Virtual tour - volumetric light

I'm writing some articles for on my portfolio and I wanted to do something different with the example maps I'm going to provide with them.

Here's a first version of the example map for an article on volumetric light in Half-Life, featuring a sort of Lost Coast narratory system. Currently I have some extra options for each method that'll get explained, like the wireframe view and the changeable brightness.

I'm thinking, should I incorporate these things into the narratory part, with things flashing up when I speak about them, or do you like this better?
I'm also thinking about doing some camera parts, where the view control will be taken from the player for a short sight-seeing of a particular effect or such.

So I'm interested to hear your opinions and idea's about this. :smile:

---

Create-ivity - a game development blog

Cap, I downloaded this today when you posted it in the other thread about recordings.

The zip doesn't have any instructions.

Where does everything go?

---

The best things in life, aren't things.

Oh, sorry, I thought this would be clear to anyone familiar with Half-Life mapping. I'll be updating the .zip now. :smile:

Just so you don't have to redownload it: the folder hierarchy in the .zip assumes you copy it straight into the valve\ map. The sounds go in valve\sound\virtualtours\volumetric_light\, the map obviously into valve\maps.

---

Create-ivity - a game development blog

sighs

My knowledge extends to a point to where I do not trust people to compose a properly made zip file.

Sorry Cap.

I always place my own files. Somehow, having a hard drive full of files that were supposedly zipped properly, doesn't appeal to me... At least, not again.

I don't mean to be evil about it, but "assuming" isn't the best course to follow.

---

The best things in life, aren't things.

No problem, providing some sort of readme is a good thing so you just made sure I didn't forget. :smile:

Anyway, what do you think about the actual map and it's explanation methodics?

---

Create-ivity - a game development blog

Actually, I haven't loaded it yet. Been busy getting ready for the weeks runs.

I listened to you in the recordings. Sounds great. Your English is fine. Your words... Some of them I only know because I know mapping however. The accent makes some of them sound... Not clear.

Anyway, the main drawbacks of this method are that it doesn't really look like a volume, and that its not getting blinding when you look straight into the light.

I know what you said, what I heard was a totally different thing.

As for the tutorial, I like the idea. If we had visual tutorials when I first learned, I might not have acquired as many bad habits. I would suggest that if you could fix the tutorial to be interactive, as with the "Lost Coast" demo, you'd win many kudos.

---

The best things in life, aren't things.

You should add a glow to the light! Maybe with the glow3 or the glow5 sprites.

This way it will be a bit more blinding and realistic.

---

Elon Yariv

Nice addition, but I've got more methods to cover - this is an early version to show the way I'm going to do this map. There's especially one method that's very cool (but somewhat slow to render now and then).
My main question is whether or not this audio idea works well. :smile:

@Orph: Interacive... hmm, there's an idea, but I think it should cover more things than just volumetric light then. With a single-player map, it'd be a good thing to cover some gameplay and design issues as then it fits in. I'm afraid combat would detract from the subject in this particular map and a puzzle or something could make it a bit obstructing. Though, how about hiding a secret button somewhere and hinting to it? Some additional audio messages describing how I made this button system or such (or something more rewarding, I dunno :razz: ).

---

Create-ivity - a game development blog