Creating Lighting in a 2D Game
a year ago
- #Game Development
- #Dynamic Shadows
- #2D Lighting
- D.O.R.F. currently uses 2D sprites with baked-in lighting, leading to issues like artifacting and depth-sorting problems.
- The team is developing a dynamic lighting system for 2D sprites using normals sprites and depth sprites.
- Diffuse sprites provide the main visual information without lighting.
- Normal sprites use color information to simulate 3D facings for realistic lighting effects.
- Depth maps (Z-Depth) use grayscale to determine distance from the camera, aiding in depth-sorting.
- Micro Z-depth sprites (Shadow Sprites) create 3D meshes on the fly for dynamic shadow casting.
- The system is experimental, with potential issues in shadow mesh accuracy and animated objects.
- Despite the complexity, the system is efficient, requiring fewer frames than expected for animations.
- Dynamic lighting allows for varied sunlight angles and multiple light sources, enhancing atmosphere.
- The system is still in development, with significant rework needed for existing assets.