Floor and light question.

[repulse]

When I move around in HL2 and CS:S the floor often light up. Not very much, I think it's a kind of glow-effect. I think it looks much better, and want to make this in my own maps. I think I control the most basic mapping-things, but I just cant seem to find out how to make this. A floor looks much better with this effect, you know! Like when you are in de_dust and walk inside the tunnel.. The floor isnt just a surface with a texture.. Some kind of light interact with it..

I hope you understand my question and know how to do it.

repulse

 

[deanohey]

cube_map

you need the cube_map entatiy and place it at eyes hight in your map above the serface you wat to shine it only works on some texturs so you will have to play,when you play your map open up your consol and type buildcubemap and this will make your floor shine.i hope this helps you

 

[repulse]

thanks! Yeah I have tried to work with the cubemap, but why do I have to type buildcubemap in console while I'm playing? When I see this "light" in the game it is there without me typing buildcubemap...?

 

[chestburster]

the buildcubemaps command is needed after you have compiled a new map. It creates the cubemaps and stores it in your BSP file. After you have done this, it isn't necessary anymore.

 

[repulse]

thank you very much. Now it works!

 

[PvtRyan]

To give some extra explanation: the 'shine' is a reflection on the floor of its surroundings. A cubemap creates these reflections. A cubemap basically is 6 pictures, one for each side of a 'cube'. These images are then reflected by the floor. Builcubemap creates the images of the cubemap, that's why you need to do it.

Also, you need multiple cubemaps, one won't be enough. Place cubemaps in every area that looks different from the area where you have a cubemap in. For example if you have a red and a green room, both with shiny walls, place one cubemap in both rooms, otherwise the walls in the green room will have a reddish reflection, which looks stupid. Cubemaps are also used on stuff like your gun to make them look like metal.

 

[Dead-Inside]

Good info, never got *why* you had to type buildcubemaps...

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

For example if you have a red and a green room, both with shiny walls, place one cubemap in both rooms, otherwise the walls in the green room will have a reddish reflection, which looks stupid.

Also put one between the rooms...

 

[repulse]

A really good explanation, thx!