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466 ratings
Better Spotlights
Description Discussions0 Comments87 Change Notes
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Type: Mod
Mod category: Block, Other
Tags: NoScripts
File Size
Posted
Updated
6.110 MB
21 Aug, 2021 @ 6:19pm
30 Jul @ 9:56am
10 Change Notes ( view )
Created by
Thorn Blackwell
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Better Spotlights

Description
This mod makes a number of improvements on spotlights, based on what exists in reality.

The hazy cone effect is removed, and the light produced is cast farther than vanilla spotlights. In reality, the cone of light haze is an effect only seen in dense atmospheres, and its appearance is also a sign of why the light is limited in range. Most of the environments a space engineer will find themselves in won't do either. In space, or on the Moon, Mars, or Europa, there is little or no atmosphere to scatter or limit light. So, on half of the planets/moons, and all of space in this game there is no reason to simulate that which would not exist.

The lines in the light cast have been removed, because experiments with light show that they would not be visible beyond a few feet in front of the spotlight. In order for a shadow to be cast by objects in front of the light, much more of the light must be obscured. The glass guard that is supposed to create the lines doesn't block the central point of the light source in any significant way, and is therefore invisible at a distance from the spotlight itself.

Updated - This Mod now includes the Searchlights from Warfare 2.

PLEASE - Take the time to rate, like, or dislike this Mod.
87 Comments
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Thorn Blackwell  [author] 2 Aug @ 10:01am 
Thank you guys, I've been partial to the reduced haze version of this mod. It doesn't make much sense in space, but it's a decent balance. The lines from the spotlights are my biggest pet peeve. I have high hopes that SE2 lighting is much better.
Roy 30 Jul @ 2:37pm 
Congratulations on surviving the heart attack! Those suck. Keep up with the PT even after the official stuff ends. It doesn't always seem like it but it helps in the long run. Even if only casual speed cardio like stationary bike or walking helps. Good luck with the writing and thank you for the fixes. Your light mod is my go-to because it's the most realistic light projection I've found in the mod list.
Norrisweb 30 Jul @ 1:28pm 
@Thorn Sorry to hear you've been ill. Hope you get well soon :steamthumbsup:
Thorn Blackwell  [author] 30 Jul @ 9:51am 
@Roy okay I have tried to correct the files, @semtex I tried that but I could never get it to work. @Everyone I removed the spotlights from the mod. All of the "reflector lights" seem to degrade performance, and there is another mod for the spotlights if you want to use them. I've been away a while, I had a heart attack last year and since then I have been writing, my writing is not the best so I'm trying to improve it. In case you're wondering I'm 61.
semtex 30 Jul @ 3:25am 
It would be good to somehow include the light on the spacesuit in the plugin — it's really poor and definitely deserves improvement.
Roy 27 Jul @ 7:59pm 
Here's an FYI of almost comical nature in its low level of importance. I kept getting errors using this mod related to a capitalization issue in the CubeBlocks_Contact_Pack.sbc file.

Example of error:
File extension of: Textures\Lights\flood_light.DDS is not supported.
> [BuildInfo] Game expects all lower-case extensions, try .dds.

Fixed the errors locally by changing all of the file extensions on references from ".DDS" to ".dds" in that file. It isn't exactly a critical failure but it was a repeat offender. I have 10 less entries to sift through to find what the real problems are now. Thought I'd pass along the information to help you fix it centrally or to help other log hounds who are troubleshooting mod oddities remove more noise from their logs.
Jim 1 May @ 9:36am 
Nice one. Is it possible to also increase the amount of spotlight beams visible at a time or in other words increase the display limit? Or is that a deeper issue?
stormzel 25 Feb @ 11:51pm 
nice!!!
Space Ace 1 Feb @ 12:31pm 
Just a heads up, the mod seems to modify a lot of Contact DLC blocks that it doesnt really need to touch, like the new turrets. You can remove anything that isnt a light from the CubeBlocks_ContactPack.sbc
Vas 28 Jan @ 5:47pm 
Unfortunately, had to remove this mod because it adds tons of DLC items that I can't disable with my DLC disabler mod. :P