Lightmap improvements?

[Bunny]

Suggestion type:
Forum/FGunZ/Other


Suggestion description:
I believe most of the community, and especially those work on maps in this game first hand, appreciate and like how the lightmap option adds point light sources to the map, giving it a more realistic look and feel. This is especially evident in maps like the recently revamped Canal Town and X Minecraft:

Spoiler!

No lightmap:

Lightmap:

However, when you get views like these in a lot of the existing maps by using lightmap:

Spoiler!

Almost any non-brightness saturated display I've seen that also shows a well lit map in decent brightness would perceive these as near pitch black. While the lightmap looks good, it feels like its personally crippling anyone who chooses to unironically use it while playing compared to a non-light map archetype users, if you're not just walking around and looking at the pretty lighting or only staying in training rooms.

It would be nice if we can have a little setting that determines the lower limit for how dark we want stuff on the map to be. This would be a little like the brightness setting but instead of applying globally, it would be only applying to low brightness areas below the threshold, bringing them to it.

Another/alternative pretty nice option (though not sure if its possible to make) is a form of dynamic light as I've encountered via shaders in minecraft - where holding a light-source while moving would create a moving light source with you. Maybe the player entity could have a glow, if lightmap enabled, that lights up the places they're in so as to avoid situations like the ones in the pictures above?

[degijas1]

I really like this one. I used to use white maps a lot back in the day and the reason why i dont anymore now is cause some maps are too dark. Like i dont remember duel being that dark can hardly see anything. Maps like town are fine etc.

[justRelax]

Well, all I can say is that the examples you provided such as Arena doesn't have a light source, something like Darker implies as the name suggests and lastly Attack&Defense has light sources but is just too high up to be visible at the bottom. Based on the examples you provided I would say though if you would want to see improved lightings in these maps they will need some sort of redesign as well. Knowing that you are very technical Bunny, it would be good if you can make a list of maps that already have light sources but could use an improvement in volumetric / improved lighting, so we have a starting point.

[Bunny]

Well, all I can say is that the examples you provided such as Arena doesn't have a light source, something like Darker implies as the name suggests and lastly Attack&Defense has light sources but is just too high up to be visible at the bottom. Based on the examples you provided I would say though if you would want to see improved lightings in these maps they will need some sort of redesign as well. Knowing that you are very technical Bunny, it would be good if you can make a list of maps that already have light sources but could use an improvement in volumetric / improved lighting, so we have a starting point.

I was thinking of alternatives that would require as little interfering with the maps themselves, but making it so that every dark spot below a certain value gets brought up to that value. That way we dont have to specify a list of maps and explore every nook and cranny searching for dark spots. Im not actually sure if thats possible since for example in arena we have red light sources and bringing up the dark bits will only make them whiter so it might look a bit odd but probably better than without it.