By default, lightmaps are limited to a size of 128x128 pixels, so at -samplesize 8, any surface larger than 1024 units cannot have full lightmap detail.

However, I added a feature to the engine to load external lightmaps as written by q3map2 when using -lightmapsize 512 (or even 1024).

To see how much visual difference it can make, see the following screenshots:

current:


future:


Also, as the lightmaps then are external image files, one could JPEG compress them, at the cost of some slight lightmap bleeding...

holy f... that´s nice, i wanted this for some time now. gj divVerent!

On a side note, will not this make deluxemaps more detailed too? and would it be safe to resize deluxemaps to say 256 while keeping lightmaps 512?

Brilliant! I was thinking about this the other day! Now all we need is animated lightmaps

to make it a bit clearer just how much this can mean for visual quality:

Both images compiled with identical settings except for -lightmapsize

with default 128x128 lightmaps:


with 512x512 lightmaps:




and with pimped tweakge:

!!!!!!!
/me needs to shake div's hand.
/me needs to get back to mapping
/me is happy

Thats very cool. I just hope there is a way to get those black spots fixed, they look really ugly. But the new sharp shadows are very cool. Almost makes me wish someone would redo all lightmaps

So how does the workflow look like? (to use external lightmaps with q3bsp)

Just add the parameter -lightmapsize 512 (or 1024...) when compiling

The black spots are not visible in game this is gl_lightmaps 1

By external lightmaps I meant something like they describe in following interview: http://katsbits.com/htm/articles/age_of_conan/age_of_conan_making_of.htm

I would suppose basicly each map in Nexuiz would gain from those bigger light maps without costs (well when the next release is out and you have an engine that supports this change)
Does anyone have time to take radiant and recompile each map with big external light maps (and maybe test it in a development engine)??

Stormkeep:

before:


after:

That's awsome div

Just a noob question. Do these lightmaps have an effect on player models? Like when you're walking through shadow your character gets shadowed and stuff?
As long as overbright skins are disabled of course.

Sure, indirectly, but that is not more sharp now. The light grid stayed at the same resolution, as it would otherwise take up MUCH more space.

o...m...g... thats AWESOMEO.O
im...im......Great Work divVerent

i like these screenshots a lot - massive improvement, keep up the good work