Skymap how-to?
Pstrangler
Join Date: 2003-09-25 Member: 21198Members
Join Date: 2003-09-25 Member: 21198Members
in Mapping
hello, I'd like to create a skymap (sky texture) and am wondering what is there to it.
What image size do I need?
single image or cube map... or perhaps planisphere?
How do I build it (compile) all into the proper file?
Anything else I need to know to start from scratch?
thanks a lot!
Would like to do one (or many) sky maps for use in space (without land/buildings just nightsky and perhaps a planet and a star)
Then maybe more with asteroids.nebulae.exotic astral stuff.
What image size do I need?
single image or cube map... or perhaps planisphere?
How do I build it (compile) all into the proper file?
Anything else I need to know to start from scratch?
thanks a lot!
Would like to do one (or many) sky maps for use in space (without land/buildings just nightsky and perhaps a planet and a star)
Then maybe more with asteroids.nebulae.exotic astral stuff.
Comments
6 Images: Left, Right, Front, back, Up & Down. (Skybox)
Format: nVidia DX5-TA .DDS (Generated by the Builder from PhotoShop PSD files)
You need the cinematic editor that is currently unreleased to create a skybox cinematic file so you wont be able to actually load them into game yet even if you make them.
I can still start to make some boxes.
I guess I'll have to learn Blender. I know my way around 3ds max but... I don't own it.
Anyone tried to build props in Blender to import them in NS2?
You need Python installed to run the COLLODA Export Script that comes with it. 2 Colloda Versions come with it, Export using <u>1.4</u>
When Exporting "Use Relative Paths" is buggy and might stop exporting working so check it. Dont work on mine.
After Exporting you may need to edit the produced .dea file to remove the path prefix from the textures you used.
Blender can Read .DDS files so you can actually load those up stright into the UV Mapper.
* <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/wiki/index.php/Builder" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/wiki/index.php/Builder</a> - Follow that to setup the Builder to compile your models.
You need Python installed to run the COLLODA Export Script that comes with it. 2 Colloda Versions come with it, Export using <u>1.4</u>
When Exporting "Use Relative Paths" is buggy and might stop exporting working so check it. Dont work on mine.
After Exporting you may need to edit the produced .dea file to remove the path prefix from the textures you used.
Blender can Read .DDS files so you can actually load those up stright into the UV Mapper.
* <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/wiki/index.php/Builder" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/wiki/index.php/Builder</a> - Follow that to setup the Builder to compile your models.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I don't suppose you could post a working COLLADA file example? My exporter doesn't want to use <library_image> (it puts it there, but doesn't populate it, and populating it myself doesn't seem to do anything). Even a simple cube is fine, I would just love to see the format of how it works so I can properly edit my DAE files until full support for them is added.
<!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1--><?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<COLLADA version="1.4.0" xmlns="http://www.collada.org/2005/11/COLLADASchema">
<asset>
<contributor>
<author>Illusoft Collada 1.4.0 plugin for Blender - http://colladablender.illusoft.com</author>
<authoring_tool>Blender v:249 - Illusoft Collada Exporter v:0.3.162</authoring_tool>
<comments></comments>
<copyright></copyright>
<source_data>file://d:/Developer/NS2/Models/props/litter/generic_litter_paper_01.blend</source_data>
</contributor>
<created>2010-03-03T23:58:38.113000</created>
<modified>2010-03-03T23:58:38.113000</modified>
<unit meter="0.01" name="centimeter"/>
<up_axis>Z_UP</up_axis>
</asset>
<library_cameras>
<camera id="Camera-Camera" name="Camera-Camera">
<optics>
<technique_common>
<perspective>
<yfov>49.13434</yfov>
<znear>0.1</znear>
<zfar>100.0</zfar>
</perspective>
</technique_common>
</optics>
</camera>
</library_cameras>
<library_effects>
<effect id="generic_litter_docume-fx" name="generic_litter_docume-fx">
<profile_COMMON>
<newparam sid="generic_litter_docume-surface">
<surface type="2D">
<init_from>generic_litter_docume-img</init_from>
<format>A8R8G8B8</format>
</surface>
</newparam>
<newparam sid="generic_litter_docume-sampler">
<sampler2D>
<source>generic_litter_docume-surface</source>
<minfilter>LINEAR_MIPMAP_LINEAR</minfilter>
<magfilter>LINEAR</magfilter>
</sampler2D>
</newparam>
<technique sid="blender">
<phong>
<emission>
<color>0.00000 0.00000 0.00000 1</color>
</emission>
<ambient>
<color>0.40000 0.40000 0.40000 1</color>
</ambient>
<diffuse>
<texture texcoord="CHANNEL1" texture="generic_litter_docume-sampler"/>
</diffuse>
<specular>
<color>0.50000 0.50000 0.50000 1</color>
</specular>
<shininess>
<float>12.5</float>
</shininess>
<reflective>
<color>1.00000 1.00000 1.00000 1</color>
</reflective>
<reflectivity>
<float>0.0</float>
</reflectivity>
<transparent>
<color>1 1 1 1</color>
</transparent>
<transparency>
<float>0.0</float>
</transparency>
</phong>
</technique>
</profile_COMMON>
</effect>
</library_effects>
<library_images>
<image id="generic_litter_docume-img" name="generic_litter_docume-img">
<init_from>generic_litter_documents_01.dds</init_from>
</image>
</library_images>
<library_lights>
<light id="Spot" name="Spot">
<technique_common>
<point>
<color>1.00000 1.00000 1.00000</color>
<constant_attenuation>1.0</constant_attenuation>
<linear_attenuation>0.0</linear_attenuation>
<quadratic_attenuation>0.0</quadratic_attenuation>
</point>
</technique_common>
</light>
</library_lights>
<library_materials>
<material id="generic_litter_docume" name="generic_litter_docume">
<instance_effect url="#generic_litter_docume-fx"/>
</material>
</library_materials>
<library_geometries>
<geometry id="Cube_001" name="Cube_001">
<mesh>
<source id="Cube_001-Position">
<float_array count="12" id="Cube_001-Position-array">1.00000 1.00000 0.00000 1.00000 -2.00000 0.00000 -1.00000 -2.00000 0.00000 -1.00000 1.00000 0.00000</float_array>
<technique_common>
<accessor count="4" source="#Cube_001-Position-array" stride="3">
<param type="float" name="X"></param>
<param type="float" name="Y"></param>
<param type="float" name="Z"></param>
</accessor>
</technique_common>
</source>
<source id="Cube_001-Normals">
<float_array count="3" id="Cube_001-Normals-array">0.00000 -0.00000 1.00000</float_array>
<technique_common>
<accessor count="1" source="#Cube_001-Normals-array" stride="3">
<param type="float" name="X"></param>
<param type="float" name="Y"></param>
<param type="float" name="Z"></param>
</accessor>
</technique_common>
</source>
<source id="Cube_001-UV">
<float_array count="8" id="Cube_001-UV-array">0.47917 1.00000 0.00000 1.00000 0.00000 0.28906 0.47917 0.28906</float_array>
<technique_common>
<accessor count="4" source="#Cube_001-UV-array" stride="2">
<param type="float" name="S"></param>
<param type="float" name="T"></param>
</accessor>
</technique_common>
</source>
<vertices id="Cube_001-Vertex">
<input semantic="POSITION" source="#Cube_001-Position"/>
</vertices>
<polygons count="1" material="generic_litter_docume">
<input offset="0" semantic="VERTEX" source="#Cube_001-Vertex"/>
<input offset="1" semantic="NORMAL" source="#Cube_001-Normals"/>
<input offset="2" semantic="TEXCOORD" source="#Cube_001-UV"/>
<p>0 0 0 3 0 1 2 0 2 1 0 3</p>
</polygons>
</mesh>
</geometry>
</library_geometries>
<library_visual_scenes>
<visual_scene id="Scene" name="Scene">
<node layer="L1" id="Cube" name="Cube">
<translate sid="translate">0.00000 0.00000 0.00000</translate>
<rotate sid="rotateZ">0 0 1 0.00000</rotate>
<rotate sid="rotateY">0 1 0 -0.00000</rotate>
<rotate sid="rotateX">1 0 0 0.00000</rotate>
<scale sid="scale">10.00000 10.00000 10.00000</scale>
<instance_geometry url="#Cube_001">
<bind_material>
<technique_common>
<instance_material symbol="generic_litter_docume" target="#generic_litter_docume">
<bind_vertex_input input_semantic="TEXCOORD" input_set="1" semantic="CHANNEL1"/>
</instance_material>
</technique_common>
</bind_material>
</instance_geometry>
</node>
<node layer="L1" id="Lamp" name="Lamp">
<translate sid="translate">4.07625 1.00545 5.90386</translate>
<rotate sid="rotateZ">0 0 1 106.93632</rotate>
<rotate sid="rotateY">0 1 0 3.16371</rotate>
<rotate sid="rotateX">1 0 0 37.26105</rotate>
<scale sid="scale">1.00000 1.00000 1.00000</scale>
<instance_light url="#Spot"/>
</node>
<node layer="L1" id="Camera" name="Camera">
<translate sid="translate">7.48113 -6.50764 5.34367</translate>
<rotate sid="rotateZ">0 0 1 46.69194</rotate>
<rotate sid="rotateY">0 1 0 0.61977</rotate>
<rotate sid="rotateX">1 0 0 63.55930</rotate>
<scale sid="scale">1.00000 1.00000 1.00000</scale>
<instance_camera url="#Camera-Camera"/>
</node>
</visual_scene>
</library_visual_scenes>
<library_physics_materials>
<physics_material id="Cube-PhysicsMaterial" name="Cube-PhysicsMaterial">
<technique_common>
<dynamic_friction>0.5</dynamic_friction>
<restitution>0.0</restitution>
<static_friction>0.5</static_friction>
</technique_common>
</physics_material>
</library_physics_materials>
<library_physics_models>
<physics_model id="Scene-PhysicsModel" name="Scene-PhysicsModel">
<rigid_body name="Cube-RigidBody" sid="Cube-RigidBody">
<technique_common>
<dynamic>false</dynamic>
<mass>0</mass>
<instance_physics_material url="#Cube-PhysicsMaterial"/>
<shape>
<instance_geometry url="#Cube_001"/>
</shape>
</technique_common>
</rigid_body>
</physics_model>
</library_physics_models>
<library_physics_scenes>
<physics_scene id="Scene-Physics" name="Scene-Physics">
<instance_physics_model url="#Scene-PhysicsModel">
<instance_rigid_body body="Cube-RigidBody" target="#Cube"/>
</instance_physics_model>
</physics_scene>
</library_physics_scenes>
<scene>
<instance_physics_scene url="#Scene-Physics"/>
<instance_visual_scene url="#Scene"/>
</scene>
</COLLADA><!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->
Any good tutorial that would show the basics of manipulations?
I am used to start with a polygon and extrude faces or edges until I get the result I want, is there anything like 3ds' manipulation widget (very similar to Spark's by the way) in Blender?
I am sure I will be able to work with it, not sure where to start though.
...<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Thanks a lot!
Now I can make some progress :)
Right Mouse Click Selects Faces, Objects and Lines.
At the bottom right of the perspective view there are 4 buttons, 3 that change the type of elements you can select on your screen (Point, Line, Face). 1 that toggles occlusion.
<u>Extrude</u>
Select a Face, Line or Point and the hit "E". Move your mouse around, Lock it to an Axis by pressing X, Y or Z and the left click. Holt CTRL to make it snap to GRID.
Mouse wheel to Zoom in and see a smaller grid and CTRL will snap to the smaller grids.
Other functions can be found like <u>bevel</u> by pressing W.
<u>Snapping</u>
Hit CTRL + S to snap selected points to the grid at the current Zoom Level.
<u>Creating Points, Lines & Faces</u>
Create a new point be Holding CTRL and Left Clicking. Also try, selecting a point and then doing that to create a new point linked with a line fromt he selected point.
Create a line between 2 points by selecting them both and pressing F
Create a face be selecting 3/4 points and hitting F
will default 'Blender units' translate 1=1 into 'NS2 units'
If I create a cube 64x64x64 will it appear as 'vent size'?
x20 scale factor is about almost right.