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Author Topic: FF7 and lighting  (Read 8659 times)

Cyberman

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FF7 and lighting
« on: 2005-09-17 15:46:41 »
Well people have speculated weather FF7 has any lights or not.
It does as a matter of fact in the field scenes, and they are used. They are different colors the most pronounced use of them is the sector 5 slums in the room below where turtles paradise pamphlet 1 is found.

It's not dynamic lighting obviously :D

Cyb
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Micky

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Re: FF7 and lighting
« Reply #1 on: 2005-09-18 09:00:11 »
Quote from: Cyberman
It's not dynamic lighting obviously :D

What do you mean with "not dynamic"? Not directional, or no shadows?
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dziugo

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Re: FF7 and lighting
« Reply #2 on: 2005-09-18 10:21:31 »
Quote from: Micky
Quote from: Cyberman
It's not dynamic lighting obviously :D

What do you mean with "not dynamic"? Not directional, or no shadows?
Not generated in real time?
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Alhexx

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FF7 and lighting
« Reply #3 on: 2005-09-18 15:12:59 »
I think that only the field engine uses lighting, the battle engine surely doesn't, since all shadows and lightings are mapped directly to the vertice colors...

 - Alhexx
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Reunion

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FF7 and lighting
« Reply #4 on: 2005-09-18 17:23:19 »
Are you talking about the lighting for the field models or the lighting on some of the textures?

The light map for each of the models are given in Section 3 of the PC field files. Like in the file cosin1..
AAAA.HRC is given this light map.
Code: [Select]
868283
6E0049
FAFC0E
9D9B9C
8A093E
F6A3F7
4D4D4D
76F449
FA67F6
404040 //RGB level 64,64,64
The first 27 bytes have something to do with direction and intensity if I remember correctly. The last three bytes are the RGB value of all the light on the model.
like so...
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Cyberman

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FF7 and lighting
« Reply #5 on: 2005-09-18 20:43:57 »
1 The Field file has a set of lights that are positioned relative to the walk map.
2 These are MOST pronounced in the Wall Market area of the game.
3 The lights cast no shadows (since this would require more work in the playstation variant of the game).

AT first I thought this was because of semi transparency of the background colors. I looked at the background and then the the illumination, as well as the transparency bit of the background. They weren't quite matching.  In Sector 5's market you'll notice it around places that are illuminated (very pronouncedly) in particular the weapon shop the Tutles Paradise place, and the Item shop.  These spots have light fading added to the background pixels (that is how I realized they weren't part of the background at all). Anything that walks under these become noticably brighter and change color acording to the light source.  Field model's aren't illuminated like the battle models likely so that they look right with this form of illumination.  If a field model is not near a light source the normal lighting shows. Barret for example always appears dark and flat, it's hard to see unless you sit there and stare as you move cloud about.

Wander in and out of illuminated areas in Sector 7 and Sector 5 and the light illumination is quite noticeable.

So just for a stated fact FF7 does use lighting in the Field areas.  It is only additive lighting (IE you can't make something DARKER).

Cyb
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Micky

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FF7 and lighting
« Reply #6 on: 2005-09-20 07:23:33 »
So, is the walkmap and lighting data on the PSX version any similar to the PC version?
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Cyberman

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FF7 and lighting
« Reply #7 on: 2005-09-22 22:21:58 »
Quote from: Micky
So, is the walkmap and lighting data on the PSX version any similar to the PC version?
The walkmap and lighting data are likely identical in format. I'm just twiddling a bit.

I've also noticed that the walk maps are NOT just planar sections. They are ramped in some areas. An example is the Chocobo Farm.

Cyb
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James Pond

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FF7 and lighting
« Reply #8 on: 2005-09-23 06:06:26 »
Quote from: Cyberman

I've also noticed that the walk maps are NOT just planar sections. They are ramped in some areas. An example is the Chocobo Farm.

Cyb


That would mean its a 3d walkmap on a 2d backdrop....
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Decayrate

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FF7 and lighting
« Reply #9 on: 2005-09-24 20:59:21 »
its kinda sad that squer enix didn't change any aspect of the game when te pc verion luanched probebly just to save money, cuz the game could be much better for the pc verison ....
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djzerious

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FF7 and lighting
« Reply #10 on: 2005-09-25 17:18:29 »
Quote from: TyranN
its kinda sad that squer enix didn't change any aspect of the game when te pc verion luanched probebly just to save money, cuz the game could be much better for the pc verison ....
Not to sound nit-picky, but it was Squaresoft / Square Eidos then...
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Cyberman

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FF7 and lighting
« Reply #11 on: 2005-09-25 18:08:52 »
Quote from: TyranN
its kinda sad that squer enix didn't change any aspect of the game when te pc verion luanched probebly just to save money, cuz the game could be much better for the pc verison ....

Well I suggest you go out and dig in a junk yard what computer was around then and the sofware that ran on it and repeat that statement. You'll soon discover your thinking is a bit errant.  The power of computers and 3d cards were so so in 1997 in comparison to today.
I also believe that the company was limited in what they could do because they could only work with the original data and source code. Porting likely was quite difficult to begin with.

In order to 'improve' on the game they would likely have had to change much of the original data, this was NOT done as it was just compiled to a format that the PC would find more acceptable instead.

Cyb
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Micky

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FF7 and lighting
« Reply #12 on: 2005-09-25 20:29:05 »
Quote from: TyranN
its kinda sad that squer enix didn't change any aspect of the game when te pc verion luanched probebly just to save money, cuz the game could be much better for the pc verison ....

I think at the time when they did the conversion most PCs still had software rendering. And neither Square or Eidos could invest the time to redo the graphics anyway, which is more expensive and time consuming than you might think.
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halkun

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FF7 and lighting
« Reply #13 on: 2005-09-25 22:45:59 »
Sqeenix (I love that name) recently had a round-table on re-releasing FF7 with thier newer engine. The allocation would of been at least 450 people and a two-year lead time.

They don't have the cash for it.
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Cyberman

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FF7 and lighting
« Reply #14 on: 2005-09-27 01:52:04 »
Quote from: halkun
Sqeenix (I love that name) recently had a round-table on re-releasing FF7 with thier newer engine. The allocation would of been at least 450 people and a two-year lead time.

They don't have the cash for it.

Sounds like a complete remake too me.  
It's too bad they wouldn't allow the fans to do a remake :D

Cyb
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djzerious

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FF7 and lighting
« Reply #15 on: 2005-09-27 06:03:55 »
The fans would never do as good of a job as SquareEnix could do... they have the money.. the fans don't..
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L. Spiro

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FF7 and lighting
« Reply #16 on: 2005-09-27 09:44:11 »
The fans have hearts.


L. Spiro
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djzerious

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FF7 and lighting
« Reply #17 on: 2005-09-27 17:49:08 »
True. I noticed that I left that out of my post after I made it, but didn't have time to edit it. The fans have the passion, but not the money. So, the game may very well be a great game.. but, it would go through many deaths and rebirths, as well as funding issues.. cuz you wouldn't be getting paid to make the game..
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Cyberman

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FF7 and lighting
« Reply #18 on: 2005-09-27 23:37:51 »
Well all things are possible, as much as Linux grew from 1995 to what it is today. Anything can be done, you just have to devote the time.  The important issue is .. being sued :D

Cyb
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