Question: lighting effects
 

I was doing a night attack recently and it occured to me: why don't explosions and fire actually emmit light? They sure look bright but they have no visible effect on the ship model itself.

This pic is a good example:

http://www.sg.hu/galeria/986752963/9...1238532388.jpg

The explosion itself is bright, but the tower right next to it remains dark.

So my question is: is it possible to use dynamic light sources on fires and explosions or we can forget about them?

Here you see Einsteins General Relativity in effect. The mass to the right of the explosion is so great that the light doesn't actually reach the tower..:D

I think this might have something to do with the ship's 3D model, possibly not been made 'reflective' - Maybe one of the Ship #D guys can answer this.
:DL

Actually, I'm not talking about reflectivity, that's the last thing I would expect from a well traveled bucket of rust (not to mention that the last thing you need on a warship is something to reflect the sun/moon, making it visible much farther than usual). :)

I'm talking about a light source similar to the sun. That creates lighting effects on the boat (as seen on this picture, the top is exposed to the sun so it's lit, while the portside is in shadow).

So I'm asking the modder gurus whether is it possible or not to assign lightsources to explosions and fires. A blinding, flickering blaze on a tanker at night would really brighten things up (pun intended :P ).

try and look up the way the starshells work ?

keltos

You mean those flares they shoot up az night to search for the sub? I have a similar thing in mind, but I'm no modder, so I have no idea how to even get started. That's why I'm asking the pros if it's even possible. :)

I think he mean the light that is illuminated on nearby surfaces around the explosions.
Like in this picture where you can se the trees lights up to the right in the explosion light.

http://www.philadelphia-reflections....osion_late.jpg

Edit/ Read the above posters a bit wrong. And yes maybe the starshells illuminating halo effect cud be the key. But how to link or create that effect to the explosion is beyond my knowleadge. :)

Bingo. :)

In-game explosions already have a very brief halo at the moment they go off, but they never stay for more than a frame. Having actual light emmited from fires would make burning ships more believable at night. I agreed with the starshell idea as I remember they also illuminated the area around them, not just having a bright white halo.

But starshells don't work..?

Crazy, I remember the last sub sim to actual model this flash-lighting effect was Silent Service, in 8 glorious colours.

Does any else remember? The whole sky would flash yellow or orange with each DG or teorpedo hit at night.

Rework Materials.dat and particles.dat ...
:D