.MAP How To Mod Lights

[SnipeStyle 178]

This time im going to teach you how to mod lights and achieve an effect, similar to the one above.

Follow the tutorial and learn all the basics!

Requirements:

• Jtag, RGH, or Dev Kit
  
• Ascension
  
• memedit.xex dashlaunch plugin.
  
• Halo: Reach installed to USB or HDD
  
• An Updated [Ligh] Plugin. Get It From The Wiki: Link
  

Tutorial:

1. Start off by opening a [ligh] tag of your choice in ascension. For the sake of this tutorial, I´ll be modding "objects\lights\shared\red_flashing\red_flashing".

2. At the top should be a float called "Max Intensity Range". Set it to 255. This will make the edges of your light really sharp:

3. Now set the "Light Range" to 255. The light will have an unlimited radius and illuminate the whole map:

4. Change the form to "cone". From now on the light will act like a flashlight:

5. Replace the "Light Spread" value with 255. This will disable the spread and focus the light:

6. Go to the top of ascension and disable the illumination. Dont forget to do this, or else your bitmap wont show up! Below is a small comparison between a normal light with and without illumination:

7. Ok, its finally time to pick a bitmap.Scroll down to "Projected Frustum bitmap" and select one. Almost all of them work and will show up.

I chose "objects\levels\dlc\shared\bitmaps\gpga_logo".

8. Almost done! Im not a big fan of the red so lets change it to blue. The next steps can be a bit tricky, so pay attention! Since we´re going to edit tagdata make sure that you have the newest ascension build available. go down to light color data and place your cursor in the top right corner of the data field.

9. The color information is stored in three ubyte´s in rgb order. They start at offset x05 so tap your left arrow key 10 times. Afterwards select the following 6 digits (three bytes= 3x2 digits).

10. Now choose your new color. The easiest way is to visit this site, pick a color and copy the hex code above the square (of course you can use any other image editor or colorpicker too):

11. In ascension, replace the selected code with the new one and press the "Manual Poke" button. You´re done. congratulations!

Note: If you dont want to alter the appearance of your bitmap, set the color to "ultrawhite" by inserting the hexcode "FFFFFF".

12. Outcome:

[Ninja4826 16]

hey I'm not sure if where you said "Wiki: Link" you meant to insert a link, but if you were, its not there.

[AKIMBO BUNNYZ 34]

hey I'm not sure if where you said "Wiki: Link" you meant to insert a link, but if you were, its not there.

It's there. You just copy everything in the wiki and paste it over your plugin

[SnipeStyle 178]

It's there. You just copy everything in the wiki and paste it over your plugin

nah, it really wasnt there. i was in a bit of hurry when i wrote the tutorial and forgot to create the wiki page .

it´s up now.

[Ninja4826 16]

oh ok XD well I've been trying to update my plugins accordingly with the wiki page, but I'm not sure how to make the "airs" tag show up (for airstrikes). Any idea why?

[Ninja4826 16]

I'm getting an error when I try to poke the color values. What's the latest Ascension build?

[deadcanadian 271]

I'm getting an error when I try to poke the color values. What's the latest Ascension build?

http://www.mediafire.com/?6e2c3lh6t968wdm

[Lord Zedd 1,771]

oh ok XD well I've been trying to update my plugins accordingly with the wiki page, but I'm not sure how to make the "airs" tag show up (for airstrikes). Any idea why?

Its only for maps that use it:

m20, m45, and all Firefight maps.

[Ninja4826 16]

oh that explains it

[Elijah B I 138]

Awesome now we just need a lens plugin hahah

Also, could there be a way to add a color palate to the Ligh plug in? like to change the color with out needing to go to an outside source. If you're confused about what I'm talking about I'll post a pic

Edited February 5, 2012 by Elijah B I

[SnipeStyle 178]

Awesome now we just need a lens plugin hahah

already working on one

[Lord Zedd 1,771]

Set "Frustum Light Spread" to 0 to display the whole bitmap like so:

[deadcanadian 271]

Also, could there be a way to add a color palate to the Ligh plug in? like to change the color with out needing to go to an outside source. If you're confused about what I'm talking about I'll post a pic

im trying to set something like that up, cause these tagdata are actually almost the same as a struct. cause they point to a position and contain offsets inside themself. however there isnt multiple of them ever. so eventually i plan to load them similarly to a struct.

[Lord Zedd 1,771]

Added info on the Brightness tagdata in the Wiki plugin.

If your projected bitmaps looked a little dull, bump up the first byte of each float to 42 for a quick fix. (example in the picture from my previous post)

If you want to be fancy, use this: http://gregstoll.dyndns.org/~gregstoll/floattohex/

[Elijah B I 138]

Just finished testing everything out, you can make the Hog's head lights look really realistic with a little editing haha change there collores too lol. Also, the Falcons spot lights now work xD lol. Thanks for making this, it will be put to good use

[Nate the Great 560]

Just finished testing everything out, you can make the Hog's head lights look really realistic with a little editing haha change there collores too lol. Also, the Falcons spot lights now work xD lol. Thanks for making this, it will be put to good use

I did both of those along time ago

[Elijah B I 138]

I did both of those along time ago

Yeah, I have too I think everyone has messed around with it at some point, but this just makes it easy

[Balisong235 4]

how do you overwright the ligh plugin?

[Krazy Pigeon 102]

I can't get the colours to save. Can you only poke them?

[SnipeStyle 178]

I can't get the colours to save. Can you only poke them?

yeah poking works, but the save button doent save tagdata edits since the last ascension build.

[Krazy Pigeon 102]

yeah poking works, but the save button doent save tagdata edits since the last ascension build.

That's something i'm looking forward to then.