Using the cubemap probe entity

This is a short article on how the cubemap_probe works for Urban Terror's new Bumpy features. I must stress that this only works with any of the FS_q3map2_radbump.exes and which will only work when -radbump is used in the compile. If you do not have FS_q3map2_radbump.exe then you can find the latest update in the first post in this thread on the UrT forums, its a windows program but can run with linux under wine.

You will also need to add this to the bottom of your definition file for GTK, you should find this in /scripts/urbanterror.def

//====================
// Cube Map Probe
//====================
/*QUAKED cubemap_probe (1.0 0.5 0.8)(-8 -8 -8) (8 8 8)
Location of camera for cube map for specular mapping. Place at head height in the centre of an area. There are no keys.
*/ 

Just as a bit of trivia, I suggested to BladeKiller on IRC while she was writing up this entity for 27 to make it pink for laughs, and she made it pink :)

First off, you might already know what a cubemap_probe does and how it works but if you don't, think of the cubemap_probe as a camera. In which from each of the 6 sides of the cube it takes a 128x128(I think) image of each of the 6 angles from the cube. These images will be used to as the specularity image which is reflected off of a texture, how visible these specular images are is dependant on how high or low the specularity of the normal map is. This gives the illusion that your normal maps are reflecting the world behind you, but they're just using images which have been 'framed' from the angles of your cubemap_probes. When placing these cubemap probes around your map you need to remember to not put in too many, one per atrium/hallway is enough. I normally think of it as one per 768 units or so if your map has a few open bits (eg ut4_oaks).

I used a light setup which in my opinion produces the best specular lighting from bumpy textures.

The top light points to the info_null with a light value of 100, the bottom light doesn't point to any other entity and has a light value of 50. With this arrangement you have the top light show the light coming from the model above and the bottom light giving light to walls and surfaces which the light above doesn't.

First off I started with tests with and without using the cubemap_probe, then I did a compile using a cubemap_probe with 8 bounces. (fair warning, these images are 2-3mb each)

[File:Cube1.gif]