How to add extra light to your map! (Toby Light engine)

[tobyfat50]

DESCRIPTION

This is the method I use in my maps to add some extra light. The effect that you get from using it is similar to modern light engines. However I am not suggesting it's actually a "Engine" but an effect. It also has its downs but if used properly you can produce some really beautiful results.
This technique works perfectly well on dark maps whit no fog, could be useful in caves and such.

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REQUIRED TOOLS

http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/tools-560/war3-model-editor-62876/
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STEP BY STEP

Step 1
Open a model in the model editor.

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Step 2
Go to material editor and enter the first material, create new material layer in the same material and click ok.

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Step 3
In the 2sd material you crated use same texture and ad additive filter, click ok.
You can also use a map for better results for example leaves materials with transparent textures need a "s_map" otherwise the leaves just look whitened.
(explanation to be added later)

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Step 4
You you should now have 2 material layers in the parent material. 1 is for difuse texture, 2 is the additive (under 1st).
Finish!

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DISADVANTAGES

Unfortunately, this method has a small glitch, Fog does not display on additive materials so u have to be careful when using this technique.

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THAT'S IT HAVE FUN!

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[noob]

Good tutorial.this is usefull.
But it is WC3 engine not yours engine so the tutorial name is incorrect

 

[tobyfat50]

I know that! but I couldn't help myself so I had to name it somehow.
Don't bash me please!

 

[noob]

Because you called it toby light engine no one understand this is a warcraft 3 tutorial, think it is a new game and does not see this tutorial

 

[tobyfat50]

Oh! I'm such a dummy!
Can I change the name?
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Wait! but I cleary wrote "How to add extra light to your map! (Toby Light engine)" [Mapping]

GAH! this is so annoying!

 

[RiotZ]

Epic. This will be perfect for Black Winter.

 

[tobyfat50]

Well, the tutorial is pretty simple to understand and using the technique won't drain space or resources so I don't see a reason why anybody can't use it. go for it! but I don't know how well it match in Black Winter. From the look of your project you have a lot of gray models and you will surely get a ugly whitening effect, I would suggest you use "s_maps"!!!

 

[RiotZ]

Well, the tutorial is pretty simple to understand and using the technique won't drain space or resources so I don't see a reason why anybody can't use it. go for it! but I don't know how well it match in Black Winter. From the look of your project you have a lot of gray models and you will surely get a ugly whitening effect, I would suggest you use "s_maps"!!!

That is not the map I'm using it for, I'm rebooting it.

 

[Softmints]

This is a pretty neat technique; note that it can also be done (with some care) by modifying the texture in an image editing suite and overlaying the additive effect. This means you only have to import a texture, not a new model as well.

 

[PurgeandFire]

It is indeed a pretty nice trick.

In the 2sd material you crated use same texture and ad additive filter, click ok.
You can also use a map for better results for example leaves materials with transparent textures need a "s_map" otherwise the leaves just look whitened.
(explanation to be added later)

You should add that explanation.

 

[tobyfat50]

Yes Thank you! (Toby Light engine) is just the name of this showcase and the technique I used, although it's not my personal creation. It's a single property you apply to a model. Apparently some other people are using it, as well as some better techniques.
I will add the explanation!
Your tutorial are great, I can learn from them a lot!

This is my first tutorial so...

 

[Talavaj]

-snip

while you can, technically get similar result with just color dodge/brightness/contrast image tweaks under certain circumstances (unshaded mesh). the final result will always look worse than additive blending.
that is because global/omni lightning and mesh/vertex shading reacts to additive blending differently compared to regular blending.

in short, additive white stays white and is not affected by global lighting (such as during in-game night) and even if you are jesus you won't achieve a result similar to this with just a regular texture. thus additive blend gives much richer color range than just using a regular texture, downside of which is essentially duplicating the amount of polygons.

with a little clever usage of this technique (and modulate blending) you can easy create spectacular HDR imagery even within this shitty game engine.

 

[tobyfat50]

Yes it's true what you said. I can't really get your technique in lighting mesh as it's still a mystery to me how you do it but I tell you this, I do not use duplicate mesh models because I don't want to slow game playing quality so I just stick to the aditive material. Currently I have fixed the whitening problem I just changed the colour of the s_map a little bit.

Yes I was using modulate blending as well but am not using it anymore.

 

[Talavaj]

@toby

if I'm not mistaken, each layer in a material actually raises the polygons that are rendered by the amount of polygons of the mesh that it is applied to.
so a geoset with 100 polys and 3 additive layers is actually 400 polygons rendered in game. (so does making the mesh two-sided)

 

[tobyfat50]

Are you sure?! I saw no differences especially in size or polygons when I checked a model.

 

[Blood Raven]

looks nice, but i have one suggestion: remove your siganture, it is in the tutorial rules. If you dont know how, Edit> Uncheck the box "Show signature" > save
otherwise, really great, your terrains are nice

 

[tobyfat50]

yes thank you!

 

[PurgeandFire]

Cool technique overall to give your map a certain kind of contrasty-feel.

~Approved.

 

[Adiktuz]

Cool tutorial

 

[NOSAKIAS]

Amazing!