Lighting

Lighting a map takes a great deal of trial and error. You should start adding lights as early in the mapping process as possible so that by the time you feel the map geometry is completed, you have a pretty good idea of how the lighting will look. We suggest you use Q3map2 by ydnar to compile your maps; the lighting is better and the compile is faster. If you started out compiling with Q3map, you'll probably have to adjust your lighting.

There are four ways to add light to your map.


Sunlight

Sun light is usually the best and most natural looking way to add light to your map. Use the q3map_sunlight command as described in the Shader Manual. Using odd angles will tend to create unsightly shadows, so be carful how you select the sun angles. Use a color that tends towards white/yellow for a noon time look and red/orange for a sunset look.

Light Entities

Chances are you'll have a lot of these point light entities floating around your map. They are the easiest way to brighten up an area. They are also useful for spot light effects.

The problem with light entities generally is that they appear 'sourceless', so use them carefully. A realistic level lit entirely with point lights will leave the player wondering where the light is coming from. That is why surface lights (see below) are regarded as the preferrable method for lighting the majority of your level. Use point lights with very low light values if you choose to use them.

Surface Lights

Surface lights are very similar to point lights. In fact, they are just point light on the surface. The difference is that the light appears to be coming from a source. This is especially important for reality-based maps like those made for Reaction.

Surface lighting is generated from shaders with the q3map_surfacelight command. See the Q3Map and Compiling Options page or the Shader Manual for more information. Another key command is q3map_lightsubdivide, which sets the desity of the point lights on the surface. For small sufaces, you may want to decrease this number; for large surfaces you may want to increase it.

Ambient Light

Ambient light is a global setting specified in the worldspawn. It is used to lighten up the darkest areas of a map. It will bring all surfaces up to a minimum light level.

Ambient light should not be used in place of properly lighting a level with the above three lighting types. If you set the ambient light too high, the map will look washed out and bland. So if you decide to use ambient light, use a low value like 10.

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Last updated: June 15, 2002
Valid for RQ3 Beta 2.1