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FSX 33MO - Leaming Field Lighting Progress

n4gix

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I decided to start a new thread on the 33MO - Leaming Field project because the original was getting a bit long.

In any case, this thread is meant to "showcase" the lighting progress being made here.

Today I created a HeloRampLight model, textured it and created the diffuse/specular lighting polys. Here you can see the new model placed as a parking ramp light on the NE Ramp. Note how it "illuminates" the front of the Vespa scooter-car! ;)

33moleamingfield000001.jpg
 
capt_x

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OMG :yikes: Bill! You did it! Does it illuminate only the user a/c (or whatever you are driving there) or does it illuminate EVERYTHING?
 
n4gix

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capt_x said:
OMG :yikes: Bill! You did it! Does it illuminate only the user a/c (or whatever you are driving there) or does it illuminate EVERYTHING?
Click to expand...

Any object within the range of the light's "beam..." :D

I was limited to the angle of the light box's "hood," so extending that out the full diagonal of the 40' square polygon gives ~5.2' "rise" at the furthest end.
 
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I am going to have to hit you up for this down the road when I put in my heli pad!
 
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Helo Ramp Lighting: How To Do...

Here are a couple of screenshots illustrating how I've set up the 3d lighting for the Helo Ramp Light:

heloramplighttutorial01.jpg


The image below shows the 'recipie' I used for the FSX Material:

1. the fresnel ramp is 256x4 pixels, RBG 32,32,32, Specular box checked.
2. the Diffuse Color is white, no Alpha
3. the Specular Color has a RGB 'gradient light splash' image, white Alpha
4. the Specular Color bitmap is also used in the Self-Illumination slot!
5. Blinn Opacity is set to zero, Blinn Ambient, Diffuse, Specular colors are RGB32,32,32
6. Special Functionality: Blend diffuse by inverse of specular map alpha
7. Reflection Scale: 0 Specular Map Power Scale: 256
8. Source Blend: DestColor
9. Destination Blend: InvSrcAlpha
10. Emissive Mode: AdditiveNightOnly
11. Enhanced Parameters: No Shadow box checked

heloramplighttutorial02.jpg
 
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No, I don't have a clue. I only turned on DX10 long enough to see what, if anything, happened. I didn't like what I saw so I turned it off and never have looked again...

The first link doesn't work, btw.
 
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Bill,

It looks gorgeous!

If you don't mind me asking, how did you get rid of the interference bands from your original efforts? I've tried changing about everything and my light splashes still look like bulls eyes.

Jim
 
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jdhaenens said:
Bill,

It looks gorgeous!

If you don't mind me asking, how did you get rid of the interference bands from your original efforts? I've tried changing about everything and my light splashes still look like bulls eyes.

Jim
Click to expand...

Jim, I discovered that if I apply a Filter/Texture/Texturizer in Photoshop using the "sandstone" texture, and keep both sliders fully left (50%, 1%), that the gradient banding completely disappears! :D
 
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New Tower Completed!

Here is my new tower at night, using my "Porch Light" for the ground light splash, as well as the overhead fixture (lighted of course). The wall splash of light is done in Photoshop for the lightmap texture.

Note the subtle lighting of the consoles, as well as the radar repeater overhead... :D

33moleamingfieldtower01.jpg
 
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mdm248111 said:
It looks great Bill ;) When do you think we can have that multiplayer fly-in? :D
Click to expand...

Man, I'm hoping before the Second Coming at least! :)

I keep finding "things to do" such as creating fire extinguishers on carts to scatter around near parking spots. Even though there's a fire department on the field, it's best to have something to grab quickly, just in case... ;)

I'm also sorting through every building so I can do custom textures and night lighting. I intend to have 90% of the models in the airport.bgl file, so I can have better control over the visibility at various scenery density settings.
 
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n4gix said:
No, I don't have a clue. I only turned on DX10 long enough to see what, if anything, happened. I didn't like what I saw so I turned it off and never have looked again...

The first link doesn't work, btw.
Click to expand...
Hi Bill:

Thanks for the heads up on the expired link... I get these sometimes when I've found a thread via a Search function and the URL is from a Search results page. :eek:

The URL above is updated and working now. ;)


The question I had above was based on the observation of what appeared to be a "stepped gradient" in the light splash. :scratchch

I was originally curious if this was due to a DX 10 vs DX9 rendering engine issue, but now I see there are overlapping bands from the light "layers" which create an "interference pattern" as described by Jim D..

I really like the lights either way, and am also glad to see the solution you've implemented for the light splash on the building in the texture, but I'm still curious if you have been able to resolve the "band" or "interference" effect in the Ramp light splashes on the ground as above ?


I had to chuckle reading your latter post as it reminds me of myself and so many others here who have now been seriously "bitten" by the scenery development bug.


Hmmm... As detailed as the scenery already was, I wonder if we shouldn't have had a few fire extinguishers placed around the premises at Emma Field years ago ! :eek:

http://forums.simflight.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=73774


Sheesh... In a favorite FS scenery, one can never, ever be detailed enough ! :D


GaryGB
 
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n4gix

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GaryGB said:
I really like the lights either way, and am also glad to see the solution you've implemented for the light splash on the building in the texture, but I'm still curious if you have been able to resolve the "band" or "interference" effect in the Ramp light splashes on the ground as above ?
Click to expand...

This was answered in Reply #11 above:

I discovered that if I apply a Filter/Texture/Texturizer in Photoshop using the "sandstone" texture, and keep both sliders fully left (50%, 1%), that the gradient banding completely disappears!
Click to expand...
 
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n4gix said:
This was answered in Reply #11 above:
Click to expand...
Hi Bill:

I'm hoping to better comprehend where in the scheme of things described via "the 'recipe' I used for the FSX Material:" in your Post #6 above, one would "apply a Filter/Texture/Texturizer in Photoshop using the "sandstone" texture, and keep both sliders fully left (50%, 1%)" as stated in your Post #11.


Perhaps I'd better grasp this by 'inference' if only I had more direct experience with GMAX. :confused:


But as a beginner with GMAX, I'd welcome any further kind explanation you might offer for this innovative procedure (when you have time), which via the additional implementation of a "sandstone" texture described in your Post #11, sets things up in the custom lighting so "that the gradient banding completely disappears". :eek:


Many thanks again, for your generous and abundant contributions to the FS Community borne from your considerable experience; and thanks too, for your enduring patience with those of us who are very new to the advanced GMAX concepts that likely are second nature to you ...in your extensive experience. :)


I must confess, Fr. Bill, that I have previously focused more on learning the terrain scenery aspects of the SDK, and have felt compelled to avoid 3-D modeling for years, knowing it is an entire learning curve unto itself which merits proper study, and which would compete with terrain endeavors for my limited available free time. ;)

But your GMAX related Tutorials here and elsewhere... are helping make that learning process easier. :idea:


PS: In addition to admiring your detailed and skilled work, I have observed the caveats implicit within a signature you once used in another forum: :teacher:

"I used to have a life: now I have GMax, C Gauges and FS9."


GaryGB
 
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n4gix

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GaryGB said:
I'm hoping to better comprehend where in the scheme of things described via "the 'recipe' I used for the FSX Material:" in your Post #6 above, one would "apply a Filter/Texture/Texturizer in Photoshop using the "sandstone" texture, and keep both sliders fully left (50%, 1%)" as stated in your Post #11.

Perhaps I'd better grasp this by 'inference' if only I had more direct experience with GMAX. :confused:
Click to expand...

That "tip" really has nothing whatever to do with either Max or GMax. It is in reference to the use of Photoshop while creating/editing the lightmap texture to be used in the sim. The only connection with Max/GMax is the filename...

Note that in the image(s) below the lightsplash has already had the "sandstone" texturizer applied, so no gradient banding is seen. Before the process, the banding was very, very obvious... :eek:

photoshoptexturizer01.jpg

photoshoptexturizer02.jpg
 
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n4gix said:
That "tip" really has nothing whatever to do with either Max or GMax. It is in reference to the use of Photoshop while creating/editing the lightmap texture to be used in the sim. The only connection with Max/GMax is the filename...
Click to expand...
Hi Bill... I do sincerely appreciate your replies ! ;)


So, if I follow this correctly, the "sandstone" texturizer is applied only to the HeloRampLight_LM.psd file that is intended for use in "Self-Illumination: Map #6" as seen in the GMAX Material Navigator in your Post #6 above ? :scratchch


And IIUC, after that material (and all others in the project) have been mapped to the 3-D model in GMAX, when final output files are created, those mapped *.psd files must all be copied, "flipped", and converted to *.DDS files for use in FSX ...using a graphics utility (ex: FSX SDK ImageTool) external to GMAX itself ?


Thanks so much for your further clarification. :)

GaryGB
 
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