'Point finalise' shadow problems

I've four questions about how to use the 'Point Finalise' settings in a floorplan, assumng you can.

Why are the filter settings uneditable?
What is a good shadow length?
Why whenever I try and click OK do I find the whole map flooded with whatever colour I've picked?

The attached compilation illustrates the first three questions but the final question is how did the lights, which were put onto the Symbols Lights sheet on top of things that had been on the Symbols sheets, pull whatever they had been put on top of to the Symbols Lights sheet?

Helen.

Comments

  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 81 images Cartographer
    Posted By: HelenAAWhy are the filter settings uneditable?
    Finalize doesn't have any settings. It just tells CC3(+) that this is the last sheet with light-blocking entities
    Posted By: HelenAAWhat is a good shadow length?
    For walls, 0 (infinite), for other sheets, it depends on the height of the symbols there as well as the height of the light sources. Usually in the range of 1-10 feet.
    Posted By: HelenAAWhy whenever I try and click OK do I find the whole map flooded with whatever colour I've picked?
    This indicates that the light sources are not placed properly, so no light is cast to dispel the shadows.

    If you could post your .fcw's it is easier to see what you have done and provide more detailed instructions, as well as answer #4.
  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 81 images Cartographer
    Here is your first floor file with a little bit of light setup in the room to the top left. You were using quite a lot of custom symbols which I didn't have, so I wasn't able to see the proper effects of the shadows very well, but I did a basic setup. Have a look at how I set up the effects. I only added Wall Shadow, Point Light effects, and disabled all Wall Shadow, directional effects (Since these don't look good when combined, as they represent two different ways of creating shadows)

    A few notes:
    - Make sure your entities are on appropriate sheets. While always important, this is even more important with lighting effects.
    - You didn't have any light sources defined in the map. Without light sources it will always be completely dark. With the attached map, you can see how the entire map is dark except for the room with the light sources in it.
    - Watch your scale. That room I lighted up measures in at 110'x70' which is HUGE. Keeping a correct scale makes it much easier to fit stuff and calculate light sizes and such.
    - For practical reasons, I swapped the flat and SYMBOLS LIGHTS sheets.
  • This is just for my use, Monsen, *because* of the number of custom symbols, but I wanted to know how to set up shadows.
  • Posted By: MonsenHere is your first floor file with a little bit of light setup in the room to the top left. You were using quite a lot of custom symbols which I didn't have, so I wasn't able to see the proper effects of the shadows very well, but I did a basic setup. Have a look at how I set up the effects. I only added Wall Shadow, Point Light effects, and disabled all Wall Shadow, directional effects (Since these don't look good when combined, as they represent two different ways of creating shadows)

    A few notes:
    - Make sure your entities are on appropriate sheets. While always important, this is even more important with lighting effects.
    - You didn't have any light sources defined in the map. Without light sources it will always be completely dark. With the attached map, you can see how the entire map is dark except for the room with the light sources in it.
    - Watch your scale. That room I lighted up measures in at 110'x70' which is HUGE. Keeping a correct scale makes it much easier to fit stuff and calculate light sizes and such.
    - For practical reasons, I swapped the flat and SYMBOLS LIGHTS sheets.
    Posted By: HelenAAThis is just for my use, Monsen, *because* of the number of custom symbols, but I wanted to know how to set up shadows.
    How did you get it to set up the lights? I dont have Dungeons and I think that'd be the only route.

    The symbols were on the relevant sheets - it was only when I added the lights that whatever was below the light symbols got stuck to the Symbol Lights sheet

    Helen
  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 81 images Cartographer
    If you don't have the lights menu, you can type the command directly on the CC3 command line. The relevant commands are ADDLIGHT (adds a new light, watch the command prompt for the steps), LIGHTS (lists all the lights in the drawing, double click to edit a light), LIGHTSHOW and LIGHTHIDE (Used to show/hide the light markers)
  • Thanks, Monson. You've been a great help.
  • I've typed ADDLIGHT and got XPSYMCAT which doesnt mean a thing to me. Could you point me in the direction of a reference catalogue so I dont keep pestering you with questions?
  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 81 images Cartographer
    edited September 2015
    A reference for most of these commands are in the Tome of Ultimate Mapping, if you own that. You can also find most of them if you search for the command in the help system.
    XPSYMCAT is just the command for placing a symbol from the symbol catalog. It is not a command meant to be used manually, so I don't think that one is documented in either of those sources. You'll see it pop up as the previous command on the command line each time you have placed a symbol.
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