New to gamesalad - Lighting?

wij_man

Hi,

I'm brand new to GameSalad. I'm creating my first game and I'm a little stuck on something which is probably basic to you guys! I have an actor (a little ball) and I want to project light around it which doesn't go around my other actors (leaves a shadow).

How can I do this?

Thanks

AcceleratedGames

You should try this:
1. Create a new actor that has the same image as the ball.
2. Change that actor's color to black.
3. If you are doing a game where the view is from the top down, have that actor slightly larger than the ball and it constrain it to the ball's X and Y position and make sure the shadow is right below the ball actor in the layers.

wij_man

Hi,

That makes sense, but it wouldn't produce a shadow. The basic idea that I'm trying to conceptualise is:

An Enemy player has a field of vision (Light)
If the field of vision is limited (object in the way) then the light shows this be casting a shadow (lack of light in that area). I would know how to do this in XNA (vectors...), but in GS I have no idea where to start!

MotherHoose

@wijman … welcome to GameSalad!

this may be the effect you want:

http://forums.gamesalad.com/discussion/comment/299843/#Comment_299843

look at the posts in that thread by @old_kipper

hope the link is still working for the demo

MH

wij_man

Hi MH,

That link is VERY helpful, but I don't see how it would avoid corners (other actors). As I'm trying to project field of vision, so something like: http://imagebin.org/223277

I'm probably being dumb, but I have no idea is this sample can be modified to do that ^

MotherHoose

believe the demo uses a round or oval light image …
you could use a cone shaped light image for your example
or for flashlight; spotlight; searchlight effect

set the black-box actor's Graphics: Blending Mode to normal
as the light source is behind that actor … you should get lightBlocked effect

that demo, of those, effects is breath-taking exquisite!
almost forget to explore the full-potential that @old_kipper has given us!

MH

RP

Gnarly. Great link thanks!

I recently recorded some booming/roaring thunder indoor, outdoors and various house-environments. I'm gonna play with something similar with this masking technique, but also add something for lightning!

wij_man

Hi MH,

I've uploaded another image using the sample project. http://imagebin.org/223285

As you can see the light surrounds the box, rather than just lighting the side of the box that would make contact with the light. Am I missing something?

wij_man

I have rather crudely scribbled out the light that I would expect to be missing from the previous image here: http://imagebin.org/223287

MotherHoose

scribbles are supposed to be shadows?

think the box actor should control the shadow it will cast ???
… that would be image with normal blending mode but perhaps decreased opacity?

you could have the box spawn its shadow … depending on lightPosition

MH

wij_man

hmmmm, that's an interesting idea. I didn't think about spawning shadows! Not sure exactly how to do that, but I'm glad that I'm heading in the right direction!