y'all like these?

03-07-2007, 02:07 AM	#18
GambiT Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Baton Rouge Class/Position: Spy Affiliations: -=DoM=- Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	skiks?

03-07-2007, 02:11 AM	#19
nodnarb Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts Rated Helpful 5 Times	skins*

03-07-2007, 02:15 AM	#20
GambiT Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Baton Rouge Class/Position: Spy Affiliations: -=DoM=- Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	i've actually been thinking about modeling...i dont care for the lights HL2 has to offer...

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