Modified version of VHLT 34

A new version of VHLT 34 modified by Unkle Mike contains:

Scalable lightmaps per brush, or regulating subdivide step per prush. You can set global lightmap parametr in the worldspawn properties, or do it individually, by making target brush (or some of them) as func_group, if this is world brush, or adding special field if group of brushes already an entity (but this feature only works under Xash3D latest version).

Major feature of modified version for GoldSrc engine is studiomodel shadows. This works with some restrictions:

Model takes light from floor, so if on floor will be shadow (darker lightmap) that can shadow all model. If model too dark - use "effect 16" trick for lighting model from ceiling.

Now Xash3D working properties.

For brushes:

zhlt_texturestep - defines count of texel per luxel. 2-64 max. 2 gives to you maximum resolution, 64 will looks like vertex lighting.

zhlt_maxextent - subdivide step. 8-128 max.

Working in couple with zhlt_texturestep, so subdividing calculates as simple formula:
(zhlt_texturestep * zhlt_maxextent) - zhlt_texturestep

Example for Half-Life:
(16 * 16) - 16 = 240;

Example for BSP31
((8 * 64) - 8 = 504;

Final value shows subdivide step. Simple to suppose, than less subdivides than less polygons and more speed of level drawing. In Half-Life does not works, works in Xash, will work in XashXT and Paranoia after updating.

Properties for models:

In Xash shadow from models turned on automatically. For all other mods haves parameter zhlt_studioshadow (0\1). Main thing is entity must contains path to model in model field. You can also make monster drop shadow, but remember: monster gone - shadow will stay. zhlt_shadowmode (0\1\2). Quality balance\speed of computing. 1 as default value. For models with transparent textures use 1, because shadows from solid textures exist only in that mode. Mode 0 is lowest, 2 highest. Quality also depends from lightmap resolution, but for GoldSrc users it's not available.

Another solutions:

1.Accelerating of HLCSG work (planes hashig)

2.Landscapes supporting (for future version of Paranoia2 and Xash only). Unusable now, but already works.

3.Source-look progress bar.

4.Supporting of world transparent water (turned off now, because make RAD crashes with off HLRAD_WATERBLOCKLIGHT)

Sources of the current version of compilers will be availible to download after wide testing (probably you a little help with?)


Upd:

As i say, here is x64 version of compilers with sources (included in archive). The main difference compare with 32-bit is: you can forget about the out of memory error (the 2 GB limit is overcome). In vhlt_goldsrc folder you can find a full compatible versions which will works with Half-Life or Xash. In vhlt_xash compilers only for Xash (exe's contains a number "31" in names), and compilers which will works in theory on HL and Xash (number "31" in name). Anyway Xash can use additional possibilities like deluxe map, more realistic lighting for models, ambient cubemaps etc. No guarantees that maps which will compiled with a 30-th version always will works on GoldSrc. For example: changing lightmap resolutions will kill compatible. In other words, this tricks for expirienced users who understands what they doing, carefully tests they work, and wants that map use possibilities of both engines at maximum. x32-x64 - is versions for same type of system. Also compiling time on 20% shorter now for x64. Enjoy!

Download links:

UnkleMike's ZHLT v34.zip
env_static.zip example

Wow! this is incredibly useful!
Quick test with some custom models that have masked transparency (hank)
http://the303.org/imaeg/shadowbsp.jpg

EDIT: Also Raid, if you or others you know need a bunch of custom models for more thorough testing you can get these I made:
http://forums.svencoop.com/showthrea...ssorted-Models

Could you provide sources so we can build it on other platforms and architectures?

Yes. Sources, please.

One thing I did notice is that on mode 2 that while the shadows were fuller the models themselves were darker. But that could be because the lighting origin of the model is right on the floor so I assume thats because the darker shadow was touching the floor and causing this correct?

Very cool. I see more mappers using models as props nowadays (meaning the past few years). They could make good use of this model shadow feature.

2 The303:
Thanks!

About modes: mode 2 is not fully correct, but because lightmaps with it haves low resolution, that can looks better in some cases. Highest resolution will be in mode 1, 0 - only for fast compilation. This thing builds only approximately shadows.

2 Dynamite:
Sources will be released after few weeks after your tests. Unfortunatelly our community not so big, so we have not possibility to massive tests. Therefore we need people for testing. I.e than more you test, than fast we release sources. We just need confidence that compilers works fine, we don't want to release sources of not ready programs.

Nice work :) Good to see people are still adding to VHLT in 2017!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Raid

2 Dynamite:
Sources will be released after few weeks after your tests. Unfortunatelly our community not so big, so we have not possibility to massive tests. Therefore we need people for testing. I.e than more you test, than fast we release sources. We just need confidence that compilers works fine, we don't want to release sources of not ready programs.

---

The license for VHLT requires you to provide the source code upon request for publicly released applications.

2 Dynamite:
Yes, we just on pre-release stage now.

I don't see why releasing the source would make it more unsafe for public use, than the provided binaries. If you hosted it on GitHub, not only could you keep history of changes, but also receive contribution from the community both with bug reports and with pull requests.

The reason why VHLT requires you to provide sources is a) because of the license and b) binaries can't be trusted and people would probably like to build it themselves.

It has been a requirement for a very long time (My builds of ZHLT 3 show a requirement in 3.0 Beta 4 Rev 3) that got published in Nov 2004 (same build that had a models casting static shadows request in the todo.txt)

As such it has been a requirement for the source to be provided for each build for the last 13+ years as this allows people to see the enhancements that where provided in the update, and see if they could effect the overall integrity of the prior builds.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hezus

Nice work :) Good to see people are still adding to VHLT in 2017!

---

Sorry It is not 2017 - Please unpack and check date of vhlt zip.

"December 22 2016"

Wow new features - I never see that. I will try it. :)

As i say, here is x64 version of compilers with sources (included in archive). The main difference compare with 32-bit is: you can forget about the out of memory error (the 2 GB limit is overcome). In vhlt_goldsrc folder you can find a full compatible versions which will works with Half-Life or Xash. In vhlt_xash compilers only for Xash (exe's contains a number "31" in names), and compilers which will works in theory on HL and Xash (number "31" in name). Anyway Xash can use additional possibilities like deluxe map, more realistic lighting for models, ambient cubemaps etc. No guarantees that maps which will compiled with a 30-th version always will works on GoldSrc. For example: changing lightmap resolutions will kill compatible. In other words, this tricks for expirienced users who understands what they doing, carefully tests they work, and wants that map use possibilities of both engines at maximum. x32-x64 - is versions for same type of system. Also compiling time on 20% shorter now for x64. Enjoy!

P.S.: You can ask developers directly in thread. Probably that's will be faster to get answers than trying to read my runglish.

No ripent?

No.

I could not get the model shadows working, no matter what I tried. I even copied the cycler entity from the example BSP and compiling it with the 64 bit GoldSrc tools. They will not cast shadows.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Raid

and compilers which will works in theory on HL and Xash (number "31" in name).

---

There's a typo, in original thread the number "31" is "30".

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Raid

zhlt_texturestep - defines count of texel per luxel. 2-64 max. 2 gives to you maximum resolution, 64 will looks like vertex lighting.
zhlt_maxextent - subdivide step. 8-128 max.

---

I tried them, and shadows look great.

One problem:
It works on tiny maps, but on medium or big maps Xash3D throws Host_error: Alloc_block: full.

I checked the output BSP file, it was 78 Mb !

increasing -heapsize didn't work.
Any suggestions?

I have started to migrate vhlt 34 to CUDA.any chance we can get the source for this build so I'm not behind the times?

For some reason vhlt 34 has very slow RAD compared to ZHLT 3.4F (SSE2).

control map took 220.21 seconds in v34 compared to 180.74 seconds in 3.4f

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by amckern

I have started to migrate vhlt 34 to CUDA.any chance we can get the source for this build so I'm not behind the times?

For some reason vhlt 34 has very slow RAD compared to ZHLT 3.4F (SSE2).

control map took 220.21 seconds in v34 compared to 180.74 seconds in 3.4f

---

Here:
https://github.com/FWGS/UMHLT

Any success with the migration?

Trouble with building vis and csg crashes in hull 0. Vhlt also crashed on hull 0.

I'll need to trouble shoot.

Focus on hlrad, thats where the most time of the processing goes.

Hello I answer now. I forget to say - nice hack! How did you know who creates map with small curvy brushwork without black hole?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by amckern

I have started to migrate vhlt 34 to CUDA.any chance we can get the source for this build so I'm not behind the times?

---

Why CUDA and not OpenCL?

OpenCL works across all GPU architectures and even FPGAs. CUDA is Nvidia only and they've been price gouging for years.