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Light: Moving Beams - Part 1

From HalfLife 2 Knowledge Base

by nicklearse

1 Creating Moving light beams:
2 Setting up the entities:
3 Results:
4 Files

Creating Moving light beams:

This tutorial explains how to create light beams that rotate around a point to create a neat effect that can be used for all sorts of lights, for example emergency lighting triggered with an alarm. If you want your light beams to sit still then take a look at Spotlight_beam by Rovient.

This process involves combining one or more point_spotlight entities with a func_rotating and a prop_static as our physical light. Gone are the days of brushes rotating a light with that fade texture, say goodbye to env_sprite because source does it all for you!

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Setting up the entities:

First up we need to place our physical light, the object our beams will be circling. Grab the entity tool and place a prop_static where you want your light, I chose models/props_c17/light_cagelight01_on.mdl.

Next we need our func_rotating, unless you want this visible create a nodraw brush. Next is the important bit with this entity, create a brush in the center of the nodraw brush with the origin texture - this acts as the axel for the entity.

The nodraw brush:

The origin brush:

Select both brushes and tie to entity func_rotating. Give the func_rotating a name, speed and sound if you want -make sure you check "start on". Here mine is called rotator01 with a speed of 100, make sure the entity doesnt cast shadows and isnt solid. Position the entity in the center of the prop_static. If you want your rotator' to rotate along a different axis you need to tick the box on flags to whateveraxis you've chosen and also the pitch.

rotator properties:

rotator inside the light model:

Next we add the point_spotlight entities, add them in either side of our func_rotating and parent them to it, in this case rotator01. The we need to choose some options for our beams, these have a nice red colour with a length of 50 and a width of 25, goto the flags tab and tick 'start on' unless your triggering them elsewhere. Finally setup them to point away from the light as they are, source will figure out where it points as its rotating :)