Just a quick question if there is a way to have multiple lighting setups for 1 level that uses lightmaps? Do I have to save 2 copies of the same map? Does that mean I cannot have synchronised asset placement in both levels since lightmaps are stored in the level where all 3D models are?
Well lightmaps is just data so you can use postprocess volumes to adjust the light levels but if you want more than a few different lighting setups you can make a master lighting level and use level streaming to try out different lighting solutions.
This sounds very interesting. Could you expand on ’ level streaming ’ a bit or point me in the right direction in the docs? Is this similar in principle to referencing in Scenes in, for instance, Maya where I might have different light setups in multiple scenes and just reference in whatever light rig I wished to render with?
Most common use is level streaming can be used to make large environments but, in 3ds Max speak, can be used to x-reference individual levels as part of the combined persistent level. I would guess Maya would have a similar ability/feature but the basic idea is to allow content creators to work on the same project as a team project and split up file ownership with out the need to a single persistent project.
To access the level streaming feature you will find it under Window>Levels. From there you can add existing, create a new level, merge as well as move or copy assets from one level to another. One of the tools is the ability to switch the visibility from BP controlled to always loaded.
There are a few ways to do world compositing but level streaming is a trick to load in say sample files to copy some pre-fabs but I use an always loaded level containing my master lighting and a few key lights as a quick start.
But I afraid that solution isnt particularly what I’m after? In a nutshell what I’m trying to achieve is to have a level with all assets placed in it + multiple lighting conditions to showcase it. Such as night time, day time, evening etc. As I mentioned earlier lightmaps are being baked into level with all 3D assets, so I guess the only solution is to have multiple copies of the same level?
Well the easy way would be to do a day/night time version of the same environment as unique levels and then do the switch as a level stream and switch between what level you wish but you could also do it as a single level dynamically
For example.
Once again though light maps are just baked images that are stored as images that are stored with the project. You can see the maps that are generated under World Settings > Lightmaps so they are not baked directly into the materials so they can be modified run time for day and night cycles using a post process and auto exposure or cube maps.
If you are doing nice static lighting, there will still be the delay of rebuilding lights every time you want new lighting. Having the duplicated level allows very fast streaming if your end goal is to have your light composition switch out in real time. If you are only talking about development and don’t need fast changes in lighting at runtime, there are alternatives. You can set up your lights in a blueprint or in a separate level that becomes a sub-level of your scene. So you have a level with assets, but all lights and their settings can be separate.
You can’t switch out those static shadows at runtime with this method, though.