Light Source Tutorial

Basics

A lightpoint (glowing light source) is a non-physical object that shines a light. Unlike projectors or vehicle headlights, this light type cannot be directed into a beam and can only glow uniformously. The glowing does not cast shadows (only the sun or the moon can) and can go through walls.

A lightpoint is local to the computer where the script has been called; one player could see a light in the dark while another would not have such light "object" created.

How to

The list of all lightpoint commands can be found in the Lights command group category.

ⓘ

Light commands were introduced in Arma, and some were added later in Arma 3 (e.g setLightIntensity, setLightUseFlare).

Create a lightpoint

private _lightpoint = "#lightpoint" createVehicleLocal player modelToWorld [0,2,1.5];

ⓘ

Reminder that a lightpoint is local (and all the light commands take a local argument too), hence createVehicleLocal.

Set light colour

Colour

_lightpoint setLightColor [0.25, 1, 1]; // also defines Flare colour.

Ambient Colour

_lightpoint setLightAmbient [1, 1, 1]; // sets the colour applied to the surroundings

Set flare

ⓘ

For the flare to be visible, all the following values (use flare, size, visibility) must be defined and light colour set by setLightColor must not be [0,0,0]. Flare is not visible by day, even using setLightDayLight.

0.50

4

_lightpoint setLightUseFlare true;

0.50

4

_lightpoint setLightFlareSize 1; // in meter

0.50

4

_lightpoint setLightFlareMaxDistance 100; // in meter

Set light brightness

Set brightness

_lightpoint setLightBrightness 8;

0.50

4

_lightpoint setLightIntensity 3000;

0.50

4

_lightpoint setLightAttenuation [0, 2, 4, 4, 0, 9, 10]; // [start, constant, linear, quadratic, hardLimitStart, hardLimitEnd]

ⓘ

Formula is 1 / (constant + linear × dist + quadratic × dist × dist) - see setLightAttenuation for more information.

0.50

3

_lightpoint setLightDayLight true; // Only for light itself, not the flare

Delete lightpoint

deleteVehicle _lightpoint; // as simple as that

Full examples

Dark Souls

skipTime -daytime;

_lightpoint = "#lightpoint" createVehicleLocal [0,0,0];
_lightpoint attachTo [player, [0, 0, 1.5]];
_lightpoint setLightColor [0,0,0];
_lightpoint setLightAmbient [1,0.8, 0.25];
_lightpoint setLightBrightness 0.15;

Contact

skipTime -daytime;

private _position = player modelToWorld [0, 20, 1.5];
private _lightpoint = "#lightpoint" createVehicleLocal _position;
_lightpoint setLightColor [0,1,1];
_lightpoint setLightAmbient [0.2,0.0,0.3];
_lightpoint setLightUseFlare true;
_lightpoint setLightFlareSize 3;
_lightpoint setLightFlareMaxDistance 3.5;
_lightpoint setLightBrightness 4;
_lightpoint setLightDayLight true;

_lightpoint spawn {
	while { sleep 0.05; player distance _this > 2 } do
	{
		_this setLightBrightness 4 max (40 / (player distance _this));
	};
	deleteVehicle _this;
};

See also

• Command Group: Lights