Why is everything indoors so bright and white?

[-$ilver-]

I am finding everything bright and whitewashed indoors. I did not notice it per say until on the high way maps. I go in and everything is stark white. I go to the cliff side and there looks to be designs built into it, the best thing I can describe it as is Matrix code. Not because I am seeing numbers, but just random patterns, they are tiny and unnoticeable until you get close.

I noticed something wrong when I left Ravenholm. The inside of the last tunnel with the rolling cart that has the spinning blades was dark, I transitioned to the next map and then it was bright I assumed because of the way the tunnel shows light. But I decided to back track quickly and then the map transitioned back to the tunnel with the moving cart and spinning blades, but now that tunnel was bright too.

Is there a way to fix this. I do not remember it ever being so bright indoors or the cliff side textures looks that way. And yes I have it as dark as possible in options. When I crank it to highest brightness the game becomes unplayable in doors. It should be noted I have installed quite a few mods, but I am not playing any mods on HL2, this is vanilla as far as I can tell. I am not even playing the HL2 Update mod that updates all the visuals either.

Finally it should be noted that I am carrying Dog's ball with me. Hopefully that is not what is causing the issue and that it can be easily fixed. Thank you.

[Calmly Frenetic]

Originally posted by -$ilver-:

... it can be easily fixed.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=428896861

[-$ilver-]

Thank you I took a look at that and a YouTube video. However I am finding nothing for draw distance and it looks like it is worse now than before. Either I did something while trying to correct the brightness or I never noticed the draw distance is really that bad on the PC version to begin with. I mean I never had problems until I tried to fix the brightness. Is there a code to just revert to default settings and I can try to redo some other things? Thank you.

[Calmly Frenetic]

You could try an "autoconfig" using launch options
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=1216-JMTZ-0860
and then set everything to maximum in advanced video options.

To revert all config changes and mods back to default, you could use this guide https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=379079748 together with a full uninstall, manual folder deletion, and reinstall.

Some draw distance tips from a previous discussion:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/220/discussions/0/352788917758501901/#c353915309332400264
And some other related parameters (with default value):
cl_maxrenderable_dist (3000) Max distance from camera at which things will be rendered
r_propsmaxdist (1200) Maximum visible distance

[chriskringel]

Originally posted by -$ilver-:

I noticed something wrong when I left Ravenholm. The inside of the last tunnel with the rolling cart that has the spinning blades was dark, I transitioned to the next map and then it was bright I assumed because of the way the tunnel shows light. But I decided to back track quickly and then the map transitioned back to the tunnel with the moving cart and spinning blades, but now that tunnel was bright too.

Half-Life 2 with the Orange Box update got HDR (High Dynamic Range Lighting) maps for a few chapters. And that's exactly the point where you get to see the first HDR map, the last map of the Ravenholm chapter. Continuing with all of Highway 17 + Sandtraps + Nova Prospekt.

HL2 does some hardware autodetection stuff when starting, and sometimes (or often) it gets it wrong. Also HL2 is very very conservative with the stock settings it detects for your hardware. And sometimes it decides to turn off HDR.

Problem is, with the Orange Box update the maps with HDR only have HDR. When somehow the game decides that HDR is not for your hardware, you will have absolutely no lighting in those maps. The game detects this and it goes setting mat_fullbright convar to "1". Because otherwise everything would be 100% pitch black.

So when you transitioned back to the previous Ravenholm map (with the sawblade machines, where you are before leaving the mines finally) this parameter mat_fullbright is still set to "1", so even the map has LDR lighting (the normal "low" dynamic range lighting, which was standard for all HL2 maps before the Orange Box update, while Loast Coast, EP1 and EP2 already featured HDR lighting) and while the lighting was fine at first, you transition back with "mat_fullbright" "1" and now you have no lighting in the LDR maps as well.

You can test this with enabling the console and typing mat_fullbright 1 in the first LDR levels, you will get the same effect, no lighting. fullbright means everything will be displayed with max brightness possible, thus everything looks like cheap and the same. mat_fullbright itself is helpful for mapping. E.g. if you very quick want to change something or just test gameplay without calculating the lighting for your map (which is by far the most time consuming step when compiling a map), you set mat_fullbright to 1 so you can see the geometry and textures/materials of your map, test the gameplay and not everything being 100% dark. mat_fullbright 2 is also interesting when you actually have compiled your map with lighting and you want to see the "flow" of the lighting better and how it shines on the surfaces/brushes especially with bumpmap textures/materials.

+++ THE ACTUAL PERMANENT FIX (EASY) +++

So to just fix your game experience, you need to trick HL2's (sometimes weird, very strict) autodetection of your hardware capabilities.

1.) Do this by right-clicking on the game entry in your Steam library view.

2.) Choose "Properties". Then in the new window in the "General" tab click on "SET LAUNCH OPTIONS...".

2a.) If there is anything already there like "-autoconfig" or "-dxlevel xy", remove everything.

3.) Enter the following (copy & paste!):

%command% +mat_dxlevel 95 +mat_fullbright 0 +mat_hdr_level 2 +r_lod 0 +r_rootlod 0

Click OK. CLose the window.

Start the game. Go into >Options >Video >Advanced. Set everything (one more last time) once again to your liking. Everything to "high" or "very high", "enabled", if you like vsync or no vsync. Click "Apply" and OK.

Close the game. Do NOT remove the start launch options! Restart the game. Check if your settings are still the same. If it worked it will work now everytime. Play. Enjoy!

THAT'S IT.
------------------


EXPLANATION:
Some guides recommend "-dxlevel 95" or "-dxlevel 90", (yes with "-" instead of "+" is correct for these options) but do NOT use them! It will override your video settings every single time you start the game. "+mat_dxlevel 95" only does this once or if at all. mat_hdr_level 2 means "use HDR if HDR is available for a map, otherwise use LDR" (which makes sense because the HL2 HDR levels only have HDR lighting). Normally you would compile a map with LDR and HDR. mat_fullbright 0 means: "don't disable lighting. we do have lighting information!". r_lod and r_rootlod is optional but I recommend it to everyone playing Source games because it disables that objects and npc are drawn with low polygon versions at distances (overrides LOD, level of detail).

mat_dxlevel 95 means that you have DirectX/Direct3D 9 with Shader model 3. Most guides say mat_dxlevel 90 (DirectX/Direct3D 9, with Shader model 2), which is not entirely correct and which -again- will disable some nice graphical features for you. This is explained here: https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Mat_dxlevel Even my oldest 2010 laptop with Intel GMA supports DirectX 9 with Shader model 3. So let it count to 3! (ha... ha.)

Responsible for this wrong autodetection is the file ..\Steam\steamapps\common\Half-Life 2\bin\dxsupport.cfg You can look at it via notepad.exe or better Notepad++. But thankfully we don't need to mess around with it.

[chriskringel]

DRAW DISTANCE OPTIONS:
+r_lod 0 +r_rootlod 0 +mat_max_worldmesh_vertices 128000 +cl_maxrenderable_dist 96000 +r_mapextents 32000 +r_propsmaxdist 96000 +r_staticproplod 0 +r_shadowlod 0

So your options under "SET LAUNCH OPTIONS..." should now look like this:
(it's ONE single line! no line breaks. just copy&paste)

%command% +mat_dxlevel 95 +mat_fullbright 0 +mat_hdr_level 2 +r_lod 0 +r_rootlod 0 +mat_max_worldmesh_vertices 128000 +cl_maxrenderable_dist 96000 +r_mapextents 32000 +r_propsmaxdist 96000 +r_staticproplod 0 +r_shadowlod 0

The MOST easy way.


....

Not needed at all but you could put this stuff also into folder ..\Steam\steamapps\common\Half-Life 2\hl2\cfg\ and there the files userconfig.cfg and autoexec.cfg. If those two files do not exist, just simply create them.

In autoexec.cfg put or add the line:

exec userconfig.cfg

In userconfig.cfg put or add the lines:

"mat_dxlevel" "95"
"mat_fullbright" "0"
"mat_hdr_level" "2"
"r_lod" "0"
"r_rootlod" "0"
"mat_max_worldmesh_vertices" "128000"
"cl_maxrednerable_dist" "96000"
"r_mapextents" "32000"
"r_propsmaxdist" "96000"
"r_staticproplod" "0"
"r_shadowlod" "0"
"mat_picmip" "-10.0000"

DONE.


NON-EASY "FIX" FOR (SOMEWHAT) HARDCODED DETAIL SPRITES DRAW DISTANCE (NOT WORTH IT TO BE HONEST!)
For the "detail sprites" (e.g. the sprites - not models or props! - of grass and foliage on the ground) there is also "cl_detaildist". You can set it to "96000" also. However, this will reset everytime a map loads to the defaults in dxsupport.cfg It's not worth it. But you could search + replace every line in dxsupport.cfg and replace it e.g. with Notepad++. NOTE that in dxsupport.cfg the lines have "ConVar." in front of them. You want to search for all, every single strings of
"ConVar.cl_detaildist" "0"
and "ConVar.cl_detaildist" "1200"
and "ConVar.cl_detaildist" "16000"
and then do replace them all with "ConVar.cl_detaildist" "96000"

(works out with Notepad++, Ctrl+h Search and Replace all. Note that there is (or could be) a TAB space between the parameter/variable/ConVar and it's value. So for search/replace of Notepad++ this is a problem because a TAB space is a different character/char than just a simple space char or two space chars. So just mark one of the strings you found and want to replace, copy and paste in into Notepad++'s search/replace dialog (Ctrl+h) and paste again in the string how it should be replaced and just change the numeric value to "96000". So we don't mess with whether there are two spaces or a TAB space between the values. (Not a problem at such but if not exact Notepad++ won't find/replace all the strings needed or won't find the strings at all.)

You could also add

bind "k" "cl_detaildist 96000"

to userconfig.cfg and everytime a maps load you press "k" and the detaildist will last as long as the next map transition.

userconfig.cfg and autoexec.cfg in ..\Steam\steamapps\common\Half-Life 2\hl2\cfg\..
dxsupport.cfg and dxsupport_episodic.cfg both in ..\Steam\steamapps\common\Half-Life 2\bin\...

...

A FEW FINAL NOTES:

1.) "sv_cheats" "1" is NOT needed for any of these options. They will work just fine.

2.) If you should experience some sort of flickering (e.g. in the sky or the level itself) remove all the options I listed under "DRAW DISTANCE OPTIONS" from the Launch Options again. But do keep +r_lod 0 and +r_rootlod 0 and also keep all the other options (+mat_dxlevel 95 +mat_fullbright 0 +mat_hdr_level 2).

3.) If everything is fine, there is one other additional option to improve the draw distance, but it is really kind of overkill because it disable "Area Portals" (disables means it opens them). All of the Area Portals instead for "area_portal_window" though. The option is +r_portalsopenall 1 Speedrunners usually use it. It will have some good effect for better draw distance here and there, but again not too much and it is basically overkill. Same goes for +r_occlusion 0 But give it a try if you want to.

4.) No matter all this stuff and options (while it helps a lot and changes visually appearance for the better) SOME objects and SOME props STILL will pop-in and pop-out. Like rocks, fences or anthills from the antlions. Especially bad for EP2 with rocks and trees pop-in and pop-out. This is because in the level source of these maps these props have some hardcoded "Fade Distance" and etc. It can only be changed by de-compiling the map with e.g. BSPSource (or getting the original vmf leaks) changing these values in the object's/prop's properties and in all cases re-compiling it. Half-Life 2 Update basically just did that. With much much other stuff in the details.

[-$ilver-]

I want to say WOW!!! And a big thank you for everyone that took the time to help. I "think" it worked, but by the time I tried it I was already off the highway. Regardless I will eventually try it again just to see. Thanks again!

[Reddonut]

Originally posted by chriskringel:

Originally posted by -$ilver-:

I noticed something wrong when I left Ravenholm. The inside of the last tunnel with the rolling cart that has the spinning blades was dark, I transitioned to the next map and then it was bright I assumed because of the way the tunnel shows light. But I decided to back track quickly and then the map transitioned back to the tunnel with the moving cart and spinning blades, but now that tunnel was bright too.

Half-Life 2 with the Orange Box update got HDR (High Dynamic Range Lighting) maps for a few chapters. And that's exactly the point where you get to see the first HDR map, the last map of the Ravenholm chapter. Continuing with all of Highway 17 + Sandtraps + Nova Prospekt.

HL2 does some hardware autodetection stuff when starting, and sometimes (or often) it gets it wrong. Also HL2 is very very conservative with the stock settings it detects for your hardware. And sometimes it decides to turn off HDR.

Problem is, with the Orange Box update the maps with HDR only have HDR. When somehow the game decides that HDR is not for your hardware, you will have absolutely no lighting in those maps. The game detects this and it goes setting mat_fullbright convar to "1". Because otherwise everything would be 100% pitch black.

So when you transitioned back to the previous Ravenholm map (with the sawblade machines, where you are before leaving the mines finally) this parameter mat_fullbright is still set to "1", so even the map has LDR lighting (the normal "low" dynamic range lighting, which was standard for all HL2 maps before the Orange Box update, while Loast Coast, EP1 and EP2 already featured HDR lighting) and while the lighting was fine at first, you transition back with "mat_fullbright" "1" and now you have no lighting in the LDR maps as well.

You can test this with enabling the console and typing mat_fullbright 1 in the first LDR levels, you will get the same effect, no lighting. fullbright means everything will be displayed with max brightness possible, thus everything looks like cheap and the same. mat_fullbright itself is helpful for mapping. E.g. if you very quick want to change something or just test gameplay without calculating the lighting for your map (which is by far the most time consuming step when compiling a map), you set mat_fullbright to 1 so you can see the geometry and textures/materials of your map, test the gameplay and not everything being 100% dark. mat_fullbright 2 is also interesting when you actually have compiled your map with lighting and you want to see the "flow" of the lighting better and how it shines on the surfaces/brushes especially with bumpmap textures/materials.

+++ THE ACTUAL PERMANENT FIX (EASY) +++

So to just fix your game experience, you need to trick HL2's (sometimes weird, very strict) autodetection of your hardware capabilities.

1.) Do this by right-clicking on the game entry in your Steam library view.

2.) Choose "Properties". Then in the new window in the "General" tab click on "SET LAUNCH OPTIONS...".

2a.) If there is anything already there like "-autoconfig" or "-dxlevel xy", remove everything.

3.) Enter the following (copy & paste!):

%command% +mat_dxlevel 95 +mat_fullbright 0 +mat_hdr_level 2 +r_lod 0 +r_rootlod 0

Click OK. CLose the window.

Start the game. Go into >Options >Video >Advanced. Set everything (one more last time) once again to your liking. Everything to "high" or "very high", "enabled", if you like vsync or no vsync. Click "Apply" and OK.

Close the game. Do NOT remove the start launch options! Restart the game. Check if your settings are still the same. If it worked it will work now everytime. Play. Enjoy!

THAT'S IT.
------------------


EXPLANATION:
Some guides recommend "-dxlevel 95" or "-dxlevel 90", (yes with "-" instead of "+" is correct for these options) but do NOT use them! It will override your video settings every single time you start the game. "+mat_dxlevel 95" only does this once or if at all. mat_hdr_level 2 means "use HDR if HDR is available for a map, otherwise use LDR" (which makes sense because the HL2 HDR levels only have HDR lighting). Normally you would compile a map with LDR and HDR. mat_fullbright 0 means: "don't disable lighting. we do have lighting information!". r_lod and r_rootlod is optional but I recommend it to everyone playing Source games because it disables that objects and npc are drawn with low polygon versions at distances (overrides LOD, level of detail).

mat_dxlevel 95 means that you have DirectX/Direct3D 9 with Shader model 3. Most guides say mat_dxlevel 90 (DirectX/Direct3D 9, with Shader model 2), which is not entirely correct and which -again- will disable some nice graphical features for you. This is explained here: https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Mat_dxlevel Even my oldest 2010 laptop with Intel GMA supports DirectX 9 with Shader model 3. So let it count to 3! (ha... ha.)

Responsible for this wrong autodetection is the file ..\Steam\steamapps\common\Half-Life 2\bin\dxsupport.cfg You can look at it via notepad.exe or better Notepad++. But thankfully we don't need to mess around with it.

Aye I stumbled upon this while looking through old emails and you really went above and beyond for this little kid to be able to play half life 2. The fact you even read the entirety of my long ass post is pretty crazy.
P.S. I’m a source engine nerd now too lol, though I mainly have to play the orange box on my Xbox now since MacOS stopped supporting 32 bit apps and bootcamp windows just refuses to run on it without breaking *something* lol. Have a good day stranger :)

[Reddonut]

Originally posted by Reddonut:

Aye I stumbled upon this while looking through old emails and you really went above and beyond for this little kid to be able to play half life 2. The fact you even read the entirety of my long ass post is pretty crazy.
P.S. I’m a source engine nerd now too lol, though I mainly have to play the orange box on my Xbox now since MacOS stopped supporting 32 bit apps and bootcamp windows just refuses to run on it without breaking *something* lol. Have a good day stranger :)

OH P.S.S. I’m the O.P. lol. I lost that original account a while ago

[jahpeg]

what a sweet little story