Results 1 to 4 of 4

Thread: DK2 lighting system

  
  1. #1

    Default DK2 lighting system

    Hi guys!

    I am doing some research on the lighting system DK2 used. Is there any information to be found on this?
    I am aware the meshes DK2 uses have some extra vertices in them just to show light information, as you can see below.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	blog_silhouette04.jpg 
Views:	87 
Size:	46.5 KB 
ID:	1325

    It just insane how a game from 1999 uses so many dynamic looking lights on the screen at the same time.
    The light from the torches are constantly animating and so are the light that are cast by your cursor and monsters.

    Any ideas where/how I could find more information about this?

    Tili

  2. #2
    Your Majesty Hapuga's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Austin, USA
    Posts
    1,444

    Default Re: DK2 lighting system

    Quote Originally Posted by Tili_us View Post
    Hi guys!

    I am doing some research on the lighting system DK2 used. Is there any information to be found on this?
    I am aware the meshes DK2 uses have some extra vertices in them just to show light information, as you can see below.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	blog_silhouette04.jpg 
Views:	87 
Size:	46.5 KB 
ID:	1325

    It just insane how a game from 1999 uses so many dynamic looking lights on the screen at the same time.
    The light from the torches are constantly animating and so are the light that are cast by your cursor and monsters.

    Any ideas where/how I could find more information about this?

    Tili
    I'm not sure what you mean by "to show light information". I think their vertices hold position, normal, texture and maybe color information, that's it.
    From the looks of it I'd say - deferred rendering and blinn lights. Oh, and their shadows are buggy.

    Also, the picture that you attached has nothing to do with lights. Its a vertex representation of the wall.

    Quote Originally Posted by Tili_us View Post
    Hi guys!

    The light from the torches are constantly animating and so are the light that are cast by your cursor and monsters.

    Tili
    um.. torch fire animations have nothing to do with light. It's an effect. and light just has a radius and faloff that is being modified to give the effect of "torch light".
    Last edited by Hapuga; February 6th, 2014 at 20:24.
    http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/6659/c2warlocki.gif

  3. #3

    Default Re: DK2 lighting system

    Quote Originally Posted by Hapuga View Post
    I'm not sure what you mean by "to show light information". I think their vertices hold position, normal, texture and maybe color information, that's it.
    From the looks of it I'd say - deferred rendering and blinn lights. Oh, and their shadows are buggy.

    Also, the picture that you attached has nothing to do with lights. Its a vertex representation of the wall.
    DK2 uses something called gouraud shading, where the light information is interpolated at the vertex level, more vertices in the meshe equals better looking shading. Thats why I posted the mesh pic.

    Also deferred rendering wasn't something that was possible in 1999, or do you mean deferred at the vertex level?

    Quote Originally Posted by Hapuga View Post
    Oh, and their shadows are buggy.
    Care to explain why? This might hold some clues on how DK2 calculates light.

  4. #4
    Your Majesty Hapuga's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Austin, USA
    Posts
    1,444

    Default Re: DK2 lighting system

    Quote Originally Posted by Tili_us View Post
    Care to explain why? This might hold some clues on how DK2 calculates light.
    Well, deferred shading was invented in the 80s, I believe some form of implementation could be found in 1999.

    It looks like the shadow is being calculated from a limited amount of light sources (4 as far as I can tell), due to that, when a creature enters another room, shadow will "jump" around the model.
    http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/6659/c2warlocki.gif

Similar Threads

  1. Mood System?
    By Metal Gear Rex in forum Dungeon Keeper 2
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: January 3rd, 2013, 16:16
  2. DK 1.73.exe - System error
    By Dysterika in forum DK2 Multiplayer
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: August 19th, 2012, 02:56
  3. New chat system
    By dotted in forum General Discussion
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: November 5th, 2011, 19:55

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •