Is Lights.rad file still valid for doing texture lights?

[necro]

Or is there some other method for making a texture self-emitting? If lights.rad is still the ticket, where should it be saved?

 

[Half-Life_Maniac]

I had a look, and couldn't find it. As I'm sure you know, lights.rad always had to be in the same directory as the compile tools- where I didn't see it.

I'm guessing this is all done with the new material system now. I assume you'd add some secret code in the texture's VMT file to tell it to give off light.

But then again, I do not know a lot at all about Source Materials.

 

[phatal]

Or is there some other method for making a texture self-emitting? If lights.rad is still the ticket, where should it be saved?

You should find what you're looking for in the vmt of a light emitting texture.

 

[l3eeron]

...or are you talking about emitting detail props?

http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Detail_Props

Same process... edit the .vmt to emit the desired effect.

 

[necro]

Ah! I havent done any custom texture work yet. Makes sense that it'd be in the vmt. I'll give it a try.

 

[necro]

OK, I extracted the standard HL2 vmt I'm using, and it says the following

"LightmappedGeneric"
{
"$basetexture" "Building_Template/Building_Trainstation_Window002d"
"$surfaceprop" "glass"
"$selfillum" 1
}


There's no problem with the texture glowing in the map. Its just not emitting any light on adjacent brushes. What do I need to add?

 

[l3eeron]

You want to put a window up, and make it look like there's sunlight coming through without actually cutting a hole in the wall... right?

I dont know how to do that lol, seems like it could be done. Maybe just put a light_spot in front of it pointing in the right direction... then change the colors of the light to match the outside light_env?

 

[necro]

Basically. Used to be you could add a texture to lights.rad and it would become a light source. So lets say you had a texture for flourescent lights, whatever you put that texture on would act like a real light source, casting light on adjacent brushes.

In my case, i've got a big trainstation that I want all the glass to emit light into the space. I can go thru and add light entities everywhere, but thats a pain. I'd rather just make the texture emit light naturally.

 

[l3eeron]

Maybe make it a func_brush?

change the render mode to "glow" or "world glow" theres a bunch of settings to play with.

http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Func_brush

 

[necro]

Just an update. Lights.rad does still work. For some reason it didn't like the HL2 material name I was using (too long maybe?). I've since added my own materials to the list, and they light the map just fine.