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How to Read Glow Maps

Glow maps are computer game texture enhancements that appear over regular maps and maximize the intensity of light in specified pixels. Players use glow maps to create areas on the screen that shine or "glow" with much more intensity. Reading a glow map can help you figure out which areas of the screen are set to glow more intensely than others. Unfortunately, the glow map overlay itself is a black and white map, which doesn't reflect colors. However, using a copy of the original map can aid in reading the colors of a glow map.

Things You'll Need

Game map texture program
Printer
Tape
Colored pencils

Instructions

- 1
  Open your glow map using your game map texture program. Choose a program appropriate for the game from which your glow map originated.
- 2
  Find the black spots on the glow map, which do not glow at all on the game map -- instead appearing as black or dark spots.
- 3
  Compare the white regions of the map with the grayer or black areas. The whiter the area in the glow map, the more it shines on the game map. Darker gray glow map areas shine more dully on the game map, but still radiate some light.
- 4
  Print out your glow map using the highest resolution available for your printer. Use multiple sheets, if necessary, and tape them together to make a complete glow map.
- 5
  Save your glow map file, and open your regular map file. Write the name of the color of each section on your glow map, or simply shade in a small part of each section with the colored pencils. Use this map to find where your colors are located and their relative intensity.

Computer Games