Navigation lights

[Anvart]

Originally Posted by privateer

Anvart I believe did the first Units with lights for SH3.
Off the top of my head? I think there's another way to do the same effect given how much more Modders have learned over the years.
...

I think, you are late on 7 of years..?
I did lit ships in two ways:
1) with static lights by using so-called lit model of part of the ship.
2) very, very simple work... using the CityLights controller (made only one ship - Passenger Liner)... the lights in the windows were "turned on" in the evening and were "turned off" in the morning.
My tests have shown that the lights in the first version was more interesting... second variant I didn't like... therefore, i did 10 ships at the first version... ship at second version (and all other works, made by me for 4 years) was killed together with my hard drive, IIRC, at the beginning of 2010 or end of 2009.

Originally Posted by privateer

...
I've also got an idea I want to try in SH3 to give the Player Subs Navigation lights when in Harbors.
...

When the method is known, why not?
... but the submarine gets InHarbor or InHarborNeutral state only in 300 ... 400 meters from corresponding pier... other states are not good.

[gap]

Originally Posted by Anvart

I did lit ships in two ways:
1) with static lights by using so-called lit model of part of the ship.
2) very, very simple work... using the CityLights controller (made only one ship - Passenger Liner)... the lights in the windows were "turned on" in the evening and were "turned off" in the morning.

Thank you for sharing, Anvart

I wonder if the CityLights controller would still work when placed on equipment objects rather than on ship models.

Originally Posted by Anvart

My tests have shown that the lights in the first version was more interesting... second variant I didn't like...

What do you mean?

[Anvart]

Originally Posted by gap

Thank you for sharing, Anvart

I wonder if the CityLights controller would still work when placed on equipment objects rather than on ship models.

In SH3 this controller works everywhere. IIRC... I tried in interior too... but don't remember result of the test.

Originally Posted by gap;

What do you mean?

... use SelfIllumination (material property) for the second texture (TexUnits = Texture1). It's like AO only with additional properties.
Very dim and badly adjustable glow.
Badly adjustable shading of not glowing parts of the texture...
IIRC.
All this is not very good looks in the game.
I don't like.....

[gap]

Originally Posted by Anvart

In SH3 this controller works everywhere. IIRC... I tried in interior too... but don't remember result of the test.

Originally Posted by Anvart

Very dim and badly adjustable glow.
Badly adjustable shading of not glowing parts of the texture...
IIRC.
All this is not very good looks in the game.
I don't like.....

I see. Maybe we could use that controller to light up only ship windows and hatches, though adding a bone/node for each of them would be a PITA

[Cyril]

When reading this thread I am getting the impression, that navigationlights are not that easy to employ and I wonder, whether it makes sense to use a lot of valuable modding effort to add navigationlights to neutral ships as the vessels, that we are looking for, surely would be carely covered and dark as the night. Just my opinion

[gap]

Originally Posted by Cyril

When reading this thread I am getting the impression, that navigationlights are not that easy to employ and I wonder, whether it makes sense to use a lot of valuable modding effort to add navigationlights to neutral ships as the vessels, that we are looking for, surely would be carely covered and dark as the night. Just my opinion

It could be an important feature for distinguishing among valid and not valid targets. Recognizing flags at night is not always easy and, as you may know, the sinking of neutral vessels is punished in game with the subtraction of renown points or, worst, with immediate ctd.

Even so we should still maintain some level of ambiguity, so to keep you virtual skippers always alert