Map lighting HELP !

TheONE

L1: Registered
Jan 12, 2013
26
1
Guys I really need the help of expert mappers !

Lighting is very important part of the map and i have tried to read several resources on it, I still can't understand it well, I have several questions about it, also if you have really good resources (well explained) that i can read about maps lighting please share it with me.

here are my questions about map lighting :

1) after looking at many valve maps i have seen them using spot lights more than light entity, i mean what is better to use to light up a room or area light spot or light ? also when shall i use light entity and when shall i use light spot ?

2) i need help in explaining the behavior of the light if it was linear and it was quadratic, i mean if I want to do light spots ... when shall i use linear and when shall i use quadratic ?

3) i need some explanation (supported by examples) for the 50% fall-off , 0 % fall-off and the maximum distance, and what is the best use for those in my lighting ?! also are they really important to be used ?

4) the focus property, i need more explanation about it and how does that affect my light spot ?

5) if i set a light entity into a linear behavior and i disabled (filled with 0 integer) all the [50% fall-off , 0 % fall-off and the maximum distance] do i expect my light to be unbounded like only limited by the walls, and what is the effect of changing the intensity (brightness) of the light here ?


I would be grateful if you can help me with these questions, also if u could share with me some good (well explained) resources or tutorials about advanced map lighting
 

GPuzzle

L9: Fashionable Member
Feb 27, 2012
638
414
About light entities and light_spot entities: light causes a fantasmagoric light. If you have on your hands a lampshade without the cover, it would act like a light entity.
Hovever, with a light_spot, the back part isn't affected by light. Just like a lantern. The part of the back row, the place where you hold the lantern, isn't affected by light. Everything in the front, however, is.
 

Fish 2.0

L6: Sharp Member
Nov 22, 2012
324
262
Basic theory in source; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dATCJz79LC0

General practical lighing; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6olyyxDdjk

TF2 lighting = dark<light meaning make places brighter rather than darker.

Quote occasionally in a large room I combine spots and point lights, because the spot doesn't have enough power to bounce from the floor and fill the walls. Instead I add a low power point light (just called light or something) and that acts as a fill, better reproducing the light bouncing effect.

Make the lighting look real is the general consensus. If it doesn't make sense in the editor but looks normal in the game then it's fine.