Choosing
the proper ceiling texture:
by
Patrick Haslow
The BM
files were created often with a very specific purpose or intended
effect in mind. Here's some examples:
On the top,
we see IPSQUAR1_2.BM
On the bottom, we see IPSQUAR2.BM
Notice how
the top BM has more detail and focus then its counterpart. This
is because these are the same ceiling- the top one is
how it looks when viewed at less distance than its counterpart.
In other words, the lower BM was created to give an illusion
of size and distance, and it is to be used on higher ceilings.
If you are creating an area with ceilings of differing heights
that is covered with these same lights, the texture on the bottom
should never be placed on a ceiling lower than another
ceiling with the top texture applied.
Other examples
of this include:
On the top,
we see ZPSEWRL1.BM
On the bottom, we see ZPSEWRL3.BM
The same
lights depicted in both BMs... The lower one is the lights viewed
from "seemingly farther away". It is important to note though,
that the texture artists did include enough detail in
the lower BM to be used for simply smaller lights.
Another instance:
This texture,
IPHANGR1.BM, was created for a large hangar area ceiling.
It should be placed on very high ceilings to give the illusion
of greater depth than the game is actually capable of creating.
Unfortunately, Jereth Kok used this as the floor texture of
the base roof in Star's End- giving the area the look of a sparkling
carpet! On another note, this is why the TIEs seen in the Executor
level of Dark Forces are smaller than actual size. Because they
are viewed from far enough away, they "feel" larger- life-size
even!
On to another
issue... shadow textures and their light source counterparts.
On the top,
we see ICFUEL.BM
On the bottom, we see IFFUEL.BM
Note the
use of the letters "C" and "F" in the names of these BMs. This
denotes a ceiling "C" texture, and a floor "F" texture. A texture
that is a cast shadow had to have been created by a light source,
so it must be used with a corresponding lighted ceiling texture
to "cast" the shadow. The bottom texture seen above simply looks
silly when placed on a ceiling! At the very least, if you must
have it there on the ceiling for the sake of a level, then the
top texture should be placed on the floor to at least make some
semblance of sense.
