Adding Game objects to CAW - getting LIGHTs to show properly.

Dr_Nonsequitur

Hi All -

I have no problem making, modifying, recoloring, setting up illumination settings in TSRW, etc.
I recently thought it would be nice to have the WORLD space a little more SIM friendly at night so, thought I'd put in some pathway lighting wherever there were long stretches of sidewalk (the trails).

Using TSRW I cloned the outdoor lighting bollard. I made no modifications at all - just cloned as-is with a unique name of course.
I pulled out the Package, used S3PE and changed the World usage info and set it to display in CAW set the Build Category flag to 8000.

Although any attempt to add to CAW worked - only the texture of the object was lit - it had no effect of the surrounding terrain or other objects. In other words - the only thing lit up was the object itself (the light I just made and placed in the World) - it did not light up the ground or area. I tried this with all the lights available through TSRW and EA. I tried adding a new light source in TSRW. I changed all the lighting parameters and light types - one at a time - brought up a world in CAW and placed the light object. Only the skin of the object glows and not the area around it.

I copied the light setting from streetlights and other lights - even started fresh and added my own lights and light setting - same results.
The only light I could not clone was "Generals Shawarma's" (whatever the name...) lamp available in CAW - doesn't list in TSRW and I'm not going to hunt it down in Build DB as this is not the style I'm looking for and is way too big for my needs.

I will also post to the TSRW board.

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Has anyone been able to clone an EA (or any other) light source object and have it work properly within CAW?

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Is there a TRICK or unique method to get these to work within CAW? Light the ground and area - not just itself?

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I have not attempted to see if they show properly within the game as I could not get them to display properly within CAW. I'll try that later.
Any help with this will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

flstrider

@Dr_Nonsequitur If you are talking about the CAW EIG, you may want to import your world into the game and test it there. EIG freezes time and just like water effects, most other effects do not come up as a result. I have never tested lighting effects in CAW but have never had any problems with lighting once the world is imported into the game, give that a try.

ts1depot

OP, I'm not understanding your process for adding these lights to the world. It seems rather complicated for what you're trying to accomplish.

For one, there is an outdoor light in CAW called "This Little Light of Mine" that can be used to light up pathways. That's the one I've always used. It looks like a golf tee, but it's a light. Below is what it looks like:



Secondly, additional in-game objects come with Super CAW, so chances are that the bollard that you want to use is in that.

Dr_Nonsequitur

All very good information - thanks.

I did bring up a copy of SUPER-CAW and can place most anything but the lights still do not show properly within CAW or EIG. Lights placed from within CAW (into the world and not attached to a "Lot") that are not originally set up as being a light source for CAW will only "Glow" and not illuminate the area around the light source.

It seems that the Street lights, "General Swarma", an outdoor wall light and the "this little light" are the only lights that display properly within CAW or EIG - I still haven't had the chance to test it all out. I did test out the Bollard I made and the one (EA) provided by SUPER-CAW, after Export (in-game). The result was disappointing - only the light object (mesh itself) illuminated - not the ground around the object (in-game). Light settings for other objects like billboards and signage seems to work for world objects but not light sources originally designed for Lots (shouldn't be different in how light source info is handled (it would require a different handling routine at CORE and add overhead).

It seems just setting the object's Version to "E" and making it viewable from the CAW library does not make it a "Light". Changing Light settings, either through TSRW or by editing light settings through S3PE, has little effect. It does make the objects glow brighter though...

Transferring "Light" data between objects also doesn't work. Again, object glows according to "light intensity" setting but no ground effect.
I reinstalled all Sims3 and CAW just to eliminate CORE problems - my system is fine.

So, it seems there is a hiccup with the way "light" is handled between game and world objects. They are not handled internally the same way. Making a vehicle's dashboard light up, changing a LOT object to a light or a LOT light to use within your World - only partially work, and not as it should. I need more technical information regarding.

I just thought there would be a "rarely used and relatively unknown" setting from within the GRID of S3PE or someplace that would allow gameobject light settings to work properly when placed into the World.

Thanks again for reminding me of the "little light". I didn't see it in the Catalog last time or that would have worked. You can't adjust luminosity levels but I may be able to adjust that setting with a property edit in a unique instance.

Well, beginning to ramble so - again - thanks for all your info.