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I am currently working on my first official counter-strike map. I am trying to choose a lighting setup so I decided to do an extensive case study. I haven’t found any good examples of lighting setup over the same location. So I did it myself.

I used the lighting setups of most official counter-strike maps, and I used it over the same location to show how the light changes. It is much easier to see the difference when you are comparing to the same screenshot.

Now of course it will differ on your maps depending on how objects are placed. But the idea is similar.

Pay attention to light color, light ambience, shadow direction and length all help to describe the mood, atmosphere and the time of day.

All of these also have the proper value settings to use in your custom Counter-Strike maps.

Environment Light/Sky Content:

• Assault
• Cobble
• Chateau
• Havana
• Inferno
• Italy
• Aztec
• Office
• Piranesi
• Tides

CS_ASSAULT

• Sky Name: assault
• Sun Angle: 305
• Sun Pitch: -57
• Brightness: 249 241 176 850
• Ambience: 151 194 204 80

DE_COBBLE

• Sky Name: de_cobble
• Sun Angle: 330
• Sun Pitch: -40
• Brightness: 240 252 255 700
• Ambience: 146 149 155 300

• Sky Name: de_cobble_hdr
• Sun Angle: 26
• Sun Pitch: -60
• Brightness: 252 230 197 550
• Ambience: 136 177 210 100

DE_CHATEAU

• Sky Name: cx
• Sun Angle: 27
• Sun Pitch: -65
• Brightness: 255 242 192 600
• Ambience: 145 172 189 300

CS_HAVANA

• Sky Name: hav
• Sun Angle: 300
• Sun Pitch: -12
• Brightness: 251 215 140 800
• Ambience: 143 176 214 300

DE_INFERNO

• Sky Name: tides
• Sun Angle: 307
• Sun Pitch: -65
• Brightness: 235 222 177 800
• Ambience: 91 135 149 400

CS_ITALY

• Sky Name: italy
• Sun Angle: 165
• Sun Pitch: -45
• Brightness: 255 232 208 600
• Ambience: 183 201 206 200

DE_AZTEC

• Sky Name: jungle
• Sun Angle: 287
• Sun Pitch: -60
• Brightness: 248 244 237 350
• Ambience: 190 209 216 150

CS_OFFICE

• Sky Name: jungle
• Sun Angle: 17
• Sun Pitch: -60
• Brightness: 255 249 225 325
• Ambience: 121 152 185 400

DE_PIRANESI

• Sky Name: de_piranesi
• Sun Angle: 150
• Sun Pitch: -50
• Brightness: 255 248 192 450
• Ambience: 152 160 168 300

DE_TIDES

• Sky Name: tides
• Sun Angle: 51
• Sun Pitch: -60
• Brightness: 242 224 183 850
• Ambience: 105 150 186 800

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