A 3rd type of light source, just for the dark side of space

[wiswariat]

This[1] sight is all too common is KSP. Yes, there is a spacecraft in that picture, if you crank up the gamma or brightness value you can even make it visible. Rotating the view to have the galaxy as a background helps somewhat, sometimes, or EVA-ing a Kerbal and putting them on helmet-light duty. Still, this are suboptimal conditions to dock two vehicles. And placing floodlights everywhere is a no-go due to their electricity consumption and mass.

I'd love a Place-Anywhere Light source, like the linear RCS Port, though smaller, which illuminates only the craft using minimal electricity, and not an entire landing site. The light distribution would be something like this:

Also, because this "oops, everything went dark" situation is will probably happen on the first few missions a new player flies, I think this should go into stock KSP, not a 3rd party parts extension.

1:

[bombo1]

squad must add this because it is so useful

[Boosterspice]

It sounds like a good idea. Sort of a glowstick kind of light? It might be possible to add a glowstick as a part, which you can activate when you are lost in space adventuring in deep space, which lasts for a set amount of time, depending on the chemicals inside.

The part could look like this:

Edited January 1, 2014 by Boosterspice

[agentKmurph]

I'd love a Place-Anywhere Light source, like the linear RCS Port, though smaller, which illuminates only the craft using minimal electricity, and not an entire landing site.

http://i.imgur.com/TqFQnc5.png

You mean like the Nav lights on aircraft, right?

Like this:

Just little beacons to let you know where the darn thing is? If so.. OMG yes! I would love this!

[Surefoot]

Some mods such as B9 already provide some solutions, and i suppose B9 will become stock someday.. There is also the aviation lights mod.

[Frostiken]

On this note, is there a mod to make the dark side of things... darker? The white forum background doesn't help with the contrast, but I can see the dark sides of planets and moons pretty clearly. In fact, the Mun is pretty annoying because the light side seems like it's only slightly lighter than the dark side, without even a clear terminator line visible from high altitudes. Hell I don't even think I can tell what phase the moon is in from Kerbin, it all looks the same.

[stupid_chris]

On this note, is there a mod to make the dark side of things... darker? The white forum background doesn't help with the contrast, but I can see the dark sides of planets and moons pretty clearly. In fact, the Mun is pretty annoying because the light side seems like it's only slightly lighter than the dark side, without even a clear terminator line visible from high altitudes. Hell I don't even think I can tell what phase the moon is in from Kerbin, it all looks the same.

Nova removed the ambient light in space in Alternis Kerbol, if asked he could probably release that as a standalone.

[Queeg]

I think ambient light at least should be an option in the base game.

I've no doubt some people will always want it on, some will always want it off. But at least the choice should be there without resorting to mods.

I personally do want it. Not much. Not bright. Just enough that I could at least see the basics of my ship while on the dark side of a planet/moon due to refracted/reflected light. Maybe just enough that I can see that thermometer on the of the capsule or that mountain below me when it matters.

[lajoswinkler]

Illumination in KSP is not even close to original conditions in space and that actually helps a lot for EVA and docking. If everything was realistic, the stars would be invisible in all conditions where Kerbol or anything illuminated by it was in the view, and the contrasts would be so high that docking would be a pain in the ass in certain moments.

Dark sides of planetary bodies would be completely dark if illuminated by starlight only, or with very weak glow if a natural satellite was shining in the opposite view. This would be impossible in complete darkness.

Weak glowing spots would be a nice thing for stock, I agree, but I'd also like to see the skybox gone when daylight conditions are in order. If it can be invisible until 30 km at launch, it can be invisible when Kerbol is in the view, too.

Edited January 2, 2014 by lajoswinkler

[SolarLiner]

Actually, the skybox gets darker as Kerbol enters in the field of view of the camera. But I agree with you with that point, skybox should disappear when we see daylight.

The thing is, that in reality this is all caused by exposure. As an image gets lighter and lighter, our eyes "darkens" the image by letting less and less photons pass through and hit the retina. Auto-exposure on cameras does the same.

Then we enter in the wonderful world of HDR computation. HDR stands for "High Dynamic Range", and this is pretty straight forward (well, it can be when you think of it ), HDR try to simulate the eye behaviour by letting more or less light passing through.

This is the solution of the problems described here, but it is one hell of a code to write. I'm not sure if Unity 4 has HDR computation, but if you take CryENGINE or UDK, they all have HDR simulation and one of the main features is dynamic exposure.

In KSP, this can result of not seeing the faint distant stars when you look at a planet, as the light it "emits" to the sensor is way brighter than the stars behind. But, when in the night side, you see nothing but black, so starfield appear, as beautiful as ever. If you have ever played Space Engine, you'll see what I'm talking about, as HDR is one of the main feature of that space exploration app/game.

[lajoswinkler]

Exactly, the starfield appearing when Kerbol sets behind Kerbin would be a really cool sight, but I'd redesign the skybox and replace the texture with stars as points of light. Celestia has that and it's very cool. These blobs we now have aren't that nice even when the settings are at their maximum. I do think that would also reduce the load on the computer.

[wiswariat]

Sort of a glowstick kind of light?

I was thinking of lights what would eat electricity, but something like glowing-in-the-dark-paint is a nice idea, too.

You mean like the Nav lights on aircraft, right?

To help yourself with navigating space, in a way. But red/green lights to help you fly rockets and airplanes at night would be good as well.

Regarding ambient light:

I personally do want it. Not much. Not bright. Just enough that I could at least see the basics of my ship while on the dark side of a planet/moon due to refracted/reflected light. Maybe just enough that I can see that thermometer on the of the capsule or that mountain below me when it matters.

If you really are in reality-space and a planetary body is in the way, i.e. only Jupiter/Jool and the stars provide light, would a human or Kerbal eye adapt sufficiently to make out shapes? Or would this be more for convenience?

Actually, the skybox gets darker as Kerbol enters in the field of view of the camera. But I agree with you with that point, skybox should disappear when we see daylight.

While realistic, this would be a bit too irritating I think. Whenever you swivel the camera around stars come and go? Or if you mean that even the reflection of sunlight of the craft outshines all stars, that would make for a subjectively bad space game. It might be realistic, but what is in space, if not stars?

[JumpsterG]

If some stock parts were revamped to include some dim light sources, I think the problem would be partially solved without needing to remember additional parts (although some "mood lighting" sources would be nice to have). For example: the windows on the pods could have some backlighting to them representing the light from inside, docking ports could have a soft white glow around their base, probes could get some steady and/or blinking lights... Could be some others, but it's a trick not to overdo it (wouldn't want every wing and fuel tank lit up like christmas trees).

[RabidMonkey]

I like the lack of ambient light in camera mode. What I would like to see is some kind of "virtual" lighting in map mode so I can accurately plot landings at night. Even if it's something as basic as a wireframe showing basic elevation and land vs. ocean areas, such a thing would be a great help.