Directional Lights

[Hyena Grin]

We have the light which lights up an an area around it.

I'd like to see directional lights, similar to those mining spotlights you see. They are on a tripod and have one or more large lamps that project a fairly broad beam in a particular direction (basically the same way that the car headlights work, only static).

These could be used at the edge of the base to provide an arc of light in the chosen direction (chosen when placed by using the rotate function).

This would be an aesthetic improvement (these types of lights are practically essential to theme when talking about mining/military-installations/dig sites), and also provide better visibility out past the perimeter of your base without having to run power lines to the exterior of the base.

It should be relatively easy to implement something like this (beyond the need for a model, which is fairly simple as far as object complexity goes) as the lighting effect already exists in the car headlights. It would simply need to be tweaked. The only thing that strikes me as awkward is that it would need to be able to be placed diagonally. I don't think any other objects can be placed diagonally as of yet. I don't expect it would be that difficult, but y'know.

And yes, I did search for this idea, and yes I did see that someone included this idea as practically a footnote to another set of ideas involving lights. I do however want to draw attention to the fact that this would be relatively easy to implement, look extremely good in-game (directional lighting always looks good), and would have a real (if relatively minor) impact on gameplay.

[arl85]

I think it should be quite easy to mod; I suggest to move this to "mod request" section.

[Hyena Grin]

Seriously, what the hell?

This isn't a mod request. If I wanted to make a mod request I'd POST IT IN MOD REQUESTS.

I can't believe people can just start suggesting moving threads around, and the moderators oblige for no goddamn reason.

If you want to suggest that I post a request in the mod section that is fine. But to forcefully move it there for no reason when this was OBVIOUSLY posted in Suggestions INTENTIONALLY and is a PERFECTLY LEGITIMATE SUGGESTION, is completely asinine.

[Rahjital]

I agree. Even if it was is easy to mod in, it does not mean it should be a mod request. Wanting a mod and wanting to see a feature in the vanilla game are two very different things.

[Hyena Grin]

Thank you for that.

[arl85]

@ Hyena Grin:
I'm sorry you feel bad about my post, it was just expressing my humble opinion, without trying to force any moderator to do anything.
But I can understand your frustration of having a topic moved without a single message explaining why.

Anyway, in my opinion if we mod it first and it prove useful and successful it would be easier to integrate it in main game.

[ssilk]

This isn't a mod request. If I wanted to make a mod request I'd POST IT IN MOD REQUESTS.

Maybe I'm a bit stupid, but you posted this yourself into mod-requests...??

[Rahjital]

This thread was initially in the Ideas and Suggestions subforum before somebody moved it here.

[Shaymes]

hmm spotlight lamps right? let me thing about it a moment

maybe like that?






higher range? lower range? what you think about energy_usage_per_tick = "8KW", and dont know a good name for this entity

[JamesOFarrell]

The way to mod this in is using the flashlight of a new character entity as the light.

[Shaymes]

sure, but lamps are not rotatable rotable ... cant circle around

[ssilk]

This thread was initially in the Ideas and Suggestions subforum before somebody moved it here.

Hm. I can't see that in the moderator logs. Which doesn't mean, that it is not true.

From my feeling I would also say: first modding request, then interface changes, then suggestions... I'll watch this thread (normally not reading mods).

[Dark]

Wow, I was just beginning to work on my searchlight mod and saw this thread, is there is already such mod in the work?
I was planing to create several omni-directional spotlights with at least 3 colors each, and an additional "wide" type of spotlights.

[JamesOFarrell]

Wow, I was just beginning to work on my searchlight mod and saw this thread, is there is already such mod in the work?
I was planing to create several omni-directional spotlights with at least 3 colors each, and an additional "wide" type of spotlights.

There is not and that would be great. If you want a good way to do it without lots of individual item have a look at CleanPipes mod, it uses inserters for the direction arrow then places the correct pipe. You could also use a gui to set the colour, this means you would only need 1 item to place all the different lights.

[Dark]

There is not and that would be great. If you want a good way to do it without lots of individual item have a look at CleanPipes mod, it uses inserters for the direction arrow then places the correct pipe. You could also use a gui to set the colour, this means you would only need 1 item to place all the different lights.

Thanks for the hint!
Today I was trying to attach oriented light to different types of directed objects, but it failed, engine is not as flexible as I first through.
It also failed to apply color to oriented light type, so 48-112 of new cones would be required.
Using proxy objects for placing stuff is a great idea, inserters are no go however, since I'll need 8-way object, rail-type should do.

EDIT: Found a way to do it without insane number of new cones.

[Dark]

This mod is doing petty much what was requested and has a fancy ui.

[SHiRKiT]

Mods are here exactly for that: filling the user requests at an immediate time. Devs can then implement their ideas. That's the perfect scenario IMO.