SC2Mapster

This is for making a skybox with out using the skybox data field in the terrain tilesets. Basically you make an actor that uses the Skybox models.
This gives you some advanced functionality such as control over the actor to effect the displayed textures. Im just scratching the surface of this here.
This is done dynamically i could have multiple actors one for each skybox and create/destroy them at will. I could also possibly use Set Catalog Value to change what skybox is actually displayed. For starters Im just going over the basics of how to use this to be able to tint the skybox color.

1. duplicate Actor "Light omni cyan" with only the actor itself being duplicated do not duplicate any of the links :::Update you will want to base your actor on the Default "SearchLight" Actor..... this actor will allow you to set blend duration when changing its tint color.

2. change new actors name to "My_Skybox" (this is done in the data editor click click select the duplicated actor and change the name and id to be this)

3. Change model that new actor uses and set to a skybox model (this is dont in the data editor on the actor you just renamed) heres a list i found of available skyboxes
http://forums.sc2mapster.com/development/map-development/2076-skybox-info/

4. create the actor with a trigger (you can create the actor anywhere on map i used center of entire map) (this is done with actions with-in triggers) if you dont know what this means you shouldnt be reading this tutorial.

5. save this actor to a gobal variable ( this is done with actions after creating the actor)

6. Now modify the color by sending the Actor Message of set tint color.( this is an actor message , which is and action that you use inside triggers)

Note: When setting the tint duration to something other then 0 this fails. I am not sure if this is due to the actor i have duplicated not supporting the blending operation or something that is hard coded into the model. :::::: Update this does not fail when using the "SearchLight" actor as a base

For better view of images go to http://www.stardepot.org/index.php?act=viewtopic&id=128

Nice tutorial, but it would help me a bit more to see your triggers. I dont know if i have to create a skybox trigger with the "MySkybox" Actor or just an Actormodel. Neither works (the skybox isn't displayed ingame)<.<

But you worked out a nice way to get his "own" colored skybox.

@N4n0lix: Go

umm you need to use the "action" in a "trigger" the "action" is "create actor" and use the "actor" "My_Skybox" as the "actor" to create in the "action"

@SouLCarveRR: Go

Hard to believe nobody is interested in this at all

UPDATE: I have a periodic trigger that blends the color to match TIME of Day pretty neat

This is pretty interesting. I always thought there was a trigger action that changes the skybox, but this is cool.

UPDATE: Water reflections seem to cause complications with what im doing with the actor that is my skybox.

Im not sure why but the sky is reflecting to the water. But then the water seems to reflect the sky back onto itself which causes the skybox image to glitch pretty hard in the sky.

Quote from SouLCarveRR: Go

UPDATE: Water reflections seem to cause complications with what im doing with the actor that is my skybox.

Im not sure why but the sky is reflecting to the water. But then the water seems to reflect the sky back onto itself which causes the skybox image to glitch pretty hard in the sky.

Hope this forum isn't dead yet. I want to tank you SouLCarveRR learned much from this. I just started with StarCraft II Editor and learned great things already. I want to know if you have found anything yet for the water bug, i am having these troubles to. It's kinda anoying because i realy want to add some water.

Edit: Not sure now if it is the water thats glitching my skybox, because i have it everywhere on my map. My skybox keeps shaking when i move my character. Does anyone know what's causing it?

It glitchs because of the game is rendering the skybox. I believe it has to do with the way im using an actor to display the skybox. I have not come up with a soloution other then not using water with this kind of skybox. It may very well have to do with the type of actor I am using for this.

Im pretty sure its the water glitching the skybox.

My theory is so far

1. water casts reflections
   1. skybox actor attempts to render reflection of sky from the water on the skybox actor, This causes the skybox model to look all glitchy

I dont have a fix yet, Glad you learned something from my content Ive put up here.

I've been playing with these too, SouL. I use the Omni actor, and set its scale to 0.02 or such depending on the skybox. This ultimately makes using camera distance with the default value able to show the skybox.

This means no heavy rendering. The actor is also set to show while fogged, and not pause. I can't recall the exact field names atm, but they're on top of the list.

Quote from GnaReffotsirk: Go

I've been playing with these too, SouL. I use the Omni actor, and set its scale to 0.02 or such depending on the skybox. This ultimately makes using camera distance with the default value able to show the skybox.

This means no heavy rendering. The actor is also set to show while fogged, and not pause. I can't recall the exact field names atm, but they're on top of the list.

So you didnt need to increase the far clip to show the skybox? Interesting.... Does water on your map make the skybox glitch ?

Try modifying the water's reflection, etc. Maybe you can strike a balance and fix your problem while not messing up the aesthetics of the water.

Not really. No reflection glitch. Tried at medium settings and ultra. I used the mar sara skybox, agria water.

what water and skybox did you use? I wanna check the glitch.

waters: Distant Water (fogged)

Editor Shot Ultra:

Game Shot Ultra:

Game Shot Medium:

@GnaReffotsirk: Go

ok well your using a different actor then I am... if i remember correctly the omni actors dont allow you to "tint-blend" them. Where as the actor I have been using "SearchLight" recently does allow tint blending.. I would have to sit down and test it.

I made this thing awhile ago, and had alot of other stuff I needed to get too so i didnt spend as much time as I could have testing it.

When I get a chance Ill put up a screen shot of what the glitching looks like.

Hey, Currently working on a TPS mod and I'm struggling to figure out how to get the Skybox to appear in-game (just black atm). I read the thread and didn't see a solution, if I've missed it, I apologize.

Are there any tutorials that can show me how to get the skybox to appear in-game? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance! :)

@ElectricBard: Go

ah for starters.... to see the skybox in game you generally have to set the far clip on the camera really high...

Ok, here's where the flaming begins XD

Kinda new to the editor, where do i find the settings for the far clip? Also, will adjusting that solve the issue? Or is it not that simple? :P

Thank you for replying btw :)

@ElectricBard: Go

you can either change the "default game camera" settings under the "data" module. or you can create a new "camera" in the "terrain" module set its farclip to be 9999 and then in the "trigger" module create and "action" that sets the players camera object to be the "camera" you created in the "terrain" module.

I hope thats not too complicated.

Keep in mind depending on the terrain tileset you selected the game may not use the "default game camera" for example the "spaceplatform" tile set has its own camera of the same name in the "data" module under "cameras"

@SouLCarveRR: Go

Hmmm I think I'll understand. I'll have to try it at some point and get back to you. Thanks for the help!

I ran across this article a long time ago. lol Was very happy to see a skybox. I dont think we will ever see any games with one but we ca always hope.

Quote from GnaReffotsirk: Go

I've been playing with these too, SouL. I use the Omni actor, and set its scale to 0.02 or such depending on the skybox. This ultimately makes using camera distance with the default value able to show the skybox.

This means no heavy rendering. The actor is also set to show while fogged, and not pause. I can't recall the exact field names atm, but they're on top of the list.

I'd like to know more about how you accomplished this. I'm trying to put a skybox in my map, used a trigger to spawn the actor at the center of the map and the sky only showed when you were looking for a certain area of the map. Then I tried to spawn the actor at a specifc point on the map and couldn't see it, though i have not walked around the whole map yet.