Gunmod's Radiance Light System 2.4

[FuzzySham]

I've got a problem with your userStartup file... I've copied everything in it into mine and saved it (I made sure it had the .cheat ending), but when I started up my game, my "usual" startup cheats didn't work anymore (cars on right, testing cheats etc.)!

I don't know why they are conflicting, so could s.o. please have a look into it? Thanks very much in advance! (I only put it in a rar for uploading, it's a .cheat file in my game)

[Simsample]

It may be because of the extra spaces in the cheats- there should be only one after intprop, for example. Also, can dormspecifictools be disabled in the startup? Maybe that causes an error? If so, everything after that will be ignored.

[FuzzySham]

Thanks for the quick reply, I'll try to modify it a bit...

edit: I got rid of the extra spaces and deleted the dorm tools line, but it still doesn't work. Thanks though for the help...

[jennydeenyc]

I hadn't realized how utterly borked my lighting was until I updated this mod! Thank you! One slight issue though, my Worldly Hue and Homespun Banner streetlamps do not cast any light on the ground after placement. Haven't run into the issue with any other particular lamps yet, but will keep my eyes open. I have Uni, NL, OFB, FFS, GLS & Seasons installed, and I initially noticed the issue on a custom dorm lot, if that matters at all.

[dDefinder]

@Rubyelf

The University EP never used downtown_lot lights. It was removed in v06.

It has a turn on appearance but Maxis didn't make it strong enough.  I don't know how to edit objects directly it seem to require BHAV editing or that the object needs its recolor edited.  I've also noticed this with other stuff pack lights.

@FuzzySham

Cut the Gunmod lines and paste it at the top and see if that will work.

@jennydee

It looks like Maxis has merged the broken table light file with the street lights thus breaking more lights. Those all came from OFB. I'll be looking into that and see if it can fix it, thanks.

EDIT: 5-28 UPDATE V07

-Fixed "Worldly Hue" and "Homespun Banner" casting no light on floor and walls.
-More tweaking to lights and color.

EDIT2: 5-31 UPDATE V08

*v08*
--Fixed 2 OFB lights not casting on floors and walls, seemed to be color related.
--Changed OFB's wall light wattage.
--Reduced some overpowered lights.
--RLS takes control of night with a slightly brighter night on BV lots.
--Added RLS-Shaders from 2.2 RC1 for those who want to use it to change the water shader but don't use with Seasons.
--Added Gunmod's readme for your reference and description of limitations.

Still can't get BV to have dusk or dawn. even if its properly in the lighting file of BV it won't change from day to night anymore or it doesn't work.  I was able to get the night lighting back in RLS control but thats as far I gotten. I've also fixed some problems along the way. most were OFB lights.

[Ellatrue]

I noticed the file for the userstartup.cheat contains the line useshaders true. I've been playing with it set to false. If I keep it set to false, will that screw everything up? I don't think my graphics card can do pixel shading.

[dDefinder]

You can run it with useshaders on false.  Things noticeably different is pool ripples and reflection will be missing, fish will be invisible if you have Seasons, and bump mapping will not work. I'm not sure how it will affect the lights on a non pixel shading card. You must at least run with shadows and lights on high.

EDIT:

I've updated to fix an error that I've made that caused strange lighting effects to happen at night.

EDIT 2:

UPDATE: that will increase the distance the lights for windows and doors can travel. changes to the seasons light and fix a mistake I made.

[Ellatrue]

You can run it with useshaders on false.  Things noticeably different is pool ripples and reflection will be missing, fish will be invisible if you have Seasons, and bump mapping will not work. I'm not sure how it will affect the lights on a non pixel shading card. You must at least run with shadows and lights on high.

That's pretty much the case, anyway, since my card just can't do pixel shading, but I assume running with it set to off will somehow speed up the game since it won't be trying to process those things. So far the lighting looks good, the only irritant is with the colored lights that are diffuse only (which you said isn't the fault of the mod). The update from a couple of days ago is also a big improvement. I'll let you know if I run into any problems.

[dDefinder]

Are you running with useshaders false? Could be the reason that the fish are missing. The userstartup file that comes with this will turn it on. You can go into notepad and change it to false if you have problems with useshaders true.


It does not need 2.2 or 2.1 for it to be installed. You can just replace everything from 2.3 over the others.

First, back up your lights folder from The Sims 2 folder and the ones from all your EPs by compressing them:
The Sims 2/TSData/Res/Lights
The Sims 2 Nightlife/TSData/Res/Lights
The Sims 2 University/TSData/Res/Lights
ect.

You can now replace all the files from this mod into the individual folders of the games that you have.


The userStartup can be done either:

A)Open userStartup file inside the zip with notepad and copy all lines.
then go to:
My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Config
open the userStartup with notepad and paste the contents at the top in the txt file.

B)extract the userStartup to:
My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Config
This will overwrite everything thats in the file. This can be avoided by following step A instead.


If your useshaders is false you can also use it with Seasons but from my testing I found that the waves just freezes at random moments. You can leave it on or off but I would recommend removing it due to Seasons.

[dDefinder]

The invisible fish is cause by Usershaders false. I don't think your video card can use shaders true if its like that  by default without the Userstartup file. Although, you can try it on true and see if you get any problems.

So... am guessing I open the Userstartup.cheat file in this mod, change value to false (?) and copy/paste the entire cheat file into My Docs/EAGames/TS2/Config file

yes.

[ramseyazad]

I don't think I'm awesome enough to install this, since I can't figure out how by reading the instructions.  Do I have to extract all the files in the zip into all the EP folders and then do the whole user startup thingie, or just extract the files from the most recent ep (FT)?   I'm just sure if I do it wrong, there will be a fiery explosion, but without the lights it won't be visible.

[Cappuccino]

^ Yep, you need to replace the files in the Lights folder for every EP and SP that you have. (And the base game ones too of course) And the userstartup thing too as you already mentioned.

[ramseyazad]

I'm a little more awesome!  I installed this and wondered if anyone has noticed a funny interaction over snow cover, as in when I mouse over the snow, the snow disappears (but the ground underneath is lit fabulously!) in a circle around the cursor.  I undid the light mod from the seasons folder, since I figured snow was a seasons thing, and it fixed it.  Did I just figure out something everyone already knew?

[Cappuccino]

^ Sorry to burst your bubble, but yeah. That's an option you can turn on or off in game, it's called X-Ray Cursor or something, and it's used so you can see things under the snow, the newspaper for example etc.

[ramseyazad]

I'm not awesome.  I accept it and cry softly to myself.

[Night Racer]

this part of the install instructions confuses me:

Make sure that you compress the files and not just rename them as there will be conflicts.

Extract into the folders into *ALL* games that you have. Look in "_Stuff Packs" for SP games extract them if needed.


compress them? what? and why is there folders for ever EP and SP in there...like...arn't all the lighting files the same...?

[Cappuccino]

The first thing about compression I believe refers to the original lighting files, that you shouldn't leave them there even with different names but compress them into zip files. Better yet I'd advise to cut+paste them to an all different folder in your desktop or whatever and then replace with the RLS files.

And not sure about the other thing, but I guess it is about new lights introduced with new EPs and SPs?

[dDefinder]

@Cockroach
Like compress your lights folder into a zip. you can just move them to a different area and install the mod. Its to help direct SP or EP's to use the main light folder and not the EP/SP ones.

@Rubyelf
It could be that its cloudy and the weather type switched to overcast which is darker than default. I could brighten it up if its too dark.

[Cappuccino]

That's too dark, I agree, although I haven't experienced such an issue so far. And I did have a couple of houses Downtown so I got to see how the light was at day, and it was normal. (That was a couple of updates before though, not sure if anything's changed since) For now you could use some lights temporarily to help you look around while building.

[dDefinder]

UPDATE:
*2.3 beta 1.1a*
--Reworked how windows cast inside lighting for all weather and Seasons. This may resolve some very bright sun lighting on white objects when multiple windows were placed next to each other.
--Reduced Nighttime light cast from indoors to outdoors

@Rubyelf
Which version were you using? the overcast was brightness was increased in beta 1.1. But it probably wasn't enough?

[dDefinder]

Updated

2.3 beta 1.2
--Compatible with IKEA stuff pack.
--Adjusted IKEA light objects.
--Reverted sunlight indoor casting back to 1.1 and tweaked it.
--Reverted window's light cast settings to back v0.8 and tweaked it. (The extra complexity wasn't helping and caused problems)
--Minor tint to indoor sunlight.
--Minor tweaks to Seasons.

This has a lot to do with attempting to reduce the amount of sunlight that lights up white objects. It's mostly noticed when multiple windows are placed next to each other. I might have to go to all/certain individual windows and reduced those instead of the overall lighting. What might happen is that they'll become not as bright as they should be. Again this only happens on white or near white objects/walls/floors. I may need to know what windows are often placed next to each other and if the opinion sunlight issue. How about a brighter alternate version?

[Madame Mim]

Until just recently I was running my game on a system that had to have the shaders turned off in my userstartup if I wanted the game to run at all - which also turns off xray snow. Now I have a system in which I can leave the shaders on, and it took me five minutes to find where to turn the xray off because it was driving me crazy having a cursor that acted like a snow penetrating spot light.

[Night Racer]

Are yopu gonna update the "unlocked" if you will... sims 2 store lights with this to? they dont let off any light...

[dDefinder]

The problem is the Store objects didn't come with a .nlo attachment which help tell the object what light sources to use.

[Night Racer]

can it be attached? maybe from another light?