Motion Light Tutorial

[Obsidian-Jovani]

Motion Light Tutorial: by Obsidian-Jovani

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This method involves a little misdirection. To have an area that has "motion lights" you need to do these simple steps. Make normal light entities in your area. Then in that area give all of lights the same targetname, such as motionlights. Then in that same area create a trigger brush the same size as the area bounded by the walls, floor, and ceiling. Make this into a trigger_once (unless you want the lights to go off again then make it a trigger_multiple) and give it a target key and motionlights value. Then check the "PLAYERONLY" box. This will switch your lights on and off when the player enters the area.

 

Here is where the misdirection comes into play. With this method the lights will already be on before you even enter the area. To get the desired effect that we want the lights should be turned off. So to do this just create another trigger brush and make it a trigger_once and give it a target key and motionlights value. Again you should check the "PLAYERONLY" box. Now place this trigger in a place where the player must pass through to get to your motion light area. By doing this the player will walk through the trigger and turn the lights in that area OFF. Then when the player gets to the area it is dark, and then when he walks in ... presto! Lights ON. That's all there is to it. Simple eh.

[Livingdeadjedi]

coool thats the sort of thing id do =]]

 

but one question where are motionlights in jk2radiant ??

 

ive seen dynamic lights that only seem to light the player and NPCs but no motion light ?

 

Oh is there also any way to get a shader to light up when entering a room

I guess raven never added that though cause its probably immpossible

[Obsidian-Jovani]

Well there is actually no "motion light" entity. It just involves normal light entities. Just make your light or lights and proceed with the following:

 

In your area where the lights you want to come on give them all the same targetname, such as motionlights. Then in that same area create a trigger brush the same size as the area bounded by the walls, floor, and ceiling. Make this into a trigger_once (unless you want the lights to go off again then make it a trigger_multiple) and give it a target key and motionlights value.

[Livingdeadjedi]

Yep i tried that

 

Ive got a light with a unique targetname

then the trigger once has the same for its target as for any trigger.

 

the trigger now has player only selected

 

and the light has start off thing checked.

 

ive made the one light green to tell the difference, but on playing the level before i get to the trigger the light is already on. this means that the start off button doesnt do bugger all ..

 

i cant be doing anything wrong. this is the only side of radiant that goes wrong.

[War Master]

You can do it through a script too, if Radiant or the compiler doesn't want to cooperate. Let's say the targetname of your lights is mylights, in a script

 

//Generated by BehavEd

 

rem ( "comment" );

use ( "mylights" );

 

Make the trigger target a target_scriptrunner and run a script that manipulates the lights. If you have a trigger_multiple don't forget to put count -1 in the target_scriptrunner entity window to run the script multiple times.

[Livingdeadjedi]

thanks m8 ill try that =]]

[Obsidian-Jovani]

the light has start off thing checked.

 

ive made the one light green to tell the difference, but on playing the level before i get to the trigger the light is already on. this means that the start off button doesnt do bugger all ...

 

I've never tried that start_off check box before. But the method that I metioned earlier should work because I did that and it worked good.

[Leslie Judge]

The only difference is that you use sof2map and LDJ uses Q3Map2 which inlcudes dynamic light support from 2.5.3.

[Livingdeadjedi]

ok i did exactly what you said.

got a trigger once with a motionlight value for the target

 

then the lights targetname is motionlight

 

made two, one as ya enter area one to turn light on

 

but neither did anything the light never turned on or off, it just remains lit..

ive never in my 2 years with radiant been able to turn lights off and on ?

i can get 10 laser doors to close at a given time but this simple thing refuses to work.

 

i even did that script idea and still no luck ??

 

i do know exactly what to put in my map as ive shown proffessional map makers the map. but the light just wont turn off and on.

[War Master]

I'm not doubting your mapping skills or knowledge, because you're more advanced than I am, but there's got to be a rational explanation for this. Have you tried compiling it with sof2map? Maybe you should reinstall Radiant. Doesn't make sense. Every idea posted here works. Maybe the light entities definition is corrupt or something.

[Leslie Judge]

If nothing works I still can send you a sample map which works for me.

[Livingdeadjedi]

yeah leslie that would be cool

 

then at least i could see if everything is ok with radiant first...

 

my emial is

philip.thejedi@ntlworld.com

 

and that is also my MSN

[Livingdeadjedi]

ive also had a cool idea for my map. What if i released two versions ??? one as normal. then one for adults with a little more agressive comments from the reborns. Just for a comical effect =]

[Obsidian-Jovani]

Troubleshooting

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Does your triggers (to turn off and turn on) have the "Playeronly" check box selected?

 

Do all the lights that you want to turn on and off have the same targetname motionlight?

[Livingdeadjedi]

yep ( iwouldnt make that kinda mistake HE HE HE )

 

mr Judge will hopefully emial me an example so i can try it to see if my radiants properley configured

 

oh Dinamic lights work

EG turn off and on but only light up the actual player. Is this proper as ive got no frame of reference to state otherwise ?

[Leslie Judge]

The mail is sent with the sample .map and .bsp.

 

Btw: I didn't checked playeronly for the test but there is no NPC after all.

[Livingdeadjedi]

a haa

 

i now know the problem

 

your bsp ya sent me worked perfectly

 

i then loaded the map ya made and it is exactly like i made mine

 

so i compiled yours with q3map2

 

and it didnt work ???

 

sooooooo

could ya mail me how your bsp properties is set up for your full vis

then i can copy and paste it into radiant and

i can try that to see if ive set mine up wrong =]]

 

thats probably why my light looks crap to LOL

[Livingdeadjedi]

well thanks to Leslie Judge

my lights in radiant work WOOOHOOO

 

buys a big Keg of beer =]]

[Emon]

I couldn't really understand that tutorial. Not because I don't know about editing, but because it was poorly worded and never really says what a "motionlight" is. Could someone go into detail?

[War Master]

Simply put, it's about making lights that can turn on and off which you must already know how to do. "Motionlights" is misleading, when I first looked at the thread I thought it was about spotlights like the ones on artus_mine. I haven't had time to try those yet. Has anyone?

[Leslie Judge]

Yepp, to be more exact, it describes how to make lights which automatically turn on or off when you enter a specified area.

 

The tutorial says: make several light entites, give them the same targetname (they become dynamic), check the START_OFF spawnflag for them, then make a trigger_once (to turn them on) or trigger_multiple (to be able to turn them on and off), give them the lights' targetname as target, then check the PLAYERONLY spawnflag to disable NPCs switching the lights.

 

It is for SP only, because dynamic light doesn't work in MP.

 

However I can't fully agree with the explanation of the trigger_multiple idea, because one trigger_multiple can't make a real so called "motionlight", because you should walk in the area to turn them on, then walk in again to turn them off. Plus what if I stand still in the middle of that trigger? So I think more triggers and a little scripting is needed to make a "motionlight" which turns off automatically when you leave the area.

[Obsidian-Jovani]

So I think more triggers and a little scripting is needed to make a "motionlight" which turns off automatically when you leave the area.

 

Yeah, all you would have to do is create one more trigger on the way out of the room to turn the lights off. Simple to do.

[Leslie Judge]

Originally posted by Leslie Judge

Plus what if I stand still in the middle of that trigger?

And what about this?

[Obsidian-Jovani]

Originally posted by Leslie Judge

And what about this?

 

Make the trigger to turn the lights on the same size as the room bounded by the floor, ceiling and walls.

[wedge2211]

Leslie's question still holds. When standing in the big trigger, the lights will switch on and off every time the trigger cycles.