Dark polygons problem

[TheRoel-R]

I have been experimenting with sunlight a bit in a map I am working on, but there seems to be a small problem. Some polygons, mainly trims, are not properly lit.

Here are two examples: (Note that I disabled zonelight for these screens so the difference is better visible)
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k78/m ... 3408e3.jpg
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k78/m ... acb8f8.jpg

I have one single light at a distance that produces the light, and moving around the light seems to fix some polygons, but then again break others.
I already tried changing some some surfaceflags, but that doesn't really help either (didn't expect it thouguh).

I also noticed it only happens on trims with a small width (32 uu), other trims of 64 uu work fine.

It is not a very big problem as the darkness is compensated by a bit of zonelight; also these trims are in the area where the skybox is displayed, so these areas are not really accessible by players, so I could live with it. However, I wondered if there might be some way to fix it.

[Creavion]

Try Bright Corners and/or High Shadow details.

If this does not work as well: Special Lit.

[TheRoel-R]

Bright Corners and/or High Shadow details have no effect.

What exactly do you mean with Special lit? Just selecting the specialLit flag or lighting those surfaces with a separate Special-Lit-light (in combination with the SpecialLit flag)?

[Creavion]

Special Lit lights only with special lit marked surfaces.
Apart from that I dont have any other idea. The engine`s lighting system is just horrible anyway.

[TheRoel-R]

Was already afraid there would be not much to do about it. Thanks anyway.

[DeathoX 8]

I'd have suggested bright corners too, strange that it doesn't fix it.
The only occurrences where I recall having black surfaces are when the light comes almost parallel to the surface, generally I place "sunlights" in my maps so that the light they cast is diagonal to most of the surfaces.
Are you using a NonIncidence light or a normal one? Have you tried switching between them?

Without losing too much sleep over it a small special lit light and setting those surfaces to special lit is probably the way to go...

[TheRoel-R]

Bight corners is the first thing I thought of as that usually fixes these kind of things, but I guess I am out of luck.

I placed the light so it is indeed diagonal to most surfaces. I already tried switching between nonIncidence and normal, but nonIncidence makes it look even worse and more noticeable. Also, when I remove the trim, the "underlying" surface is perfectly lit, so I guess it is a combination between the direction of the light with respect to the surface and the surface being "thin". I already tried multiple light sources at different angles which solves it a little, but then I have to tweak the brightness again otherwise it will look too bright. Also am pretty happy with how the lighting is now, so I do not want to change it too much.

[Torax]

Probably you'll need UT SDK with it's post processing. That will remove most of pain in your ass.
Only one thing - SDK is in development and testing state and who knows when all will be fixed..

*EDIT*
It's only my opinion, maybe you'll find other ways. I cant advice more, i'm mostly coder

[papercoffee]

Also am pretty happy with how the lighting is now, so I do not want to change it too much.

Special Lit lights only with special lit marked surfaces.
Apart from that I dont have any other idea. The engine`s lighting system is just horrible anyway.

select the light actor (light source) click the right mouse button and select duplicate ...mark this cloned light actor as special-lit. change the position of the light slightly to the right or left.

Select now all black surfaces and mark them also as special-lit... the problem should be gone.

I solved some light problems this way.

[TheRoel-R]

Ok I duplicated the light twice for special lit, moving one forward and one downward and after some tweaking with the brightness it looks quite ok now. Thanks all.