Questions about Arma3 Lighting

[giorgygr 61]

So Fabio..what should we expect at the end of those experiments?

A script?

An addon version?

Are there any plans for integration of this (marvelous) tweaks and some other popular mod?..

[SaOk 112]

I hope there will be script version too, would like to add this effect to my missions. Looks so nice.

[fabio_chavez 103]

@Bigpickle: sounds adventurous! seems like trying to emulate the diversity of weather experience is a futile endevour. Ive been watching some videos and photos from sandstorm now, a lot of them where taken by western coalition soldiers in afghanstan or iraq, they all describe their impressions as something surreal or extrateresstrial, id really like to capture some of that but at the same time i want to avoid to create a monotonous and tiring experience,

still dont know if possible -_-

@GiorgyGR: i still dont know, my goal would be to create something completely dynamic, where the sandstorm addapt to your setting and not the other way around, at least to the extent that it works on any destert map, intown or in open terrain and at any daytime (day only, night and sandstorm is a bit too much of a sim to really enjoy i think) and weathercondition. since it overwrites the default lighting i am not sure how fexibly it can be implemented. The ideal way would be a serversided implementation where you can decide whether or not you want to play the sandstorm version of a map before the mission starts.

@saok: i would like to be able to apply my effect on pvp gameplay evironment but also on missions, thats why i thought it would be nice if it adjusts to the global weather conditions automaticly, but if you want to use a specific sandstorm setting for a mission, like those in the link below, it would be really easy to recreate a certain condition, you can just set it up yourself.

http://steamcommunity.com/id/subjugateu/screenshots/?appid=107410

anyway i hope that with a thoughtfull tweak of the default lighting cfg and some minor particle effects, it should be possible to get ALL THOSE (sandstorm) impressions just by the way the sun changes its position during time.

[fabio_chavez 103]

i created this table of questionable usefullness in an copypaste orgy,

its just the standard values of aia lighting config, but reordered so you can easyer follow how each parameter changes through the classes.

its meant to better be able to keep track of changes and to make experiments or to keep record of different sheets with different purposes etc

im not sure if anybody can use it but feel free to make it avaiable publicly if you like, it should be selfexplanatory.

xls format

https://mega.co.nz/#!s0JxyJDb!KU95LROJKGF4GOXxAJ1x7gBxz6hU-43uFcrfsnI8Sng

ods format (open office)

https://mega.co.nz/#!lwwSWYpD!OOYQUDTS1f4BSNmoxoyydkbsQrxNAeUUIBAQc6JQTrA

Edited May 14, 2013 by Fabio_Chavez

[xyberviri 1]

-snip-

Could you please NOT put this on a website that will no longer exist once the US gets around to shutting them down. I can not even begin to count the number of tutorials that are downloadable on this forum that are no longer avalible because some one put them on MegaUpload.

please dont upload it to one of those hack file sharing sites, put it on something like media fire were all of us will continue to be able to access it years from now.

Also your current download requires a key of some sorts to start

Edited May 13, 2013 by xyberviri

[fabio_chavez 103]

uh uuhm, i think the links worked without keys yesterday, but i got your point

edited the links, should work for now, ill reupload them somewhere else next time i make changes

[SaOk 112]

Thanks for the value table. :) I am new with configs and couldnt get yet the lighting changes to work. How the config should look like and how to enable it (with #include "DesertStorm.hpp" in description?). DesertStorm.hpp looks currently like this:

class Lighting0 {data};
class Lighting1 {data};
...

Should I add something around those classes as over-class?

[.kju 3245]

Best post your complete config at http://pastebin.jonasscholz.de/ and post the link SaOk.

[SaOk 112]

Here it is (all credit, except typos, of course to Fabio_Chavez)

DesertStorm.hpp:

http://pastebin.jonasscholz.de/10905

I would like to enable it in my mission as script in the mission folder. Also should the "height" be always 0, and sunOrMoon is 1 when sunAngle is over 0?

I tried the config (having #include DesertStorm.hpp in description.ext) with Stratis mission without AiA-mod and it didnt seem to work/have effect. Then with AiA and my takistan mission but it crashes at start up for some reason.

Edited May 18, 2013 by SaOk

[.kju 3245]

Its not the complete config :)

[SaOk 112]

I have no idea what other code it should have around the current part. :)

[.kju 3245]

To give you a better idea:

a) You cannot add this to a mission. You need an addon for lighting tweaking.

b) In the addon you need a cfgPatches header, put the definition for the given world in cfgWorlds

[SaOk 112]

Ah, k and thanks for tips. :) Seems quite tricky then. Going to wait for official addon (from the author).

[fabio_chavez 103]

@saok

i am working on this in a real slow pace and if i release something it will only be a kind of weather effect, if you want to make your own overhaul, you can allready use kjus lighting cfg!

@kju

btw maybe you should add the download link to the cpp file to the frontpage of your thread?

and by the way did anyone meanwhile deliver some kind of lighting overhaul back to you? oO

[fabio_chavez 103]

update: headlights at daytime YAY!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeKCPH6SKr0

but they need further adjustment, how can i adjust the intensity of the light and add a volumetric cone, like seen at night?

something like this:

http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/576738480438313426/89BCB6F2ECB680E723BA1A0DDDFEAFAF32E6CBBA/

Edited May 28, 2013 by PurePassion
please watch the max. allowed filesize for hotlinked images (100KB)

[blu3sman 11]

Hi there.

Here is config for all cars, including parameters to experiment with.

class CfgPatches{
   class Whatewer_Modname
   {
       units[] = {};
       weapons[] = {};
       requiredVersion = 0.1;
       requiredAddons[] = {"A3_Soft_F"};
   };
};
class CfgVehicles
{
   class Car_F;
   class Offroad_Base: Car_F
   {
       class Reflectors
       {
           class Left
           {
               color[] = {1900,1800,1700};
               ambient[] = {5,5,5};
               size = 1;
               innerAngle = 100;
               outerAngle = 179;
               coneFadeCoef = 10;
               intensity = 1;
               useFlare = 0;
               dayLight = 1;
               flareSize = 1.0;
               class Attenuation
               {
                   start = 1.0;
                   constant = 0;
                   linear = 0;
                   quadratic = 0.25;
                   hardLimitStart = 60;
                   hardLimitEnd = 120;
               };
           };
       };
   };

   class Hunter_Base: Car_f
   {
       class Reflectors
       {
           class Left
           {
               color[] = {1900,1800,1700};
               ambient[] = {5,5,5};
               size = 1;
               innerAngle = 100;
               outerAngle = 179;
               coneFadeCoef = 10;
               intensity = 1;
               useFlare = 0;
               dayLight = 1;
               flareSize = 1.0;
               class Attenuation
               {
                   start = 1.0;
                   constant = 0;
                   linear = 0;
                   quadratic = 0.25;
                   hardLimitStart = 30;
                   hardLimitEnd = 60;
               };
           };
       };
   };

   class Ifrit_Base: Car_F
   {
       class Reflectors
       {
           class Left
           {
               color[] = {1900,1800,1700};
               ambient[] = {5,5,5};
               size = 1;
               innerAngle = 100;
               outerAngle = 179;
               coneFadeCoef = 10;
               intensity = 1;
               useFlare = 0;
               dayLight = 1;
               flareSize = 1.0;
               class Attenuation
               {
                   start = 1.0;
                   constant = 0;
                   linear = 0;
                   quadratic = 0.25;
                   hardLimitStart = 60;
                   hardLimitEnd = 120;
               };
           };
       };
   };

   class Quadbike_Base_F: Car_F
   {
       class Reflectors
       {
           class Left
           {
               color[] = {1900,1800,1700};
               ambient[] = {5,5,5};
               size = 1;
               innerAngle = 100;
               outerAngle = 179;
               coneFadeCoef = 10;
               intensity = 1;
               useFlare = 0;
               dayLight = 1;
               flareSize = 1.0;
               class Attenuation
               {
                   start = 1.0;
                   constant = 0;
                   linear = 0;
                   quadratic = 0.25;
                   hardLimitStart = 60;
                   hardLimitEnd = 120;
               };
           };
       };
   };
};

Concerning light cone, I can't tell anything.

[fabio_chavez 103]

thank you blu3sman!!

i assume all parameters are taken from the latest stable build except for daylight 1?

[blu3sman 11]

From dev build, except daylight.

[soolie 189]

[fabio_chavez 103]

hehe nice! are you creating athmospheric particle effects?

[soolie 189]

I believe so, my buddy wrote the script but it has some problems he's trying to fix before releasing.

[fabio_chavez 103]

some more tests...

Edited June 6, 2013 by Fabio_Chavez

[fabio_chavez 103]

[.kju 3245]

Looks stunning Fabio Chavez :bounce3: Very nice job there!

It would be interesting to hear about your work - like what process did you end up with by now, how much time did you put into it so far, what would you want to see changed/improved (in the system or modding process).

[fabio_chavez 103]

So far i put some time into it allready but not so much dedicated, most of it was just playfull try & error and i discarded the results in the end to start all over again.

What i would like to see improved at the moment is the color palette of the lighting cfg, id like to come up with some decent balance between "stylization" and realism first of all. I slowly get a better feeling for the parameters and i hope i can finish up something appropriate soonish.

Besides that, id like to see whats possible concerning particle effects, right now i am using a slightly moddified version of the astonishingly serviceable "NIM_Weather" (originaly an arma 1 mod as you may know ;P), at some point i either got to ask for permission to include it officially or find someone who likes to work out something new. (e.g. a so called "saltation" effect)

Eventually it has to be made ready for plug&play, the most expedient solution i can think of would be some GUI with controls for weather parameters and particle effect presets, if that would be possible we would end up with a full grown "duststorm composer", that is well beyond my humble expertise though.

Edited June 12, 2013 by Fabio_Chavez