Better way to add lightbulb lights in vehicle?

Bzmot332 · Jan 8th 2023

Hi!

I'm working on a tram that has passenger lighting like this:

What I don't really know is what's the "best" method for adding lights like this. On my previous vehicles I simply added this many point sources, but that's not very performance efficient, and even with a few lights I got light flickering bug.

There are about 40 lightbulbs, in two sections (one can be turned off when the other is on, and of course they are separated in a zig-zag pattern), so adding all as individual point sources is quite bad. But if I give invisible bar lights (one for each department) with varying intensitiy (according to the number of sections ON), the zig-zag pattern is lost (though not like it was visible really in LOTUS). Should I use this very basic lighting with maybe some effect on the ceiling texture (like in OMSI with the baked lights)?

tramkatze · Jan 8th 2023

Quote from Bzmot332

On my previous vehicles I simply added this many point sources,

The main problem with that is that people who have their settings for light sources set to a low number will only see a few of those and it'll look bad.

Quote from Bzmot332

But if I give invisible bar lights (one for each department) with varying intensitiy (according to the number of sections ON), the zig-zag pattern is lost (though not like it was visible really in LOTUS).

I would suggest using that for everyone who doesn't have detail light sources activated if the difference isn't that big, and use detail light sources for the point sources for everyone who does have those activated, because those aren't limited by the settings as far as I know.

Quote from Bzmot332

Should I use this very basic lighting with maybe some effect on the ceiling texture (like in OMSI with the baked lights)?

I don't know if there are any plans on Lotus' side to change light effects, but I would recommend using that (for example by using a lightmap for the celing with the rings of light thrown by the lamps on it), although you will probably have to experiment a lot until it'll look good. Maybe I'm unaware of some feature which would make this easier, though.