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metaverseDubai/docs/LIGHTING_SETUP.md

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# Lighting Setup - Dubai Metaverse
## Overview
This document describes the lighting setup for the Dubai Metaverse project, including Lumen global illumination, day/night cycle, and atmospheric effects.
## Lighting System: Lumen
### Lumen Overview
Lumen is Unreal Engine 5's fully dynamic global illumination and reflections system. It provides realistic lighting without pre-baking lightmaps.
### Lumen Configuration
#### Global Illumination
- **Method**: Lumen Global Illumination
- **Quality**: Epic (or High if performance issues)
- **Settings**:
- Final Gather Quality: High
- View Distance: Maximum
- Detail: High
#### Reflections
- **Method**: Lumen Reflections
- **Quality**: Epic (or High if performance issues)
- **Settings**:
- Reflection Quality: High
- Ray Tracing: Optional (if RTX GPU available)
---
## Sky and Atmosphere
### HDRI Sky Setup
1. **Create Sky Light**:
- Add Sky Light actor to level
- Configure as BP_SkyLight
2. **HDRI Setup**:
- Import Dubai-specific HDRI sky
- Assign to sky light
- Adjust intensity
3. **Sky Settings**:
- **Source Type**: SLS Captured Scene or SLS Specified Cubemap
- **Intensity**: 1.0 (adjust as needed)
- **Light Color**: White (or adjust for time of day)
### Directional Light (Sun)
1. **Create Directional Light**:
- Add Directional Light actor
- Configure as BP_DirectionalLight
2. **Sun Settings**:
- **Intensity**: 8-12 lux (daytime)
- **Light Color**: Warm white (daytime), warm orange (sunset)
- **Temperature**: 5500K-7500K (daytime), 4000K-5000K (sunset)
- **Cast Shadows**: Enabled
- **Shadow Resolution**: Virtual Shadow Maps
3. **Sun Position**:
- Controlled by day/night cycle system
- Rotates based on time of day
---
## Day/Night Cycle System
### BP_DayNightCycle Blueprint
**Purpose**: Control time of day and lighting transitions
### Time Settings
- **Sunrise**: 6:00 AM
- **Daytime Start**: 8:00 AM
- **Sunset Start**: 5:00 PM
- **Night Start**: 7:00 PM
- **Night End**: 6:00 AM
### Implementation
1. **Time Variable**: Float variable for time (0-24 hours)
2. **Sun Rotation**: Rotate directional light based on time
3. **Sky Color**: Adjust sky color based on time
4. **Light Intensity**: Adjust light intensity based on time
5. **Atmosphere**: Adjust atmosphere based on time
### Time of Day Presets
#### Sunrise (6:00-8:00)
- **Sun Intensity**: 4-6 lux
- **Sun Color**: Warm orange/red
- **Sky Color**: Warm, dramatic
- **Temperature**: 4000K-5000K
#### Daytime (8:00-17:00)
- **Sun Intensity**: 8-12 lux
- **Sun Color**: White
- **Sky Color**: Clear blue
- **Temperature**: 6500K-7500K
#### Sunset (17:00-19:00)
- **Sun Intensity**: 4-6 lux
- **Sun Color**: Warm orange/red
- **Sky Color**: Warm, dramatic
- **Temperature**: 4000K-5000K
#### Night (19:00-6:00)
- **Sun Intensity**: 0-1 lux (moonlight)
- **Sun Color**: Cool blue
- **Sky Color**: Dark, starry
- **Temperature**: 8000K-10000K
---
## Atmospheric Effects
### Volumetric Fog
1. **Create Exponential Height Fog**:
- Add Exponential Height Fog actor
- Configure as BP_Atmosphere
2. **Fog Settings**:
- **Density**: 0.02-0.05 (subtle)
- **Fog Height Falloff**: 0.2
- **Fog Inscattering Color**: Slight blue/gray
- **Fog Max Opacity**: 0.5-0.7
3. **Purpose**:
- Atmospheric perspective
- Humidity simulation
- Depth enhancement
### Heat Haze
1. **Create Heat Haze Material**:
- Material: MFX_HeatHaze
- Type: Post-process or material function
2. **Heat Haze Settings**:
- **Distortion Intensity**: Subtle
- **Distance Falloff**: Distance-based
- **Application**: Above hot surfaces (roads, buildings)
3. **Implementation**:
- Apply as post-process effect
- Or as material on surfaces
---
## Post-Process Settings
### PP_DubaiCinematic Post-Process Volume
**Purpose**: Cinematic color grading and effects
### Settings
#### Bloom
- **Intensity**: 0.5-1.0
- **Threshold**: 1.0
- **Tint**: Slight warm tint
#### Chromatic Aberration
- **Intensity**: 0.1-0.2 (subtle)
- **Start Offset**: 0.0
#### Depth of Field
- **Method**: Gaussian
- **Focal Distance**: Camera-based
- **Focal Region**: 1000-5000
- **Near Transition Region**: 500
- **Far Transition Region**: 1000
#### Color Grading
**Time-of-Day LUTs**:
- **Sunrise LUT**: Warm, dramatic
- **Daytime LUT**: Natural, slightly enhanced
- **Sunset LUT**: Warm, high saturation
- **Night LUT**: Cool, reduced saturation
**Settings**:
- **Saturation**: 1.0-1.2 (slightly enhanced)
- **Contrast**: 1.0-1.1
- **Gamma**: 1.0
---
## Lighting Calibration
### Dubai-Specific Lighting
#### Characteristics
1. **Intense Sunlight**: Harsh, direct sunlight during day
2. **Strong Shadows**: Sharp shadows with high contrast
3. **Reflective Surfaces**: Glass buildings create strong reflections
4. **Heat Haze**: Visible distortion above hot surfaces
5. **Artificial Lighting**: Neon and LED at night
#### Calibration Steps
1. **Reference Comparison**: Compare to Dubai reference photos
2. **Light Intensity**: Adjust to match reference
3. **Shadow Quality**: Ensure sharp, high-contrast shadows
4. **Reflections**: Verify glass reflections are strong
5. **Color Temperature**: Match Dubai lighting color
---
## Performance Optimization
### Lumen Quality Settings
- **Final Gather Quality**: Adjust based on performance
- **Reflection Quality**: Adjust based on performance
- **View Distance**: Optimize for performance
### Shadow Optimization
- **Virtual Shadow Maps**: Use for performance
- **Shadow Resolution**: Adjust based on performance
- **Shadow Distance**: Optimize shadow distance
### Light Optimization
- **Light Count**: Minimize dynamic lights
- **Light Complexity**: Optimize light complexity
- **Culling**: Use distance culling
---
## Validation Checklist
### Lighting Setup
- [ ] Lumen GI enabled and working
- [ ] Lumen Reflections enabled and working
- [ ] Sky light configured
- [ ] Directional light configured
- [ ] Day/night cycle working
- [ ] Atmospheric fog configured
- [ ] Post-process volume configured
### Quality Validation
- [ ] Lighting matches Dubai aesthetic
- [ ] Day/night transitions are smooth
- [ ] Shadows are realistic
- [ ] Reflections are accurate
- [ ] Performance is acceptable
---
## Troubleshooting
### Common Issues
**Issue**: Lighting too bright/dark
- **Solution**: Adjust light intensity
- **Solution**: Adjust exposure settings
**Issue**: Shadows not appearing
- **Solution**: Check shadow settings
- **Solution**: Verify Virtual Shadow Maps enabled
**Issue**: Reflections not working
- **Solution**: Check Lumen Reflections enabled
- **Solution**: Verify reflection quality settings
**Issue**: Performance issues
- **Solution**: Lower Lumen quality settings
- **Solution**: Optimize shadow settings
- **Solution**: Reduce light count
---
## Tools
### Lighting Tools
- **Unreal Editor**: Primary lighting tool
- **Lumen**: Global illumination system
- **Post-Process Volume**: Color grading and effects
### Validation Tools
- **Unreal Insights**: Performance profiling
- **Lighting Validation Script**: `scripts/lighting_validation.py`
---
**Version**: 1.0
**Last Updated**: [Current Date]