How to model track lights for Custom Shaders Patch?

[Gunnar333]

Hi there, long time no see.
I'm back to track modelling for AC and can't figure out how to add a working track light to my track.
What I did:
adding goodwood_hillclimb.iniand goodwood_hillclimb__lights.kn5 (with a single textured cube mesh) to extension\config\tracks

in goodwood_hillclimb.ini I have:

[LIGHT_0]
ACTIVE = 1
COLOR = 10,8,6,2
POSITION = 0,0,-1
DIRECTION = 0,0,0
CONDITION = HAZARDS
DESCRIPTION = first test light
FADE_AT = 500
FADE_SMOOTH = 50
RANGE = 25
SPECULAR_MULT = 1
SPOT_SHARPNESS = 0.1
VISIBILITY_LEVEL = 1

so only one light source just for testing

I also installed the BLM Lights APP, which says Total Lights: 1, Visible: 0
also installed it in developer mode and fiddle around a bit, but no success
I can't manage to see this light.

I also found and read these resources:

https://discordapp.com/channels/453595061788344330/537345783473766411/546448205710098459

https://github.com/ac-custom-shaders-patch/acc-extension-config/blob/master/_doc_config_tracks.ini

Do anyone know a little how to add track lights for dummies?

 

[luchian]

Hmm, you shouldn't need to copy the kn5 in there.
You only need the ini(s). Maybe try to copy one of the working inis from another track and adapt it to your track ? e.g. if you wish lights in specific locations, they'd need to be associated to the "light" mesh. And that you can do in the ini.

Sorry I can't be more help, it's not very clear in my head either..

 

[Gunnar333]

Hmm, you shouldn't need to copy the kn5 in there.
You only need the ini(s). Maybe try to copy one of the working inis from another track and adapt it to your track ? e.g. if you wish lights in specific locations, they'd need to be associated to the "light" mesh. And that you can do in the ini.

Sorry I can't be more help, it's not very clear in my head either..

Thanks.
Will try this tomorrow. Adopting from another track seems the right way.

 

[Prototype]

Please share your findings, very interested in how to do this!

 

[Gunnar333]

First success.

 

[Pixelchaser]

excellent! its disco time ...so what is your step to success ?

 

[Gunnar333]

I really don't know why it didn't work before.

Now I took monza.ini extension\config\tracks and copied the some content from it to my goodwood_hillclimb.ini
changed MESHES to one of my mesh objects. and it worked.

Here is a simple code for start:

[LIGHTING]
LIT_MULT = 1
CAR_LIGHTS_LIT_MULT = 1

[ABOUT]
AUTHOR = your name here
VERSION = 0.1
DATE_RELEASE = 15/03/2019
LIGHTS_COUNT = 113/116/130

[LIGHT_SERIES_0]
CLUSTER_THRESHOLD = 0.2
DESCRIPTION = Starthouse Lights
ACTIVE = 1
MESHES = StarthousLight01
OFFSET = NORMAL
COLOR = 255, 244, 229, 0.05
SPOT = 100
SPOT_SHARPNESS = 0.1
RANGE = 3

still don't know how important "LIGHTS_COUNT = 113/116/130" is.... well and many other things I have to learn about track lights.

 

[Prototype]

What does your mesh look like @Gunnar333 ?

 

[Gunnar333]

What does your mesh look like @Gunnar333 ?

Just a simple plane facing down with some default texture and set to renderable=0

 

[Prototype]

ok gotcha! Thanks!

 

[luchian]

What does your mesh look like @Gunnar333 ?

That's not important, because the mesh itself does not generate the light. In my Parking track, my meshes look like neon tubes (use the self luminance shader settings to make it look like it's lit up), but the actual "light" is created SOLELY by the ini.

 

[Gunnar333]

You're right. The mesh is only for positioning.
I think the pivot point of the mesh is THE exact light position when OFFSET=0,0,0

 

[Pixelchaser]

so its an emitter object effectively ?

ok so the actual object lets call it the "bulb" object. this process is just a normal object with no extra intervention from ac custom shaders ? or is there some stuff for the "bulb" object. the actual light, not the object that creates the light bouncing....

can we see your work on lights too here @luchian ?

 

[barf]

I got lights working by using the MATERIAL_ADJUSTMENT_X settings in the .ini file, nothing special about the object otherwise, typical shader parameters. From what I understand the other methods like the LIGHT_X and LIGHT_SERIES_X turn a mesh, rather than a material into an emitter.

[LIGHTING]
SPECULAR_MULT = 0.2
CAR_LIGHTS_LIT_MULT = 1
LIT_MULT = 1

[INCLUDE]
INCLUDE=common/conditions.ini

[MATERIAL_ADJUSTMENT_0]
ACTIVE=1
DESCRIPTION=Light at top of Sugarloaf
MATERIALS=SugarLoafLight
KEY_0=ksEmissive
VALUE_0=255,0,0,2
VALUE_0_OFF=0, 0, 0
CONDITION=BLINK1
RANGE=25000

[CONDITION_0]
NAME=BLINK1
INPUT=ONE
FLASHING_FREQUENCY=2
FLASHING_SMOOTHNESS=0.4
FLASHING_SKIP_OFF_STATE=0
FLASHING_NOISE_AMPLITUDE=0
FLASHING_MIN_VALUE=0.0
FLASHING_SYNCED=1

 

[luchian]

can we see your work on lights too here @luchian ?

You can, and you did.

 

[Pixelchaser]

yeah I ment if you work on them. find new things etc.


ive been doing lights since way before the shaders patch and the object used shouldn't be to scale if you want it to work nice. the size correlates to the flickering, bigger lights = better working lights. is anyone experiencing the same ?

these are the last I did without the custom shaders... is everyone doing the same thing modelling wise for the lights themselves or am I missing a process ?

 

[Johnr777]

It’s a completely different process, you don’t model the “glow object”.

You just call out a MATERIAL_ADJUSTMENT_X in the ini for either the mesh or material you want to make glow at night. There are no extras, nothing to scale.

Now if you want that mesh to brighten the surrounding area, then you need another ini entry like LIGHT_SERIES_X and call out either that same mesh itself or a simple “render=false” object to emit light for that area. The various parameters in that entry control sharpness, distance, etc.

ALSO: for glowing objects/materials, you should add

KEY_1 = ksAlphaRef
VALUE_1 = -193
VALUE_1_OFF = 0

@barf , try that in your tower light, will glow better at night

 

[Pixelchaser]

cool John ! so its a fully external .ini setup that's a 2 part process. object glow (or not) and separate surrounding light effect (or not) ?

. do you have lovely lights too john ? show me your shiny stuff !

 

[barf]

Thanks @Johnr77, I tried that and it worked but the light was white (the light on the tower in my example is a red flashing one)!

 

[Johnr777]

Thanks @Johnr77, I tried that and it worked but the light was white (the light on the tower in my example is a red flashing one)!

Oh sorry, add that key in addition to the KEY_0

KEY_0=ksEmissive
VALUE_0=255,0,0,2
VALUE_0_OFF=0, 0, 0
KEY_1 = ksAlphaRef
VALUE_1 = -193
VALUE_1_OFF = 0