[Solved] Lighting workaround for bridge with issues
I have a bridge (coming out of goo - which is hidden for the moment) which consists of two panels and the corresponding arms. During compilation the panels are up there to have the correct lighting on top. [1] During MapSpawn the two arms are pulled out, the panels attached to them and then they are retracted - this works good BUT when the player jumps into the goo, he will probably notice the different lighting whatever material I will chose once the map is done. [2] Is there any way to prevent the player seing this?
[1] https://dl.dropbox.com/u/31345439/Lighting1.png
[2] https://dl.dropbox.com/u/31345439/Lighting2.png
I wouldn't know. Every panel like that I've ever seen is lit differently.
On an off-topic note: Hail! Fellow Windows-8 user! 
for all users of Windows-8!
Check out my Portal 2 Workshop! http://steamcommunity.com/id/nextgenp0r ... shopfiles/
"Never give up, never surrender. P0rtal forever." - NeXTGenP0rtaler.
Join my robot-related Steam group! http://steamcommunity.com/groups/groupofrobots
The lighting on those surfaces is calculated at compile time, so when they change position, the lighting will look off. What you could do is add two more func_brushes that start at the ground level and only allow them to be visible when the arms are fully retracted. E.g., when the platform raises disable the floor panels and enable the "child" panels of the arms. When the platform reaches the bottom, disable the "child" panels and enable the floor ones. There would be an abrupt change in lighting, but I doubt many people would notice.
Portal 1: Portal Pro, Resurrection, Dyad, Rexaura
Portal 2: [Coop] Electrophobia, [PTI] EotM Collection, [SP] Aperture Halloween
@Liam: will you make a clean water or something? because if it's goo, why caring about the look of the floor while you're dying? I don't really understand your intention. Your problem anyway is that on top there is different lighting intensity than into that pit, try to balance the lighting on top of those panels when they're up and they're down.
useful tools and stuff here on TWP 
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]This sounds like a workaround which might work but is quite tricky. Do you know maybe any better solution to maybe add a fog or something like that that will hide the whole floor of the goo pit when under water?
It is goo, yet it looks really strange if there is such a sharp edge where you can see the different lighting and I don't want to have any issues in there... it just isn't aesthetic and it would testify that I would be lazy not fixing minor issues!
And please explain me, how am I supposed to balance the lighting in both states? This is nearly impossible so I am in the need of a solution which doesn't involve bruteforcing this.
Choose the lighting origin? Disable receiving shadows from lightmaps?
To be honest, I never learned much about lighting, so it would require a few explanations what your suggestions actually do and how to actually set them up.
Relax, nobody will ever notice the textures beneath your goo. I always use tools_black there, and any panes are just a textured brush with lighting compiled at above-surface state. Nobody's gonna' dive in and see what it will look like. 
Maps in Development:
[spoiler]- Penrose 04 (on hold)[/spoiler]
With the hint of FourthReaper I was successful - I just have added a 1 unit thick brush onto my floor with toolsblack on it and I am pleased now.
That... that wasn't quite what I meant at all, but if it works for you I guess that's great. 
Maps in Development:
[spoiler]- Penrose 04 (on hold)[/spoiler]