nifty1
Amateur Golfer
Letting me loose on the designer is like giving a gun to a monkey!!
Posts: 206
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Post by nifty1 on Jan 5, 2021 16:48:52 GMT -5
Thoughts on Haze vs Fog? I'm going Haze on mine I'm publishing soon as I like what it does to the horizon more then Fog making it slightly muckier. What are other's thoughts? On my current course I’m using a mixture of light fog and haze to soften the distance.....of course I’ve messed with those settings a thousand times too! Choice is not a great thing to someone who can’t make up their mind! 😊
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jayraygun
Weekend Golfer
Don't worry, that unintentional blindness was intentional.
Posts: 137
TGCT Name: JayRayGun
Tour: Challenge Circuit
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Post by jayraygun on Jan 8, 2021 1:24:06 GMT -5
One thing to remember when you're going back and forth on lighting: even once you find a setting you like and settle on it there are still many factors that will affect other's gameplay.
For one, some players like to change the time of day they play. If you've set your default time to Noon but lowered you sun's inclination drastically to get those dramatic lighting effects, if someone plays your course in the morning or late evening, they run the risk of playing in near darkness.
Also, everyone plays on different screens from TVs to computer monitors to Nintendo Switch devices. Each of these will come with their own native color settings and the course you create and view on your own monitor may not be what others see. I have a course right now where I've chosen some color textures for the grasses that look great in low light settings but downright garish in any other lighting. But that's on my computer monitor. If I play the course on my TV with my PS4, the colors come our much more subdued even in higher lighting.
My best advice coming from an amateur to other amateurs is don't go chasing those dramatic lighting settings you see from some of the "pros". Even if you find one, it's probably only going to work for a hole or two (unless you build all your holes into or away from the sun). Instead, focus on lighting that allows your course to be seen at all times of day, doesn't throw large, long shadows across greens, doesn't wash out the course with blinding brightness, and brings out the purposeful undulations in your fairways and greens.
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nifty1
Amateur Golfer
Letting me loose on the designer is like giving a gun to a monkey!!
Posts: 206
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Post by nifty1 on Jan 8, 2021 5:45:30 GMT -5
One thing to remember when you're going back and forth on lighting: even once you find a setting you like and settle on it there are still many factors that will affect other's gameplay. For one, some players like to change the time of day they play. If you've set your default time to Noon but lowered you sun's inclination drastically to get those dramatic lighting effects, if someone plays your course in the morning or late evening, they run the risk of playing in near darkness. Also, everyone plays on different screens from TVs to computer monitors to Nintendo Switch devices. Each of these will come with their own native color settings and the course you create and view on your own monitor may not be what others see. I have a course right now where I've chosen some color textures for the grasses that look great in low light settings but downright garish in any other lighting. But that's on my computer monitor. If I play the course on my TV with my PS4, the colors come our much more subdued even in higher lighting. My best advice coming from an amateur to other amateurs is don't go chasing those dramatic lighting settings you see from some of the "pros". Even if you find one, it's probably only going to work for a hole or two (unless you build all your holes into or away from the sun). Instead, focus on lighting that allows your course to be seen at all times of day, doesn't throw large, long shadows across greens, doesn't wash out the course with blinding brightness, and brings out the purposeful undulations in your fairways and greens. Absolutely. One recent setting I had looked ok on PC but when I tried the beta on my PS4 through a different TV it looked awful. I’m edging toward the more subdued light settings (like Arctic Fury but not as good!!) I think, ok you don’t see the dramatic undulations but you get an overall smoothness to the entire course. I design on PC through a 55” OLED TV and it often looks great but I will now always put a beta up and try on our cheaper TV on the PS4. I do think we still have to publish with lighting that we like and prefer, regardless of the fact that people can change the time and weather. I think a course should always be first played as the designer initially intended for it to be played, including the lighting and weather. I’ve played in some societies that insist on taking the great course by the likes of Arctic Fury and setting to midday with clear skies. One of the best designers in the game gets the look he worked hard at trampled all over by silly ultra bright settings. I don’t think we need to worry what other people set the weather to when they play, we have to publish with what we feel looks right for the particular course.
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jayraygun
Weekend Golfer
Don't worry, that unintentional blindness was intentional.
Posts: 137
TGCT Name: JayRayGun
Tour: Challenge Circuit
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Post by jayraygun on Jan 8, 2021 14:44:27 GMT -5
I can agree with you there. As always, design the course YOU want to play. If people want to play your course as you have dictated, great. They'll get to see it at its full potential. But if they'd rather take your 4K HD IMAX Movie and watch it on their phone through cheap JBL headphones, well they shouldn't really complain when they say they can't see or hear anything.
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Post by PicnicGuy / BobalooNOLA on Jan 8, 2021 14:57:21 GMT -5
Agreed about trying too hard and it only works on the 'showcase holes' more often than not.
I try and always do one round of the designer's default lighting over on The Island of Misfit Courses society, but when playing causally I often change to either MY current time of day, or the current time in the course's locale (if mentioned).
I've even been known to play a round in the rain ...
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Post by trailducker on Jan 8, 2021 17:49:52 GMT -5
Agreed about trying too hard and it only works on the 'showcase holes' more often than not. I try and always do one round of the designer's default lighting over on The Island of Misfit Courses society, but when playing causally I often change to either MY current time of day, or the current time in the course's locale (if mentioned). I've even been known to play a round in the rain ... Since you recently played my course what did you think of my lighting? I modeled it where 17 was the "WOW" shot. No other ones really had crazy dramatic lighting besides maybe 8 (the long par 3 next to the lake), wish I would have liked more but felt thems the breaks without totally rerouting. I wanted it more hazy then it was but when you're facing the ocean you don't see the haze or fog and it makes the horixon ugly when too high so I kept it at a high 5. Then had 0 low clouds so there wasn't any sun going behind clouds effect. The "drama" could have been better but wanted every hole to still look prettiful.
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Post by PicnicGuy / BobalooNOLA on Jan 9, 2021 22:05:28 GMT -5
Agreed about trying too hard and it only works on the 'showcase holes' more often than not. I try and always do one round of the designer's default lighting over on The Island of Misfit Courses society, but when playing causally I often change to either MY current time of day, or the current time in the course's locale (if mentioned). I've even been known to play a round in the rain ... Since you recently played my course what did you think of my lighting? I modeled it where 17 was the "WOW" shot. No other ones really had crazy dramatic lighting besides maybe 8 (the long par 3 next to the lake), wish I would have liked more but felt thems the breaks without totally rerouting. I wanted it more hazy then it was but when you're facing the ocean you don't see the haze or fog and it makes the horixon ugly when too high so I kept it at a high 5. Then had 0 low clouds so there wasn't any sun going behind clouds effect. The "drama" could have been better but wanted every hole to still look prettiful. I thought the lighting was fine ... but as long as it's not an orange tint, or so dark in the shadows I can't see my ball, I'm okay with it.
I'm some 20 courses in (10 in 2K) and finally just starting to think I might try and pull off a decent lighting effect.
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nifty1
Amateur Golfer
Letting me loose on the designer is like giving a gun to a monkey!!
Posts: 206
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Post by nifty1 on Jan 11, 2021 5:14:39 GMT -5
I can definitely see problems ahead for my latest course, with regards to lighting. As I said I design on PC on an OLED TV. The lighting can look fine on it but when playing the Beta on PS4 and a cheaper TV it looks damn awful 😣
I really think I am going to have to go with the midday, full cloud, flat lighting... similar to many Arctic Fury courses. I just hope people don’t think it’s a tricked up course as the fairway contours are hard to see in flat lighting.
Oh man ..., decisions, decisions, decisions....
Once again .... My Brain Hurts!!! 😁
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nifty1
Amateur Golfer
Letting me loose on the designer is like giving a gun to a monkey!!
Posts: 206
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Post by nifty1 on Jan 12, 2021 3:50:03 GMT -5
I think if you try too hard to make it look like a real picture though, you’ll just end up being disappointed as the colors and overall feel won’t be as detailed. I do wish lighting had a sort of photo editing feature where you could change contrast, exposure, saturation... that kind of stuff I also think....after we spend 128 hours getting the lighting “not quite right.,.but just good enough, it’ll have to do...” 😊 ...we should then be able to lock it in place. Because after spending those 128 hours to finally get it good enough to our critical eye....we start a play test and a big ugly cloud floats straight over the sun for 5 minutes, plunging us into a post apocalyptic black out!! Please HB, let us “lock” the lighting once we have it set. Rant over......😁
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Post by Oscar C on Jan 12, 2021 3:59:30 GMT -5
Remove the clouds or fully cover the sky with clouds, this will help get a more consistent light setting. I wouldn’t go full midday ever.
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nifty1
Amateur Golfer
Letting me loose on the designer is like giving a gun to a monkey!!
Posts: 206
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Post by nifty1 on Jan 12, 2021 4:50:50 GMT -5
Remove the clouds or fully cover the sky with clouds, this will help get a more consistent light setting. I wouldn’t go full midday ever. I'm trying to get that consistent look at the moment Oscar, I've tried every type of light direction and elevation I can think of and some holes just don't look great ... or you can't see them at all because of the blinding light. The only reason I was going midday was because I have completely clouded the sky and if I don't go with midday overhead sun it really is just way too dark. I'll play about with moving the sun an hour or two before or after and lowering the cloud amount. When I've tried that in the past though, it all looks fine until the sun finds a gap in the clouds and the course is bathed with brilliant sunlight making it look like something off the Cartoon Network!!
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Post by Oscar C on Jan 12, 2021 4:55:53 GMT -5
Is there a reason you are using pc with a tv? Why not just use the pc or laptop screen?
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nifty1
Amateur Golfer
Letting me loose on the designer is like giving a gun to a monkey!!
Posts: 206
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Post by nifty1 on Jan 12, 2021 5:21:07 GMT -5
Is there a reason you are using pc with a tv? Why not just use the pc or laptop screen? I use a TV as I design in my “man cave” which is actually a home music recording studio. Creating, playing and recording is my main passion. The software I use to record is so much better with more screen real estate so I moved from a 28” monitor to a large TV. It’s such a good TV that I love the way the courses look on it too ..... but of course then I have to live with the “come down” when I play the same course on PS4 on a cheaper TV. Doh!! 😊
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