View Full Version : Table/floor Lamp Light "Rays" (LGHT tutorial link in thread - Keep!)

3rd Feb 2016, 3:06 PM
Hello. Firstly, apologies if this be in the wrong forum.

Still being stuck in the mid century, I decided to create a Fat Lava lamp. I have successfully cloned a table lamp (lighting-table-bohemian) and added a BHAV to enable placement on the floor. Being a Fat Lava, the base has holes in the ceramic, allowing light to spill from a second bulb which is in the base of the lamp. This too is fine. I have textures for both lit and unlit shades and bases which appear to be functioning correctly. What I really want to add are almost transparent light rays streaming through the holes in the base.

I have seen Maxis lights and lamps with this feature (the Maxis "Groovy" floor lamp, for example) and indeed, quite a few CC lamps and lights offering this feature too, so by all accounts, it should work.

I have imported a new subset, added a new texture and created light BHAVS specifically for the glow effect (basically so it comes on when dark), added a Material Definition reference, Shape reference, updated the Text Lists etc, but I can't seem to get it to work. When previewing in the Geometric Data Container resource, the subset used to be shiny grey, (meaning it wasn't picking up a texture at all), but after some further fiddling and many hours of trial and error, the item now in GDC, appears black and in game, is not showing at all (neither solid black, nor flashing blue, nor is it showing any light rays). However, when I try placing the lamp in buy mode in game, if I attempt to place the lamp somewhere I can't place it (when it turns red), the light ray mesh can be seen. So it's there. Just not showing a texture. I am quite stumped.

Does anyone have any ideas what I might be doing wrong? Any help would be greatly appreciated and indeed, if I finally get the dang thing to work, you will receive a lovely little credit in my description whence I upload it.

The lamp is attached for your reference.
Many thanks.

3rd Feb 2016, 3:45 PM
(Moved to Object Creation Workshop & Repair Center for you!)

The glow (which is the rays of light, correct?) doesn't have a texture when previewed in SimPE, it shows as pure black. The Scenegrapher looks fine, everything seems to be linked properly. So: is it possible that the glow isn't mapped properly?

/me tests own theory


After remapping the glow ("top" - it was pure black when first viewed in MilkShape) it has a texture when previewed. :)

3rd Feb 2016, 4:50 PM
Oh. My. God.

I am so dense. I didn't even check to see if I had mapped it in UVMapper Pro before importing to SimPE and indeed, spending a week trying to figure this out.

What an idiot.

Thank you so very much, MustLuvCatz. I bow most humbly and most embarrassingly.


3rd Feb 2016, 6:04 PM
Hello again. I have remapped the glow mesh and now it shows the texture in the Scenegrapher. However, in game, the rays are still not visible.

Any ideas?

So sorry for being stewpid :(

3rd Feb 2016, 6:22 PM
Quick look: The glow is line 15 in the Material Names in the Text Lists. Your CT Light - ON BHAV is linked to a different line. Try changing that to the correct line (15 which would be 0F) and it should work.
I don't know about your SimPE, but mine is stupid and won't take changes consistently like it should. So to be cheaty, just change the 0C that's in the first box of the operands to 0F (of line 0x05, which is your glow) and commit. (Edit: Since you don't want the glow to have a texture when the lamp is off, your CT Light - OFF is fine.)

No such thing as being "stewpid" here, so stop that! To be honest - the only stewpid thing here is the lamp.. and even then it's more of a pain in the rear than anything else. Lamps are one of my favorite things to make (I've made over 100, including functional candles) and every single one has been a pain in the rear in some way. Especially the one's I've used the repository method on. (But I still make them so what's that say about me? :D)

Btw, I should have tested my edit before posting earlier. I didn't even think to check past the mapping. Hopefully the edit above fixes this for good now.

3rd Feb 2016, 8:24 PM
Thank you thank you thank you! I really do appreciate the help.

Alas, it is still producing nothing. My version of SimPE also took a few shots at getting the correction to stick. And you're right... lights are a pain in the "asking price" (having a 3 year old has taught me to replace normal expletives with alternatives) and you're extremely patient and very brave to have made so many!! What luck to have your valuable insight!!
I really don't know enough about this sort of thing to be making changes to lights and lamps. But I guess we gotta start somewhere.

So I thought I would clear any cache issues by restarting my computer and trying again. Unfortunately that offered no solution either.

Do you think it has anything to do with the values in the Lighting/cPointLight section?

Again, I thank you for your input. It's very kind of you. :) :)

3rd Feb 2016, 9:39 PM
Well - not the values but the name. If the light name doesn't match in the LGHT, CRES and Light Names in the STR then the lamp won't work properly.


Ok. All 3 edits are needed - the remapped glow, the BHAV edit and the light name. Since the LGHT name was the bohemian one, I changed the STR to match that. If you want your lamp to have a different light (I have preferences myself because I like a gentle glowing light) you can change it. (Although there *is* a certain way to do that so you don't break the light again. If you want to change the light and don't know how, I'll walk you through it.)

Would you like my edited version or would you rather make the changes yourself?

3rd Feb 2016, 11:00 PM
I think I'm in love.

I would really like your edited version, so I might compare the 2 versions. Thank you so very much. You're amazing!

I truthfully didn't expect this to be so difficult. Shows my lack of experience and knowledge with this kind of thing.

Thanks, so much! You're a star!!

PS. I really like the fact that your picture of the lamp is near a toilet. I was seriously considering flushing it down one just before you showed me a fixed version! :lol:

3rd Feb 2016, 11:12 PM
Don't know about being a star. I mean, it took me way too long to catch all those edits. (If I would have put the lamp in game in the first place it would have helped.) But thank you! :D I really do know more about making lamps than my help here might make it seem, lol.

Here's the edited version: http://simfil.es/52155 - and if you need help with a lamp in the future, feel free to ask.

editing because of your edit: LOL! That's my testing lot and I just picked a room with dark flooring.

3rd Feb 2016, 11:17 PM
I'm really very grateful. You've made me so happy!

I have the actual lamp in my lounge and was starting to really resent it because this sim version wasn't behaving itself. So you have made my RL experience loads better too.

I'd send you a wine if I could! Alas, all I can offer is a meagre thank you very very much.

I'll be sure to bandy your name about willy-nilly as the person who single handedly saved my Fat Lava Lamp here at home!

4th Feb 2016, 10:22 AM
You're not going to believe this... actually, given my inability to change ANYTHING, you might...

but I still can't see the rays. Even with your file overwriting my one in the downloads folder. How is it possible for me to break a lamp file simply by downloading, copying and pasting?

I tried deleting the cgen thing and all thumbnails to attempt a fresh cache. Still no glow effect.

Please may I borrow your toilet?

The attached pic is most satisfying.

Edit. Please disregard that last post. Except for satisfying image. Somehow I had 2 files of the same lamp in my DL folder. I've removed them both and re-installed your fixed version and voila! Working light rays!!

Many many thanks for your time and patience, mustluvcatz.


4th Feb 2016, 1:07 PM
You're welcome. :D

Btw: it *is* possible to break a lamp - any multi state object really - but it's not usually done by just downloading, lol.

4th Feb 2016, 3:04 PM
lol. I imagine if there were any possible way of breaking a lamp by simply downloading, I would be the one to do it!

You are going to hate me. But when you have a moment (and I truly mean, when you have some time), I would really like to make the light colour warmer somehow. It's very stark white and quite cold feeling. Not at all true to the real life version of the lamp. I wondered if it was achievable by adjusting the RGB settings in the "LightingPointLight" Resource? Or would it be a setting in the Material Definition? Or should I grab one of my son's crayons and colour in my monitor?

Thanks again. And my apologies for being so desperately needy and really annoying.


4th Feb 2016, 4:10 PM
Hilarious. I just made a few minor changes to the material definition and BANG! Bye bye glow!

I'm really good at this modding business. Perhaps I should offer my services as replacement to Numenor? lol

5th Feb 2016, 1:01 AM
You broke it! I knew you could, lol. Although I will admit I can't figure out what you changed in the TXMT to get rid of the glow altogether.

You can change the RGB values in the LGHT, you can change any of those values if you want. (Explanation of the values here: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=103817 in Numenor's first post.) But I'm pretty sure changing those values will change the light for every lamp that uses that LGHT. You can also change the TXMT of the bulb so that it gives off a colored light, which I've done in the past but I don't really like to do it that way.

To me the easiest thing to do is simply clone a light that already has lighting that I like. BUT sometimes you chose a light to clone based on how that one looks or because it has the subsets set up the way you need.. or whatever reason you may have. In that case you can still change the light - the way to change the light given off is to extract the LGHT of a lamp who's light you like and replace your lamp's LGHT with it. (If you look at the Glow Stones I made, those use a candle's light because I wanted a subtle glow. That light works well for those - you can have a whole bunch of those on a lot and when they're lit at night they're not too bright and don't light up the yard like it's daylight.) You can find the different LGHT files in the game files (Numenor explains where to find those in his first post of that link) OR you can just check out the in game lamps and note which of those give off light that you like.

Once you find a lamp that gives off the type of light you want, give me a holler and I'll walk you through changing your lamp's LGHT. (It's easy and painless, I promise!)

5th Feb 2016, 3:12 PM
Thanks again (and again and again), for your generosity in helping me with this lamp.

I searched the Maxis lamps and found the one that offered the nicest light for what it is, is the Maxis Lunatech BCT/6 table lamp.

And truly, all I did was recolour the lamp. I didn't fiddle with any numbers, nor did I alter anything other than the textures and look... the lamp's "groundlightpatterns" subset is, for some reason, using the "glow" texture. However, it only shows on newly placed lamps. I have an uninhabited lot I use to check out items and the fatlava lamp that is already in the lot (and lit) is showing the original and correct light pattern texture.

Honestly, all I have to do is LOOK at a mesh, and it breaks! How is this possible? :rofl:

Edit: the textures are correct in the scenegrapher within SimPE. It's just wrong in-game. I'm going to have a lie down. And list my RL Fat Lava lamp on eBay.

5th Feb 2016, 4:22 PM
I'm wondering: did you at any time do a fix integrity on the mesh? That's one of the ways to break a multi-state object because it can change the STR. If that happens the on/off BHAVs won't be linked to the materials anymore.. which would mean that the textures won't be right. (But the scenegrapher will still look alright.) Any previously placed lamps would still be fine - I think! - but newly bought lamps would be broken.

Edit: Guess I should probably also ask - did you already replace the LGHT with the one you like?
Edit 2: Quick recolor - I didn't have any lamps on this lot, so these are newly bought and placed.

5th Feb 2016, 5:06 PM
Only at the end of adding the new subset and texture, shape etc. as per instructions. I haven't fixed any integrity since then.
I've just checked the BHAV lists and they appear to have been changed. So I've reconnected them and live in hope.
Haven't yet replaced the LGHT resource. I'm having to do a quick tidy as we have some neighbours popping in for a spot of gin and tonic. And probably wines. And no doubt whisky.
My 3yr old son will be muzzled tomorrow.

I'll check in with this tomorrow. Attempt an import of the LGHT thing and see how we get on.

Can't thank you enough for all of this! I think, when I finally upload it, I'll just add your name as creator.

Just did a quick check in game. That wasn't it. Now the lamp base is wearing the shade texture, the shade is wearing the ground light pattern texture and the base texture has completely vanished. Hysterical. :lol:
Edit again: love the blue! I made a few backups, so I'll dig out a previous version to use ans see what that is like.

5th Feb 2016, 5:14 PM
Mystery breakage! That's my favorite kind, lol.
Since I have the time, I'll do up a little tutorial with pics on how to replace the LGHT just in case I'm not around tomorrow. (Weekend. Company? Or no company? I never know until the last minute. You'd think people don't have a way to get in touch with me first!)

edit because of cross-posting: If you want, post the borked version and I'll take a look at it. You might want to use a fresh copy of my edited version from here on - if recoloring it doesn't work out then we just might have to get someone else to test it out. (Tumblr is good for that, someone is usually willing to test something!)

5th Feb 2016, 7:39 PM
This is really weird. The images show it better than I can explain it. It's all a bit messed up for some reason. And all I did was recolour it.

Gin is a callin.

Hope your potential guests are welcome guests and not "other".


Edit: Are those images too small?

5th Feb 2016, 8:01 PM
The images are a little small but I can see enough to get the idea. That is strange. Has the resource list always looked like that? The reason I ask is:
That's what my SimPE looks like.
But you've made stuff recently so your SimPE should be fine?

I'm really confused here. Lamps can (and usually are) a pain in the rear but not to this extent!
Could you attach the lamp? Any version that's broken.. I really want to see what it looks like in SimPE for myself.

P.S. Potential guests this weekend would be welcome guests. I just like a bit of advance notice that I don't usually get. (And if I do, it's usually right as I'm going to walk out the door and I hear "Are you going to be home today?". *sigh*)

5th Feb 2016, 9:15 PM
Haha. Sounds spontaneously painful!
I've sneaked upstairs to quickly send this broken business. And I opted for red wine instead of gin. Much nicer. And already am a little squiffy!

5th Feb 2016, 10:07 PM
OK. 2 things:
1) The groundshadow is pointing to the wrong thing in the CT - Light - ON BHAV. (The way your package is set up right now, the CT- Light - ON BHAV is pointing to 0F, which is the glow's texture.) Change the 0F to 0C (which is your groundshadow's texture), commit, save.
2) The glow's texture isn't the one that's in the lamp I have - this is what I have:
So replacing the glow's texture with the above (it's a png so you can save and use it if you don't have it anymore) should fix that.

6th Feb 2016, 12:43 PM
Hey, M.

I hope the guests have been considerate and given you plenty of notice before descending on you!

Ours didn't leave until 4. FOUR! Which meant clean up til 5 and of course, awake at 8 with hungry child. My England don't work proper sentence today.

However, with your generous amount of help regarding this rather painful lamp (which probably won't be downloaded anyway), I seem to have reached a place where textures are showing and lighting is correct. #Phew
Thank you for the glow image!

Now onto breaking it again - I mean - replacing the LGHT resource for a warmer glow. Can't wait.

And my copy of SimPE has never looked like that. I wonder why? It has always had little boxes with question marks instead of proper icons. Another lovely Padre-specific anomaly to confuse my already befuddled mess-of-a-brain.

6th Feb 2016, 4:00 PM
No guests yet as it's not quite 10 a.m. here and it's usually closer to noon if they show up. (Haven't heard anything yet though, of course!)
Strange SimPE you have - but if it works? Well, it works, lol. (Mine has always looked the way it does in the pic.)

I got the tutorial done. For now (until I post it properly) it's here: http://simfil.es/52549
There are pics. They should be easy to follow. If not, there is a txt file you can read. I tried to make it as clear and easy as possible - it's really not a hard thing to do. Just a lot of clicking, copying and pasting!

P.S. Now that you have a working lamp, be sure to save a copy - just in case!!

7th Feb 2016, 12:47 AM
Success! Your tut was easy to follow, clear and well written! I was expecting something terrible to happen to the light (like it turned into a chair or something), but it didn't! It remains a lamp with glow effects, and a warm, subdued light.

Thank you so much for your brilliance and for devoting so much time and effort to my cause! I'm really happy with it and appreciate your help so much.

Much respeck and many thanks.

p :)

7th Feb 2016, 1:02 AM
*does a victory dance*

I'm glad it was easy to follow - it's only the 2nd I've ever written and I'd write more but I always think they're about as clear as mud when reading through them. I also get plagued by "Did I over explain things" and "Did I explain that well enough" and "OMG, did I forget anything?!?" doubts. (P.S. I did forget a few screenshots but it turned out they weren't needed!)

You're very welcome for the help. I'm trying to revamp an old set of mine (which is actually going well but I didn't know much about shadows back then) and the little breaks were much needed.

Edit: I edited the title of this thread to add that there's a tutorial link - that way other mods will know to keep this thread because of the info in it. :)