TPW HOUSELIGHTS A3: ambient house lighting for Altis/Stratis

[tpw 2315]

20130915: THIS MOD IS NOW PART OF TPW MODS AND IS NO LONGER SEPARATELY MAINTAINED. PLEASE USE THE TPW MODS THREAD TO REPORT BUGS AND REQUEST FEATURES.

TL;DR - Simulated lightbulbs are spawned into habitable civilian houses around the player at night. Arma 3 and SP only.

Download (always contains latest versions of all my mods): https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/481663/TPW_MODS.zip

Readme:

TPW HOUSELIGHTS A3 - Ambient house lighting for Altis/Stratis

Version: 1.00

Author: tpw

Date: 20130906

Requires: Community Base Addons for Arma 3

Description

-----------

Altis and Stratis may have power for working streetlights, but it looks like someone stole all of the lightbulbs from the houses along with all of the furniture. TPW HOUSELIGHTS A3 aims to remedy that theft by adding lighting to the habitable civilian houses (basically the white houses with intact doors and windows) on these islands.

TPW HOUSELIGHTS A3 is a total rewrite of TPW HOUSELIGHTS for A2, requiring Arma 3 specific assets and scripting commands, and utilising the beautiful dynamic lighting system of Arma 3 to allow for much more realistic and believable ambient house lighting. In fitting with the futuristic and fully electrified islands of A3, there are no flickering lanterns or candles, only simulated lightbulbs that blend in with the existing lighting and help further the illusion of inhabitation (particularly if used in conjunction with TPW CIVS.

Features

--------

- Automatically spawn lights into houses within 50m of player at night

- Lights only spawned into intact civilian houses (not sheds/shops/slums/stonehouses/damaged/unfinished/military etc)

- Lights are spawned at ceiling height

- Lights use dynamic lighting and flare to simulate lightbulbs in appearance and illumination

- Lights are removed once a player moves > 50m from them

Installation and configuration

------------------------------

Extract the @TPW_HOUSELIGHTS_A3 modfolder to your preferred mod location, and call it via command line or mod launcher. You'll need Community Base Addons A3 (CBA A3) for the addon to launch properly.

Copy @TPW_HOUSELIGHTS_A3\userconfig\TPW_HOUSELIGHTS_A3\TPW_HOUSELIGHTS_A3.hpp to your userconfig\TPW_HOUSELIGHTS_A3\TPW_HOUSELIGHTS_A3.hpp. You may edit this file to taste:

tpw_houselights_hint = 1; //Start hint. 0 = no hint

tpw_houselights_sleep = 10; // Delay (sec) until houselights functions start

The script version is in @TPW_HOUSELIGHTS_A3\scripts. Instructions for running it are in the header of the script. Please note that if you already have the addon version running, the script version will detect it and quit.

Known issues

------------

- TPW HOUSELIGHTS A3 is written for SP, but will probably function OK in MP client. It won't run on a dedicated server.

- I have spent a lot of time tweaking the light settings to simulate lightbulbs that don't bleed too badly through walls, and have thus imposed my will for the time being as to their appearance. There are no hpp configuration options for the lights, but you can of course try changing the script.

- Using the default settings should spawn no more than 10-15 dynamic lights around the player, which should be within the engine's ability to cope with. You may however notice lights flickering or suddenly coming on, particularly if there are several nearby streetlights or vehicle headlights.

Feedback

--------

As always I welcome feedback. My mods only improve due to your input. However, input which consists of asking me why there is no proper MP or dedicated server version, without offering help in this department, improves nothing, especially my temper.

For the record: I only play SP, have little interest in playing MP, little skill in coding MP, and no ability to test it. If you desperately want a fully functioning MP version of this or any of my other mods, and can't wait for me to make it happen, then you are welcome grab the code and knock yourself out.

For the sake of my sanity, when you're reporting bugs and issues can you please tell me:

- Arma3 version

- Version of my mod

- Script or addon version

- Running on SP, MP or dedi

Thanks

------

Bashka: class based house detection tips

Changelog

---------

20130913: v1.01

- Total overhaul of house detection for lights, now much "lighter" (pun intended).

- Introduced "all in one" startup hint for all TPW mods, you'll get the one hint showing all active mods.

- Script versions will detect an already running addon and quit.

20130906: v1.00

- Initial release

Disclaimer

----------

I totally refuse to accept responsibility for anything that might happen to your game/computer/life as a result of using my mod. If you accept this, then feel free to use and modify this code, on the proviso that you post back changes and improvements so that everyone can benefit from them, and acknowledge the original author (tpw) in any derivative works.

My A3 mods:

TPW CIVS: Ambient civs and traffic

TPW FALL: Realistic infantry falling from height and bullet hits

TPW LOS: AI Line of sight system for enhanced CQB

TPW EBS: Engine based AI/player suppression

TPW HOUSELIGHTS: Automatic house lighting for Altis/Stratis

TPW BLEEDOUT: Realistic bleeding system

TPW FOG: Foggy breath for Altis/Stratis

Edited September 15, 2013 by tpw

[twisted 128]

very nice. thanks!

[magicpanda 19]

Nice job as always TPW! looks really nice in game.

How do you call the script if you dont want to use the mod?

I got it working with this, by fluke, which I copied from the CIVs startup script but I have only vague idea what the parameters are :D

0 = [1,0,1000,15,20] execVM "tpw_houselights_a3.sqf";

0 = [Hint On/off, noidea ,distance from player , noidea ,number of lights] execVM "tpw_houselights_a3.sqf";

[nikiforos 450]

What is the performance hit using this mod?

[kilrbe3 37]

Nice job as always TPW! looks really nice in game.

How do you call the script if you dont want to use the mod?

I got it working with this, by fluke, which I copied from the CIVs startup script but I have only vague idea what the parameters are :D

0 = [1,0,1000,15,20] execVM "tpw_houselights_a3.sqf";

0 = [Hint On/off, noidea ,distance from player , noidea ,number of lights] execVM "tpw_houselights_a3.sqf";

Ah cheers for that, was looking for that in the script file, didn't see it :)

Thanks TPW! I loved this mod for Takistan, made it so awesome! Now even better with A3 lighting :D

[magicpanda 19]

I'm not sure what most of those Parameters mean in that execVM. Seemed to be working ok in my game though.

[tpw 2315]

Sorry about that MagicPanda, I need to update the comments in the sqf for those who want to run the script

0 = [1,10] execVM "tpw_houselights_a3.sqf"; // 1 = startup hint, 10 = delay before houselights start

@Nikiforos the performance hit is slight. There is a cost to the engine for every light, but there should only be a handful of dynamic houselights around the player at a given time. The script itself is very light. Using nearobjects for houses can be very slow on Altis, but when the radius for this is 50 it's very quick.

[magicpanda 19]

Nice! Ambient Combat next? :p

[Von Quest 1163]

LOVE your work, great stuff, top notch! ;)

[Guest]

Release frontpaged on the Armaholic homepage.

TPW Houselights A3 [bETA] v1.00



Community Base Addons A3

===================================================

We have also "connected" these pages to your account on Armaholic.

This means in the future you will be able to maintain these pages yourself if you wish to do so. Once this new feature is ready we will contact you about it and explain how things work and what options you have.

When you have any questions already feel free to PM or email me!

Edited September 13, 2013 by Guest

[Kushluk 21]

Hi tpw,

I am a big fan of your work :)

Just a helpful hint, you may want to switch out

_nearhouses = nearestObjects [getPosATL (vehicle player),["[b][color=#ff0000]House[/color][/b]"],tpw_houselights_radius];

for

_nearhouses = nearestObjects [getPosATL (vehicle player),["[b][color=#ff0000]House_F[/color][/b]"],tpw_houselights_radius];

In my testing, House_F filters a number of irrelevant entries that are picked up by House which should require less runs of this:

_ishouse = ["_i_house", _housestring] call BIS_fnc_inString; // Inhabited house

If you are interested, I have manually white-listed & blacklisted every House_F type object as enterable/not enterable.

[tpw 2315]

Hi tpw,

I am a big fan of your work :)

Just a helpful hint, you may want to switch out

_nearhouses = nearestObjects [getPosATL (vehicle player),["[b][color=#ff0000]House[/color][/b]"],tpw_houselights_radius];

for

_nearhouses = nearestObjects [getPosATL (vehicle player),["[b][color=#ff0000]House_F[/color][/b]"],tpw_houselights_radius];

In my testing, House_F filters a number of irrelevant entries that are picked up by House which should require less runs of this:

_ishouse = ["_i_house", _housestring] call BIS_fnc_inString; // Inhabited house

If you are interested, I have manually white-listed & blacklisted every House_F type object as enterable/not enterable.

Thanks so much for the tip Kushluk (and the kind words), I really appreciate it. I've implemented the House_F fix immediately, every little bit helps!

I actually already spent some time creating a manual array of all intact (not just enterable, which many wrecked houses are) civilian houses for Altis, which could be used in place of scanning. Might still do in the future, but in the mean time at least this approach will work for any new maps that use A3 house assets.

[tpw 2315]

TPW HOUSELIGHTS v1.01: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/481663/TPW_MODS.zip

Changes:

- Total overhaul of house detection for lights, now much "lighter" (pun intended).

- Introduced "all in one" startup hint for all TPW mods, you'll get the one hint showing all active mods.

- Script versions will detect an already running addon and quit.

[Guest]

New version frontpaged on the Armaholic homepage.

TPW Houselights A3 v1.01



Community Base Addons A3

===================================================

We have also "connected" these pages to your account on Armaholic.

This means in the future you will be able to maintain these pages yourself if you wish to do so. Once this new feature is ready we will contact you about it and explain how things work and what options you have.

When you have any questions already feel free to PM or email me!

[edit]

Link fixed. Thanks for the headsup.

Edited September 13, 2013 by Guest

[griffz 1]

link dead on armaholic

[kremator 1065]

Hey tpw,

My daughter (of 9 years old) was asking if it was possible to actually turn on lights when inside a building - perhaps as an addaction? Is this possible mate?

I only play in MP (even when on my own :) )

[tpw 2315]

Hey tpw,

My daughter (of 9 years old) was asking if it was possible to actually turn on lights when inside a building - perhaps as an addaction? Is this possible mate?

I only play in MP (even when on my own :) )

It's certainly doable, I will look into it.

MP only? Thanks for you support of my SP only mods anyway :)

[kremator 1065]

pah for SP !! I always test everything on MP only :)

[tpw 2315]

20130915: THIS MOD IS NOW PART OF TPW MODS AND IS NO LONGER SEPARATELY MAINTAINED. PLEASE USE THE TPW MODS THREAD TO REPORT BUGS AND REQUEST FEATURES.