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Ace Cassidy
Resident Bohemian
Join date: 5 Apr 2004
Posts: 1,228
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05-15-2004 04:11
I've been playing around with various shapes and objects that are "Light". If I add twists and omega rotations, along with multiple textures to some of these objects, I can get some very nice looking effects.
However, I don't have a real good understanding of how light is rendered in the world, so I'm worried that some of these creations may cause problems with someone who views them in-world.
Do any of the following cause undue hardship on either a sim or a client when the object is of type "Light" -
A) Twisted and curved surfaces
B) Rotating objects
C) Multiple, complex textures
D) Multiple, intersecting light sources
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Julian Fate
80's Pop Star
Join date: 19 Oct 2003
Posts: 1,020
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05-18-2004 11:05
From: someone Do any of the following cause undue hardship on either a sim or a client when the object is of type "Light" Short answer: yes. Longer answer: A–D will cause extra server load whether the object is a light or not. |
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Selador Cellardoor
Registered User
Join date: 16 Nov 2003
Posts: 3,082
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05-18-2004 12:25
<<Short answer: yes.
Longer answer: A–D will cause extra server load whether the object is a light or not.>>
In that case, shouldn't the short answer be 'no'?
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Julian Fate
80's Pop Star
Join date: 19 Oct 2003
Posts: 1,020
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05-18-2004 14:51
No, because the basic concern was "do any of the following cause undue hardship on either a sim or a client?" It's like asking "Is it bad to get shot when the bullet has been dipped in tobasco?"  |
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eltee Statosky
Luskie
Join date: 23 Sep 2003
Posts: 1,258
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05-20-2004 10:55
as far as how light is rendered in world its not done in 'real' time aka the light in the game isn't applied per frame, every frame through the normal light paths in the videocards...
SL light is calculated on a cpu and its only 'polled' every so often (try making a big 10x10x10 sphere at night, then set it light... you will notice it takes a few secons for that effect to 'percolate' through all the terrain and surrounding objects
as far as the actual light calculation.. intensity is effect by overal 'size' of an object (or possibly just the objects largest dimension.. aka im not sure a 10x10x10 sphere pushes out more light than a 0.1x0.1x10 stick...
the type/twist/cut etc seems immaterial... the actual light itself is calculated from a 'point' at the center of the object (you can turn on the debug show light thingy and you'll see light lines radiate out from the center points of objects)
as to *why* lighting is cpu calculated and non real time in SL jus think.. *MOST* commercial video cards support 8 lights in hardware.. a few of the most powerful now support 16... a typical scene in SL may have 50
that would amount for TREMENDOUS load on the game if lighting was calculated every frame, so instead its jus a color shift thats calculated once for each vertex of each prim, and checked/updated every so often
(a fun experiment, create a large physical light and push it around, you'll see some strange effects)
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wash, rinse, repeat
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