[Tutorial] REMOVING UGLY SHADOWS

[YM]

Yeah I don't doubt that they'll use plenty of this sort of stuff in L4D, I can't actually see why they wouldn't use this in everything now they've got it
(they used it in all the tf2 maps, the specific examples I was confused about before I looked this up was the track in goldrush and the fencing in badlands, both didnt have shadows disabled and yet both cast proper shadows)

[marnamai]

Thanks a lot for this tutorial

This has caused many frustration for me in the past, I 'll certainly be using this nice feature in my map.

[YM]

Just remember the amount this adds to compile time is incredible and it uses loads more CPU power too so make sure you only do it for pretty much final compile only.

[marnamai]

Still getting fullbright maps after following this tutorial to the smallest points.

It seems as if vrad is completly skipped
Here is the compile log

** Executing...
** Command: "c:program filessteamsteamappsmaartenfrooninckxsourcesdkbinorangeboxbinvbsp.exe"
** Parameters: 

Valve Software - vbsp.exe (Mar 11 2008)
Command line: "c:program filessteamsteamappsmaartenfrooninckxsourcesdkbinorangeboxbinvbsp.exe" 

usage  : vbsp [options...] mapfile
example: vbsp -onlyents c:hl2hl2mapstest

Common options (use -v to see all options):

  -v (or -verbose): Turn on verbose output (also shows more command
                    line options).

  -onlyents   : This option causes vbsp only import the entities from the .vmf
                file. -onlyents won't reimport brush models.
  -onlyprops  : Only update the static props and detail props.
  -glview     : Writes .gl files in the current directory that can be viewed
                with glview.exe. If you use -tmpout, it will write the files
                into the tmp folder.
  -nodetail   : Get rid of all detail geometry. The geometry left over is
                what affects visibility.
  -nowater    : Get rid of water brushes.
  -low        : Run as an idle-priority process.

  -vproject <directory> : Override the VPROJECT environment variable.
  -game <directory>     : Same as -vproject.


** Executing...
** Command: "c:program filessteamsteamappsmaartenfrooninckxsourcesdkbinorangeboxbinvvis.exe"
** Parameters:  

Valve Software - vvis.exe (Mar 11 2008)
Command line: "c:program filessteamsteamappsmaartenfrooninckxsourcesdkbinorangeboxbinvvis.exe" 

usage  : vvis [options...] bspfile
example: vvis -fast c:hl2hl2mapstest

Common options:

  -v (or -verbose): Turn on verbose output (also shows more command
  -fast           : Only do first quick pass on vis calculations.
  -mpi            : Use VMPI to distribute computations.
  -low            : Run as an idle-priority process.
                    env_fog_controller specifies one.

  -vproject <directory> : Override the VPROJECT environment variable.
  -game <directory>     : Same as -vproject.

Other options:
  -novconfig      : Don't bring up graphical UI on vproject errors.
  -radius_override: Force a vis radius, regardless of whether an
  -mpi_pw <pw>    : Use a password to choose a specific set of VMPI workers.
  -threads        : Control the number of threads vbsp uses (defaults to the #
                    or processors on your machine).
  -nosort         : Don't sort portals (sorting is an optimization).
  -tmpin          : Make portals come from tmp<mapname>.
  -tmpout         : Make portals come from tmp<mapname>.
  -trace <start cluster> <end cluster> : Writes a linefile that traces the vis from one cluster to another for debugging map vis.
  -FullMinidumps  : Write large minidumps on crash.
  -x360		   : Generate Xbox360 version of vsp
  -nox360		   : Disable generation Xbox360 version of vsp (default)


** Executing...
** Command: "c:program filessteamsteamappsmaartenfrooninckxsourcesdkbinorangeboxbinvrad.exe"
** Parameters: -lights lights_port.rad -both -staticproppolys -staticproplighting -textureshadows -final -game

Valve Software - vrad.exe SSE (Mar 11 2008)

      Valve Radiosity Simulator     
Command line: "c:program filessteamsteamappsmaartenfrooninckxsourcesdkbinorangeboxbinvrad.exe" "-lights" "lights_port.rad" "-ldr" "-staticproppolys" "-staticproplighting" "-textureshadows" "-final" "-game" 

usage  : vrad [options...] bspfile
example: vrad c:hl2hl2mapstest

Common options:

  -v (or -verbose): Turn on verbose output (also shows more command
  -bounce #       : Set max number of bounces (default: 100).
  -fast           : Quick and dirty lighting.
  -fastambient    : Per-leaf ambient sampling is lower quality to save compute time.
  -final          : High quality processing. equivalent to -extrasky 16.
  -extrasky n     : trace N times as many rays for indirect light and sky ambient.
  -low            : Run as an idle-priority process.
  -mpi            : Use VMPI to distribute computations.
  -rederror       : Show errors in red.

  -vproject <directory> : Override the VPROJECT environment variable.
  -game <directory>     : Same as -vproject.

Other options:
  -novconfig      : Don't bring up graphical UI on vproject errors.
  -dump           : Write debugging .txt files.
  -dumpnormals    : Write normals to debug files.
  -dumptrace      : Write ray-tracing environment to debug files.
  -threads        : Control the number of threads vbsp uses (defaults to the #
                    or processors on your machine).
  -lights <file>  : Load a lights file in addition to lights.rad and the
                    level lights file.
  -noextra        : Disable supersampling.
  -debugextra     : Places debugging data in lightmaps to visualize
                    supersampling.
  -smooth #       : Set the threshold for smoothing groups, in degrees
                    (default 45).
  -dlightmap      : Force direct lighting into different lightmap than
                    radiosity.
  -stoponexit	   : Wait for a keypress on exit.
  -mpi_pw <pw>    : Use a password to choose a specific set of VMPI workers.
  -nodetaillight  : Don't light detail props.
  -centersamples  : Move sample centers.
  -luxeldensity # : Rescale all luxels by the specified amount (default: 1.0).
                    The number specified must be less than 1.0 or it will be
                    ignored.
  -loghash        : Log the sample hash table to samplehash.txt.
  -onlydetail     : Only light detail props and per-leaf lighting.
  -maxdispsamplesize #: Set max displacement sample size (default: 512).
  -softsun <n>    : Treat the sun as an area light source of size <n> degrees.                    Produces soft shadows.
                    Recommended values are between 0 and 5. Default is 0.
  -FullMinidumps  : Write large minidumps on crash.
  -chop           : Smallest number of luxel widths for a bounce patch, used on edges
  -maxchop		   : Coarsest allowed number of luxel widths for a patch, used in face interiors

  -LargeDispSampleRadius: This can be used if there are splotches of bounced light
                          on terrain. The compile will take longer, but it will gather
                          light across a wider area.
  -StaticPropLighting   : generate backed static prop vertex lighting
  -StaticPropPolys   : Perform shadow tests of static props at polygon precision
  -OnlyStaticProps   : Only perform direct static prop lighting (vrad debug option)
  -StaticPropNormals : when lighting static props, just show their normal vector
  -textureshadows : Allows texture alpha channels to block light - rays intersecting alpha surfaces will sample the texture
  -noskyboxrecurse : Turn off recursion into 3d skybox (skybox shadows on world)
  -nossprops      : Globally disable self-shadowing on static props


** Executing...
** Command: Copy File
** Parameters: "c:program filessteamsteamappsmaartenfrooninckxsourcesdk_contenttfmapsrcalphashadowtest.bsp" "c:program filessteamsteamappsmaartenfrooninckxteam fortress 2tfmapsalphashadowtest.bsp"


** Executing...
** Command: "c:program filessteamsteamappsmaartenfrooninckxteam fortress 2hl2.exe"
** Parameters: -dev -console -allowdebug -game "c:program filessteamsteamappsmaartenfrooninckxteam fortress 2tf" +map "alphashadowtest"

[YM]

what are you doing to get it to print out all those commands?

[YM]

Just spent quite a while with marnamai trying to fix a load of problems, we managed to fix them thankfully and the tutorial has been ammended (I missed a bit when I was copying stuff over) so that no one else will run into the same mess.

[efciem]

Thanks for this bit of info,

I've been editing rad files for various self-lit texture stuff for a while, but this is a nice addition

[YM]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Youme

Just spent quite a while with marnamai trying to fix a load of problems, we managed to fix them thankfully and the tutorial has been ammended (I missed a bit when I was copying stuff over) so that no one else will run into the same mess.

eh somehow my edits got removed, if they do again this is what I edited:

-lights lights_youme.rad -both -staticproppolys -staticproplighting -textureshadows -final -game $gamedir $path\$file

(notice how its got $gamedir $path\$file at the end)

[umbratile]

Wow, this tutorial is great! I have a feeling I'm really going to need this when I start prettying up things.

[VelvetFistIronGlove]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Youme

Next open the rad file in your text editor of choice and add some lines at the bottom (or at the top, doesn’t really matter where)

When going through this, I gound that your own lights-whatever.rad should start entirely blank, and not as a copy of the original lights.rad. As Youme said, it won't break if you do copy it, you'll just get a lot of warnings about duplicate lights.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Youme

forcetextureshadow models/props_gameplay/security_fence256.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_gameplay/security_fence128.mdl

Those two lines make VRAD cast proper shadows based on the alpha channel of any texture on the two fence models. If you find another model casting bad shadows that has an alpha channel texture add it into there.

I went through every tf2 model, and identified all (I believe) the models that use alpha textures that you'd want these rules for, so here's a complete custom lights-tf2.rad:

forcetextureshadow models/props_gameplay/security_fence_big01.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_gameplay/security_fence_big02.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_gameplay/security_fence512.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_gameplay/security_fence512_lower.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_gameplay/security_fence512_skybox.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_gameplay/security_fence256.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_gameplay/security_fence32.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_gameplay/security_fence64.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_gameplay/security_fence64_lower.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_gameplay/security_fence80.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_gameplay/security_fence_section01.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_gameplay/security_fence128.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_gameplay/security_fence128_lower.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_gameplay/security_fence256_gate01.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_gameplay/security_fence256_gate02.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_gameplay/security_fence256_lower.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_farm/haypile001.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_farm/tree001.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_farm/tree001_skybox.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_gameplay/door_grate001_bottom.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_gameplay/door_grate001_top.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_gameplay/door_grate002_bottom.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_gameplay/door_grate002_top.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_gameplay/door_grate003_bottom.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_gameplay/door_grate003_top.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_foliage/bramble001a.mdl 
forcetextureshadow models/props_foliage/bramble001a_skybox.mdl 
forcetextureshadow models/props_foliage/corn_plant01.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_foliage/shrub_01a.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_foliage/shrub_02a.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_foliage/shrub_03_card.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_foliage/shrub_03_card_skybox.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_foliage/shrub_03_cluster.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_foliage/shrub_03_cluster02.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_foliage/shrub_03_cluster_skybox.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_foliage/shrub_03a.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_foliage/shrub_03b.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_foliage/shrub_03c.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_foliage/shrub_04a.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_foliage/shrub_04b.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_foliage/tree01.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_foliage/tree02.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_foliage/tree_pine01.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_foliage/tree_pine01_4cluster.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_foliage/tree_pine01_8cluster.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_foliage/tree_pine01_8cluster.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_forest/shrub_03_cluster.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_forest/shrub_03b.mdl
forcetextureshadow models/props_forest/shrub_03c.mdl

If you come across any I've missed, let me know and I'll add them here.