Auto Exposure issue, map too dark

Hey guys, I’ve recently changed my auto exposure settings min and brightness to 1 (players camera post process)to get rid of the lighting and emmisive change based upon distance that was in the map. However now i have the issues of my map is really really dark everywhere (I’m making a night level but this is just too dark). I can crank up some of the point lights in the map to about 20,000 intensity and they seem alright. This doesn’t feel right however because the outside is still really dark. Upping the value of my Directional Light does some improvement but after a certain value i just get crazy bloom outside. This is all for a night map, and i’m worried about the production of making future maps that are in daylight if i continue using this process. How can i improve these settings? Can anyone help?

Thanks

Hi Twibbz -

Auto Exposure pulls it high and low percentage values from the scene colors luminescence histogram. It might be worth the effort to play around with some of your post process settings other than Auto Exposure, like Tonemapping and Scene color. Adjusting these settings may help equalize some of the dark settings in your scene. You might also want to try to add a skylight into your level without shadows which will provide a little bit of light all over.

https://docs.unrealengine/latest/INT/Engine/Rendering/PostProcessEffects/AutomaticExposure/index.html
https://docs.unrealengine/latest/INT/Engine/Rendering/PostProcessEffects/ColorGrading/index.html

Thank You -

Ketchum

Thanks for the response, shall try the following and let you know how it turns out. A skylight instead of directional light?

Nope, just add the skylight beside the directional light :wink:

or add a skylight + my settings that I posted in the forum: https://forums.unrealengine/showthread.php?18797-Auto-Exposure-Issues-map-too-dark

Ok i did this, things seem to look better, but i now have the issue of i cant make any bright maps using this same character’s camera post process. because everything is really bright.
would i have to change the post process before the level loaded (if multiplayer game)?

Hi Twibbz -

Yes, if you assign the post process values to a players camera you can in the construction script set variables which will adjust the look of the camera’s post process. In this instance your global post process would be used to “zero” out the settings so only the camera’s post process effects the scene.

I would spend some time looking over the complete post process section in the documentation because it sounds like you game will be using it heavily.

Good Luck and let us know if you need any further help -

Ketchum

Ok i dont understand why there isnt just a generalized seting i can used thats going to keep things consistent over levels. Im only using this so my emmissives on my lights dont fade the closer i get to them. As long as changing the charactersBP camera’s exposure settings between light and dark maps is viable and ok to do then i will carry on using this method. (i tested a daytime map with default skydome with current exposure settings and the horizon was very bright unless i change up the exposure.) Current settings for this dark map are brightnessmax=10, and brightnessmin=0.25. Would having both of these = 1 be better for consistency? with them at that setting i’d have to rack up the scene lights to something ridiculous. Say 20000 intensity to see much at all. i just need something consistent for day/night maps that’s not going to affect the dimming by distance effect of lights/emmissives very much. And i’d rather bother withthis now while early in development than later down the line as it seems to change so much with very little values. Sorry for being a pain :L Thanks

Hey Twibbz -

It sort of sounds like you are wanting something a kin to a day night cycle or at least teh ability to dramatically change from really dark to really light. I would suggest going into your blueprint and actively setting the Auto Exposure settings with a Make Post Process Settings node. Don’t be afraid of that node you only need to work with 2 settings brightness and min brightness. The Nighttime look should be maybe an 8 and 8 and then 1 and 1 for the daytime assuming of course you do not want any eye adaption.

Thank You

Ketchum

Cheeeers :slight_smile:

I had same issue and for now, simplest solution is to make material brighter:


On my side it works as expected.