Volumetric Lights

[darthviper107]

I've seen this effect in the UE3 games Mass Effect 2 and Dark Void (dynamic volumetric lights/lightbeams/godrays)

So what I'm wondering is if this is available in UDK? Since this has a lot of new features, plus the lens flare bug (where it would render over characters) seems to be fixed here.

[_Lynx]

If I get it right, you need to check the included DM-Deck - there are few lightbeams coming through the windows behind two lifts.

[myleslambert]

The volumetric lighting is infact just a mesh with a complex material setup for it.
To replicate this all you need to do is make a mesh with the shape of the volumetric light you want and then remake the volumetric material that Epic used in Unreal. Just open up the material in UT3 and take a look how they did it.

[darthviper107]

I'm talking about dynamic light rays, similar to what Crysis has, but lots of other games are adding that effect. But I noticed in Mass Effect 2 and Dark Void videos they had dynamic light rays, like the Normandy space ship going by with rays, or the jetpack guy flying around.

[Fartuess]

Well... UT3 don't have real Volumetric lightning system... It have only very simple volumetric effects like fog Volumes, but nothing more. Light beams in UT3 was made exactly in that way ho myleslambert says.

I don't know how it looks now. It would be very nice if UDK supports Volumetric lightning

[darthviper107]

I'm just wondering if it's in UDK since this is a very recent version of the engine and Mass Effect 2 and Dark Void which use the engine both have the effect.

[Lost Haven]

Yes , unreal engine has the effect. and there is a doc on this. It is on udn they got a lot of documentation on there , volumetric light
http://udn.epicgames.com/Three/VolumetricLightingGuide.html

I think you might be getting confused with light scattering , Like the rays you get from trees , and mountains when the sun is behind them , and when you move they move too .

I don't think ue has light scattering , but you can fake it by setting up volumetric lights with some scripting to change when moved back and forth.

[darthviper107]

It looks like it's in some version of the engine, check these videos:
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/preview-hd-dark-void/58700
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/enemies-developer-mass-effect/58665

Looks just like how it's done in Crysis. And I've noticed some other games that started to have it. Seems it's not that complex, but either an engine has it or it doesn't.

[ambershee]

Yes , unreal engine has the effect. and there is a doc on this. It is on udn they got a lot of documentation on there , volumetric light
http://udn.epicgames.com/Three/VolumetricLightingGuide.html

I think you might be getting confused with light scattering , Like the rays you get from trees , and mountains when the sun is behind them , and when you move they move too .

I don't think ue has light scattering , but you can fake it by setting up volumetric lights with some scripting to change when moved back and forth.

It's a 'volumetric effect' - but it isn't actually volumetric lighting.

[micahpharoh]

yeah, those are just light cones. If you do it correctly then it gives the illusion of volumetric light, but it's really not.