How to do a custom day-night cycle?

ImAlim · June 22, 2024, 11:15pm

Hi, if anyone has a good way to do a custom day-night cycle (preferably using Day Sequence Device) would you be able to help me out?

I have used the device but you cannot access it within verse, so I tried a work around with switches that turn the day sequence devices on and off based on my custom time, however doing this causes every time a day device gets disabled it causes it to revert briefly to a different time and sky setting even when another day device is enabled.

I’m not sure why this happens and have tried every possible way to fix that jitter but can’t find a way to do it. I have also tried using a sky light and using a cinematic to move the rotation, but that didn’t work as the sky light doesn’t even show up.

Astrotronic · June 24, 2024, 4:03pm

Hi Alim,

Just wanted to make sure you’re aware of the Lighting Feature Example Project. It implements a sequencer-based approach.

Let us know if that helps. I’m happy to chat more about this system. (Control of ToD seems like an important system to know and master)

ImAlim · July 15, 2024, 2:36pm

Hi Astrotronic,

Thank you for the reply and sorry for my late response!

I believe I tried using something similar with the SkyAtmosphere but just couldn’t quite figure out how to use it correctly, not sure if it was because I also had a daysequence device in my world, but when using cinematic sequence to change the device it wouldn’t run.

Any tips you’d suggest to get this to work? Basically, if I use the SkyAtmosphere how would I make the day and night cycle last 5 minutes and customize the sky fully to my liking with it.

Astrotronic · July 15, 2024, 4:22pm

No worries,

I was able to exert control over the sunlight by placing an ‘Environment Light Rig’ device, and then rotating it in Sequencer.

I did need to ‘Disable all Time of Day Managers’ in World Settings though.

How does that solution work for you?

ImAlim · July 17, 2024, 7:50am

Would this also allow for me to control how the sky looks itself? As I am wanting to change the sky based on whether it’s sunrise, sunset or night time.

The way I am doing now works but does require 2 devices for each hour of the day, so if there’s an easier way to achieve this it would be great

Astrotronic · July 17, 2024, 3:56pm

Yes, there are ‘components’ on the environment light rig that you can control.

The Light rig also changes the sky based on rotation/direction.

Rotating a single actor with Sequencer will definitely be easier than managing 48 devices.

Let us know how it goes!

ImAlim · July 18, 2024, 6:45pm

I will give this a try and let you know! Thanks so much

ImAlim · July 18, 2024, 8:06pm

I’m not sure fully how this works, so will have to read up some more as my sun wasn’t showing but the effect of the lighting was

Astrotronic · July 23, 2024, 4:09pm

In my test map (with the setup mentioned above) I’m noticing the shadows changing but not the sun disc position.

It’s the ‘Sky Atmosphere’ component in the Environment Light Rig that should be detecting/assigning the directional light and changing the sun/moon position based on directional light rotation.

BUT since we’re rotating the Environmental Light Rig in Sequencer instead of the Directional Light Component directly maybe that is where the disconnect/bug is?

When trying to rotate the directional light like I would in UE4/5 to drive the sun, I do not get the expected result… (I see disc remaining stationary and edges morphing)