Creating Skyboxes?

I know its been done in some mods, though its been beyond both my graphics editing software and skills to attempt...

Skyboxbackdrop2-7.mesh are the mesh files for skyboxes, you can actually make your own if you need to remap them, just remember that the models are supposed to be viewed from inside, so you have to reverse normals, otherwise they won't show.

Skyboxbackdrop textures are the texture files for various  skyboxes. They're in DDS format, so make sure you use 8.8.8.8. variant or your details won't show and the backdrop will be grainy due to DDS compression.

Finally, Skybox[number]environment are the cube map DDS files for various skyboxes. They lend the tint and some illumination to all the objects in game

Ok, Im looking at the Skybox_enviroment right now and the SkyboxBackdrop for the coresponding for the same colored backdrop. All I need to do is put what picture/texture into the .dds format like the current ones. I shouldnt need to create a new mesh if I just reuse the a current one?

Also, Im assuming Photoshop is what I need to use to create the .dds.

Im sorry if I asking some rather obvious questions. I have really no expericence doing this, and I dont wanna beg someone to make me new stuff. I rather have someone teach me or learn it myself.

Well, since there is no step-by-step info on how Ironclad made their backdrop textures (you will notice they have used a spherical map with cut-off poles to preven texture pinching) I can't really tell you how to make a texture that would fit existing backdrop meshes - I tried various techniques, but could not get rid of seams as none of them were precise enough.

My advice is to create a new skybox mesh and UV-map it yourself. That way you will have the information you need to make precise placement of textures and avoid seams.

The other trick you may want to try if you don't want to make new meshes is to use your new images but adjust the alpha on the edges/seams so that in fact only portions of the skybox texture show, while seams are made transparent. Both ways work fine.

And yeah, Photoshop is the best for texture work.

Yes photoshop should be fine. Make sure you have the dds plugin so you can save them out.
Reuse the same meshes and copy the dimensions of an existing skybox. The seams will be difficult, so unless you have a program that allows you to paint directly on a mesh you can cheat and use a solid color in the problem areas (ie. black). Have fun!

Ah, well while I waiting to get photoshop. Is there another program I can use to convert .jpg to .dds and vice versa. Or does photoshop do all this with the plugin?

You can get a command prompt version of the DDS plugins from Nvidia's website. They're essentially the same thing and they work with all major image formats.

Ok, do yall know where I could buy or find a cheap verison of Photoshop. Had one I was going to buy cheap but I wasnt quick enough. Till I get photoshop, this is a dead project. =(

I think there is a free program called GIMP that has similar functionality. Give that one a shot.

Thanks Craig!!!!!! Downloaded it and it will work for me!

Now yet another problem, cant get GIMP to open the .dds files. Ive downloaded everything from the Nivida site. Ive even went looking for .dds coverter. Not found one that will work. =/

This is really starting to annoy me. I expected working on the texture to be the hard part not set everything up. Sigh.

I just did a quick search for DDS and GIMP and stumbled upon this site:

http://eliteforce2.filefront.com/file/DDS_Converter;29412#Download

 I don't approve of, or disapprove of this program. I've never tried it.

I used to use (and learned on) Paint shop pro, but when corel took over it took a nose dive in stability and capability so I was 'forced' to invest in Photoshop. How fortunate they fixed all the things I didn't like about Ps by cs3/cs4.

Update: That DDS Converter is broken. LOL, After wresling with this program forever and searching for help high and low. Its broken. Dead. Sigh.

On a related note: Craig does the engine support animated textures?

I personally won't use a jpg file as a dds, I would probably go for a higher quality picture, a png even still that might not be high enough

What if I want to use a custom image? Can I change it so it becomes a skybox...

Sorry that didnt work out for you Carbon.

The particle effect system supports animated textures. Bascially you will need to align each frame of your animation in rows in one dds or tga file. A separate animation text file define the coordinates of each frame, the number of rows and so on. Many of the particle effects in the game use framed animations.

Hey Craig, another quick question for you on this: Do you guys use photoshop to make your .dds files? If you do (and im assuming here you use the .dds plugin for it) What settings do you save the .dds files as.

I can get nice looking skyboxes etc, and I can also get nice looking menus and so on however they always turn out to be twice the size of you guys' (20MB+ instead of the 10MB of the originals). It's obviously some kind of setting im missing, I just dont know which one! Any help would be appreciated.

Yes, we use Photoshop. We use both DXT1 and DXT5 ....usually 5, alpha will be your decided factor.  Don't bother with DXT3, file size should be the same, but the quality worse for most applications. TGA's will be signficantly larger, so DDS anything that can pass the quality test.

Here is the plug-in for you:
http://developer.nvidia.com/object/photoshop_dds_plugins.html

Best of luck Nacey

Nacey, You!!!!!! I want your skybox!!!!! IM so envious!!!!!

I cant wait to get photoshop!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah I forgot about that, the planet elevators on vanilla Sins use this method don't they and I assume therefore the new starbases use a similar technique. What is interesting about those examples is how the texture is wrapped around the objects in DDS format as opposed to the normal TGA.

I think this is a very under utilised feature of the particle system from the modding community so far and warrants closer scrutiny I can see a lot of potential uses for this.