Better Lights

Better Lights

Configurable dynamic lighting for Garry's Mod.

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Overview

Better Lights adds configurable dynamic lighting and other effects to Garry's Mod.

Some of these things include:

• A customizable flashlight with settings for brightness, range, FOV, color, shadows, textures, positioning, sway, and more

• Fire, explosions, projectiles, bullet impacts, and muzzle flashes can emit light

• Items and pickups can emit light

• NPCs emit light where it makes sense

• NPCs like Combine soldiers can emit light from their eyes

• A bunch more cool stuff for you to check out!

Most lighting effects can be configured or disabled individually.

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Settings

Starting with Better Lights v1.6.0, settings are available in a dedicated window that you can open from any gamemode, not just Sandbox.

Your settings are saved automatically. You can also save settings profiles and import or export them to share with other players.

There are four ways to open the settings window:

• Enter betterlights_menu in the console.

• Assign an optional menu shortcut in Utilities > Better Lights > Quick Settings.

• Select the Better Lights icon from the context menu.

• Open Utilities > Better Lights > Quick Settings and click Open Better Lights Settings.

The custom flashlight replacement is disabled by default and can be enabled in the flashlight settings.

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Multiplayer

Better Lights needs to be installed on the server for multiplayer use.

Most lighting is rendered client-side, while the server handles things like muzzle flashes, explosions, bullet impacts, flashlight behavior, and addon settings.

Server admins can disable Better Lights, enable it for everyone, or let each player choose whether they want to use it.

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Engine Limits

Better Lights works inside the normal Source Engine lighting limits. These limits are shared with the map, Garry's Mod, and other addons.

• Dynamic lights: 32 world lights and 64 entity lights can be active at once.

• Shadowed projected textures: 8 can be active by default across flashlights, map lights, and addon spotlights.

• If a limit is reached, lights may disappear, flicker, or be replaced by newer lights.

Better Lights includes its own configurable light budget to help avoid this. By default, it leaves some room for the map and other addons and prioritizes more important lights when a scene gets crowded.

There are also settings for distance culling, fading, and light prioritization.

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Compatibility

• Should work with most GShader Library addons.

• Includes integrations for ARC9, ArcCW, MWBase, and TFA Base.

• Most features are client-side and can be disabled individually.

If you are having trouble with the flashlight, it is very likely that another addon is conflicting with it. Flashlight replacements and weapon bases with their own flashlight systems are the most likely causes. Please check for conflicts before reporting an issue.

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Recommended

Use the 64-bit branch of Garry's Mod if you can.

Better Lights is made and tested on the 64-bit Chromium branch. It is recommended rather than required, but unless you have a really old PC, I highly recommend switching over.

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Gallery

Maps used in screenshots: gm_darkhall gm_construct

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Support

For bugs, support, or feature requests, please use GitHub:

Better Lights GitHub Issues

This addon is open source and welcomes collaboration:

Better Lights Source Code

I do not consistently provide support through Steam comments or my Steam profile. Please use GitHub for bug reports when possible, as that is where I actively provide support.

If you enjoy the addon, please consider rating and favoriting it.

Discord: @catsniffur

More of my addons: My Workshop Collection

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