Generate Lightmaps

The Halo 2 Tool lightmaps command computes and stores high-quality light and shadow detail by way of photon mapping, a method that simulates real-life light particles.

Note: Higher-quality settings take much longer to run than draft modes but look considerably better. Start out with draft-quality settings, and then move up to a production-quality setting when you are ready to publish the map.

Syntax

C:\<Halo2ArchitectDirectory>\H2Tool lightmaps <scenario-path> <structure-name> <quality>

<scenario-path>: Name and location of the level's .scenario file on the disk for which Halo 2 Tool will create lightmaps. This parameter can be relative ("scenarios\multi\...") instead of absolute (C:\...") as long as Halo 2 Tool is run from inside a valid Halo 2 directory structure.

<structure-name>: Name of the level's .scenario_structure_bsp file. This file must be in the same directory as the .scenario file.

<quality>: Any of the following quality settings.

 

Setting	Photon Count	Sample Count	Gather Distance	Antialiasing Samples	Bounced Lighting
direct_only	100,000	0	1.0	1	No
draft_low	5,000,000	0	1.0	1	Yes
low	5,000,000	3	1.0	1	Yes
draft_medium	10,000,000	0	2.0	2	Yes
medium	10,000,000	5	2.0	2	Yes
draft_high	15,000,000	0	3.5	2	Yes
high	15,000,000	8	4.0	2	Yes
draft_super	20,000,000	0	4.0	2	Yes
super	20,000,000	8	4.0	4	Yes

Example

This example will result in lightmaps being generated for a map called Gladiator, using gladiator.scenario_structure_bsp with low-quality light settings.

C:\<Halo2ArchitectDirectory>\H2Tool lightmaps "\scenarios\multi\gladiator\gladiator" gladiator low

If successful, Halo 2 Tool will create a .scenario_structure_lightmap file and a .bitmap file in the same directory as the .scenario file, named for the .scenario_structure_bsp. The .scenario_structure_lightmap file stores information used during lightmap generation, while the .bitmap file contains the actual light and shadowing for the .scenario_structure_bsp file.

Errors encountered during the conversion process are reported on the command-line screen and stored in debug.html, found in the base directory of the .ass file that is being imported.