DEDit Advanced – Skybox

In this advanced tutorial we wanna create a skybox. This is more of my personal notes than a real step by step tutorial which I wrote when I was still working with DEDit. But you, dear reader should be experienced enough now to make it happen with what few information I provide you here.

How is a Skybox build?

A skybox: a box build outside the level that gets projected into a skyportal in the actual level. Let’s understand how a skybox works first. A skybox should always be outside the grid (fig.4) so it doesn’t show up in the actual level on the grid. Everything that is included in the skybox will be projected into the skyportal (fig.1).

Skyboxes can include very detailed builds. Imagine a skybox like actual sky. There is the ground. Above the ground is the clouds. Above the clouds is the sky. The sky can be blue or you could see stars. In the sky could be a moon or another planet. Every part of the skybox is its own entity (fig.2).

Fig.1 shows the level your player walks in with the skyportal
Fig.2 shows the actual skybox outside the map
Fig.3 shows the room with the skyportal (side view)
Fig.4 shows the skybox outside the map (side view)

Hints for creating Skyboxes

Place the green marker in the middle of a brush before bind and add new objects to it
The “Index” property defines the order in which entities in the Skybox get rendered
Objects that should be rendered first, should have lower index value
The higher the “Index” number the later the entity gets rendered
Ground would be rendered first, then stars, then clouds
Objects behind other objects should get rendered first
Your skybox might shine through into your level which you cant seem to avoid. Solution: Place solid geometry in your level that blocks the player from seeing it.
Apply the SKY Texture to the brushes where the skybox will be projected to

How to make Ground in Skybox

Make ground brush
- Set “Solid” , “Gouraudshade” & “LigtMap” to TRUE
- Set name of brush to “Ground” in properties
Bind to Object “Door”
- Set name of “Door” to “Ground” in properties & nodes tab
Add “DemoSkyWorld”
- Set name “Ground” in properties & “GroundSkyWorld” in nodes
- Set “Index” property to “0”

How to make Mountains in Skybox

Make 4 mountain brushes on the grounds sides
Make another 4 mountain brushes behind the first 4 (make them higher)
- Set name of all brushes to “Mountains”
- – Set “fullbright” and “translucent” to TRUE
- Add Texture textures/layouts/minotaur/minterr2
- Adjust textures properly with map textures coordinates contextmenu
Bind all brushes to “Door” object
- Set name to “Mountains” in properties and node tabs
Add “DemoSkyWorldModel”
- Set name to “Mountains” in properties and “MountainSkyWorld” in nodes
- Set “index” property to “6”

How to make Clouds in Skybox

Make clouds brush above ground brush
- Add texture textures/sky/sky15
- Set name to “Clouds” in properties & nodes
- Set “fullbright” and “translucent” to TRUE
- Type pan into “effect” (makes the texture move)
- Type 32 32 into “effectparam” (the speed of the moving texture)
- Optional: texture coordinates 255,255
Bind brush to “Door” object
- Set name to “Clouds” in properties & nodes
Add “DemoSkyWorld”
- Set name to “Clouds” in properties and “CloudSkyWorld” in nodes
- Set “Index” property to “3”

How to make Stars in Skybox

Make stars brush above clouds brush
- Add texture textures/sky/starz2
- Set “FullyBright” & “FlatShade” to TRUE
- Set name to “Stars” in properties & nodes
Bind brush to “Door” object
- Set name to “Stars” in properties and nodes
Add “DemoSkyWorld”
- Set name to “Stars” in properties and “StarsSkyWorld” in nodes
- Set “index” property to “1”

How to finish the Skybox

Chose any SkyWorld Object (favorably in the middle)
- Specify SkyDims in Properties e.g. 2000,256,2000 or 0.100,0.300,0.100
“InnerPercentX”, “Inner PercentY” & “InnerPercentZ” determine how far sky is rendered away from level
Only one SkyWorld Objects should have SkyDims

source: http://www.fallout.bplaced.net/dedit/tutorials/dedit_docs_shogo/doc/skytut.htm