diff --git a/plugins/rendermax/renderer_light.cpp b/plugins/rendermax/renderer_light.cpp
index 6d4b2ce58..5d1a2bb89 100644
--- a/plugins/rendermax/renderer_light.cpp
+++ b/plugins/rendermax/renderer_light.cpp
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ bool lightingEngineViewscreen::lightUpCell(std::vector<lightCell> & target, ligh
         }
         if(ls.radius>0 && dsq>0)
         {
-            if(power<ls.power)
+            if(power<=ls.power)
                 return false;
         }
         //float dt=sqrt(dsq);
@@ -595,12 +595,38 @@ void lightingEngineViewscreen::doSun(const lightSource& sky,MapExtras::MapCache&
         }
     }
 }
+lightCell lightingEngineViewscreen::getSkyColor(float v)
+{
+    if(dayColors.size()<2)
+    {
+        v=abs(fmod(v+0.5,1)-0.5)*2;
+        return lightCell(v,v,v);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        float pos=v*(dayColors.size()-1);
+        int pre=floor(pos);
+        pos-=pre;
+        if(pre==dayColors.size()-1)
+            return dayColors[pre];
+        return dayColors[pre]*(1-pos)+dayColors[pre+1]*pos;
+    }
+}
 void lightingEngineViewscreen::doOcupancyAndLights()
 {
     // TODO better curve (+red dawn ?)
-    float daycol = 1;//abs((*df::global::cur_year_tick % 1200) - 600.0) / 400.0;
-    lightCell sky_col(daycol, daycol, daycol);
-    lightSource sky(sky_col, 15);
+    
+    float daycol;
+    if(dayHour<0)
+    {
+        int length=1200/daySpeed;
+        daycol= (*df::global::cur_year_tick % length)/ (float)length;
+    }
+    else
+        daycol= fmod(dayHour,24.0f)/24.0f; //1->12h 0->24h
+    
+    lightCell sky_col=getSkyColor(daycol);
+    lightSource sky(sky_col, 15);//auto calculate best size
 
     lightSource candle(lightCell(0.96f,0.84f,0.03f),5);
     lightSource torch(lightCell(0.9f,0.75f,0.3f),8);
@@ -878,6 +904,10 @@ lightCell lua_parseLightCell(lua_State* L)
     if(lua_isnil(L,-1)){field=false;}\
     else{lua_getfield(L,-1,#name);field=lua_isnil(L,-1);lua_pop(L,1);}\
     lua_pop(L,1)
+
+#define GETLUANUMBER(field,name) lua_getfield(L,-1,#name);\
+    if(!lua_isnil(L,-1) && lua_isnumber(L,-1))field=lua_tonumber(L,-1);\
+    lua_pop(L,1)
 matLightDef lua_parseMatDef(lua_State* L)
 {
     
@@ -957,9 +987,20 @@ int lightingEngineViewscreen::parseSpecial(lua_State* L)
     LOAD_SPECIAL(AMBIENT,matAmbience);
     LOAD_SPECIAL(CURSOR,matCursor);
     LOAD_SPECIAL(CITIZEN,matCitizen);
-    lua_getfield(L,-1,"LevelDim");
-    if(!lua_isnil(L,-1) && lua_isnumber(L,-1))engine->levelDim=lua_tonumber(L,-1);
-    lua_pop(L,1);
+    GETLUANUMBER(engine->levelDim,levelDim);
+    GETLUANUMBER(engine->dayHour,dayHour);
+    GETLUANUMBER(engine->daySpeed,daySpeed);
+    lua_getfield(L,-1,"dayColors");
+    if(lua_istable(L,-1))
+    {
+        engine->dayColors.clear();
+        lua_pushnil(L);
+        while (lua_next(L, -2) != 0) {
+            engine->dayColors.push_back(lua_parseLightCell(L));
+            lua_pop(L,1);
+        }
+        lua_pop(L,1);
+    }
     return 0;
 }
 #undef LOAD_SPECIAL
@@ -1025,6 +1066,11 @@ void lightingEngineViewscreen::defaultSettings()
     matWall=matLightDef(lightCell(0,0,0));
     matCitizen=matLightDef(lightCell(0.8f,0.8f,0.9f),6);
     levelDim=0.2f;
+    dayHour=-1;
+    daySpeed=1;
+    dayColors.push_back(lightCell(0,0,0));
+    dayColors.push_back(lightCell(1,1,1));
+    dayColors.push_back(lightCell(0,0,0));
 }
 void lightingEngineViewscreen::loadSettings()
 {
@@ -1063,6 +1109,7 @@ void lightingEngineViewscreen::loadSettings()
                 lua_pushlightuserdata(s, this);
                 lua_pushvalue(s,env);
                 Lua::SafeCall(out,s,2,0);
+                out.print("%d day light colors loaded\n",dayColors.size());
 
                 lua_pushcfunction(s, parseBuildings);
                 lua_pushlightuserdata(s, this);
@@ -1080,3 +1127,4 @@ void lightingEngineViewscreen::loadSettings()
     lua_pop(s,1);
 }
 #undef GETLUAFLAG
+#undef GETLUANUMBER
diff --git a/plugins/rendermax/renderer_light.hpp b/plugins/rendermax/renderer_light.hpp
index 2e8b03c54..e5a9db787 100644
--- a/plugins/rendermax/renderer_light.hpp
+++ b/plugins/rendermax/renderer_light.hpp
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ public:
     virtual void loadSettings()=0;
     virtual void clear()=0;
     
+    virtual void setHour(float h)=0;
 protected:
     renderer_light* myRenderer;
 };
@@ -182,11 +183,16 @@ private:
     int nextIndex;
     std::vector<tthread::thread *> threadList;
     void doLightThreads();
+    //misc
+    void setHour(float h){dayHour=h;};
 public:
 	void lightWorkerThread(void * arg);
 private:
+    lightCell getSkyColor(float v);
     //settings
-
+    float daySpeed;
+    float dayHour; //<0 to cycle
+    std::vector<lightCell> dayColors; // a gradient of colors, first to 0, last to 24
     ///set up sane settings if setting file does not exist.
     void defaultSettings(); 
 
diff --git a/plugins/rendermax/renderer_opengl.hpp b/plugins/rendermax/renderer_opengl.hpp
index 57e81295b..8ba35f5ea 100644
--- a/plugins/rendermax/renderer_opengl.hpp
+++ b/plugins/rendermax/renderer_opengl.hpp
@@ -223,9 +223,9 @@ struct lightCell
     {
         return lightCell(r+other.r,g+other.g,b+other.b);
     }
-    bool operator<(const lightCell& other) const
+    bool operator<=(const lightCell& other) const
     {
-        return r<other.r && g<other.g && b<other.b;
+        return r<=other.r && g<=other.g && b<=other.b;
     }
     float dot(const lightCell& other) const
     {
diff --git a/plugins/rendermax/rendermax.cpp b/plugins/rendermax/rendermax.cpp
index 482dfa6cb..6a1b40890 100644
--- a/plugins/rendermax/rendermax.cpp
+++ b/plugins/rendermax/rendermax.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #include "df/viewscreen_dwarfmodest.h"
 #include "df/viewscreen_dungeonmodest.h"
 
+#include <sstream>
+
 using df::viewscreen_dungeonmodest;
 using df::viewscreen_dwarfmodest;
 
@@ -45,7 +47,9 @@ DFhackCExport command_result plugin_init (color_ostream &out, std::vector <Plugi
         "  rendermax trippy\n"
         "  rendermax truecolor red|green|blue|white\n"
         "  rendermax lua\n"
-        "  rendermax light\n"
+        "  rendermax light - lighting engine\n"
+        "  rendermax light reload - reload the settings file\n"
+        "  rendermax light sun <x>|cycle - set time to x or cycle (same effect if x<0)\n"
         "  rendermax disable\n"
         ));
     return CR_OK;
@@ -366,6 +370,21 @@ static command_result rendermax(color_ostream &out, vector <string> & parameters
                 CoreSuspender suspend;
                 engine->loadSettings();
             }
+            else if(parameters[1]=="sun" && parameters.size()==3)
+            {
+                if(parameters[2]=="cycle")
+                {
+                    engine->setHour(-1);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    std::stringstream ss;
+                    ss<<parameters[2];
+                    float h;
+                    ss>>h;
+                    engine->setHour(h);
+                }
+            }
         }
         else
             out.printerr("Light mode already enabled");
diff --git a/plugins/rendermax/rendermax.lua b/plugins/rendermax/rendermax.lua
index ed790be48..74e5fc2d0 100644
--- a/plugins/rendermax/rendermax.lua
+++ b/plugins/rendermax/rendermax.lua
@@ -104,8 +104,14 @@ special.AMBIENT=makeMaterialDef({0.85,0.85,0.85}) --ambient fog
 special.CURSOR=makeMaterialDef({1,1,1},{0.96,0.84,0.03},11, {"flicker"})
 special.CITIZEN=makeMaterialDef(nil,{0.80,0.80,0.90},6)
 special.LevelDim=0.2 -- darkness. Do not set to 0
+special.dayHour=-1 -- <0 cycle, else hour of the day
+special.dayColors={ {0,0,0}, --dark at 0 hours 
+					{0.6,0.5,0.5}, --reddish twilight
+				    {1,1,1}, --fullbright at 12 hours 
+					{0.5,0.5,0.5}, 
+					{0,0,0}} --dark at 24 hours 
+special.daySpeed=1 -- 1->1200 cur_year_ticks per day. 2->600 ticks
 --TODO dragonfire
---TODO daylight
 --materials