The problem with generating tiles from textures is that it looks like Half-Life 1 (flat). What I need to do is figure out what the artist does in a paint program, find out the physics behind it and transform that into a computer algorithm. By looking at the walls in my room I figured that what I need is Ambient Occlusion (http://ping.fm/3wLNV) that will affect the lighting. I’ll present the results soon.
Written by MM. Posted at 6:07 pm on November 4th, 2009
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Ooooooh the tension!
If you’re talking about how an artist would do lighting in a painting, you’re somewhat on the right track. When I do a quick painting – I cheat. I use transparency and I mix the colour of my light source with that of the object the light is shining on. It’s not always the correct colour, but is close.
If you’re working with lighting and want objects or the level to stick out (but not be 3D), try to incorporate an ambient light throughout the level that’s subtle. All other light is more brighter or direct.
And what I mean by subtle ambient light is this: In your game – not all light has to be direct or have a source. Instead you can “suggest” a source. So for an example, you could make a vertical wall behind a player give off a dim blue light that just slightly reflects off the player. The player cannot see the wall glow by itself – only objects that the light is shining on – kind of like how you can have invisible lights in 3d rendered images. The light coming from the wall would seem like it’s indirect afterglow from out-door light or a faraway light source.
Anyway, having a subtle secondary ambient light would definitely help achieve definition. As for getting correct colour values – there are algorithms and mathematics that can be used for that, but in my opinion as someone who makes artwork – it is ok to “feel” it out. If it looks right or looks good – then you’ve achieved good lighting.
Whatever you decide on – test it out with a variety of textures and colours. If they all look decent within the lighting – then success.
Whoops. I misread your post. I was at work and tired… I was thinking of something else. X( So, just disregard my last comment. *facepalm*
hmm, i don’t know if i would like that ambient ccclusion, it looks like cheating the eye (uncorrect shadows in some cases) to make the graphics more candy, but maybe it will do its job.
I think the currect lightning/shadows is ok, just add some blur to it. To avoid flat textures i would propose bump mapping.
Why not make the first raytraced 2d game? That would be awesome
you had a system for this that sigvatr used as well ? that worked out pretty good right ?
No we never had ambient occlusion, it’s something I just thought about.
Snow: that isn’t exactly cheating. There is always some way for a light to dance itself into a scene. It reflects itself off everything. I’m looking at the corner of my room right now at night with a ceiling light glowing. The interesting thing is that the corner is lighter than the walls themselves. Intuitively corners are darker, but here it isn’t, yet I know it’s a corner cause it still looks 3D.
Because of the fact that the light source is just below the ceiling, the corner is lighter because all 3 sides of the corner are continually reflecting light and indirect light at each other. The light cast off the walls that are flat against the rays of light from the source (ceiling light) bounce off more light. So even though, the light along the ceiling dims as it reaches out to the walls, the light that the other 2 walls in the corner make the corner brighter. If your light source was in the middle of the room, then your corners would be darker.