Hard Light Productions Forums

Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: Lt.Cannonfodder on April 18, 2005, 02:16:35 am

Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: Lt.Cannonfodder on April 18, 2005, 02:16:35 am
I think this is something that should be released for the entire community. A completely new skysphere starfield which looks infinately better than the original.

(http://img206.echo.cx/img206/8273/16040516lz.th.jpg) (http://img206.echo.cx/my.php?image=16040516lz.jpg)

(http://img206.echo.cx/img206/4029/16040522ma.th.jpg) (http://img206.echo.cx/my.php?image=16040522ma.jpg)

Get it here (http://koti.mbnet.fi/~fury/tbp/downloads/FSStarfield.zip) (thanks Mr. Fury for hosting)

The zip includes the model, textures and as an extra all FS2 main campaign files modified to use the new starfield. Note that this is still beta, so all comments and suggestions are welcome.
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: Kie99 on April 18, 2005, 02:57:22 am
*audible gasp*

That is awesome, a definite candidate for Media VPdom
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: WMCoolmon on April 18, 2005, 03:08:42 am
Ahh, so it was a non-generated starfield.

I thought it looked a bit different.

The only problem I can see (from those 2 screenies of course) is that the stars are in front of the nebula. Maybe it's just me, but that looks a little odd, when you consider that nebula are exploded stars and so any stars in *front* would probably be larger than pinpoints.

That being said, it looks a lot better than the normal pixel stars.
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: Alpha0 on April 18, 2005, 03:10:52 am
I just tested this. It is really beautiful, great job, Lt. Cannonfodder.
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: WMCoolmon on April 18, 2005, 04:45:44 am
First, I recommend you check out this thread (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,31935.0.html), and embrace the goodness that is VPs. :p

Second, I present a screenie. It's not up to my usual standards of quality but I liked it. :p
(http://fs2source.warpcore.org/temp/quicksf.jpg) (http://fs2source.warpcore.org/temp/quicksf.png)
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: Lt.Cannonfodder on April 18, 2005, 06:27:38 am
Quote
Originally posted by WMCoolmon
The only problem I can see (from those 2 screenies of course) is that the stars are in front of the nebula. Maybe it's just me, but that looks a little odd, when you consider that nebula are exploded stars and so any stars in *front* would probably be larger than pinpoints.


In pretty much every game and movie/tvshow the stars shine through the nebula. To me it's looks natural this way.

There are three reasons why I didn't put this into a VP.
1)I was lazy
2)I didn't think it was a big deal on a test version
3)I was lazy

:p
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: BlackDove on April 18, 2005, 07:30:40 am
Looking pretty awesome there Cannon.

Best I've seen thus far.

:yes:
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: Setekh on April 18, 2005, 07:38:22 am
CF, that is really pretty. :yes:
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: karajorma on April 18, 2005, 12:39:03 pm
Nice work CF.
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: DaBrain on April 18, 2005, 12:48:00 pm
Hmm... if we could use two skyspheres, we could simulate the depth of the space pretty good. (That is if the right fov is set.)


Anyway, good work.  ;)


Edit: What is the 'glow' file good for?
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: phreak on April 18, 2005, 01:10:22 pm
Quote
Originally posted by DaBrain
Hmm... if we could use two skyspheres, we could simulate the depth of the space pretty good. (That is if the right fov is set.)


Anyway, good work.  ;)


Edit: What is the 'glow' file good for?


you can simulate two skyspheres by using single model made of two spheres and use transparent textures so you can see the one in the back.
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: StratComm on April 18, 2005, 01:33:53 pm
Except that you should never move relative to anything in a skybox within a mission.  A single sphere will inherently be more realistic than a layered one, just because the distance is so great that the parallax is undetectable.
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: MetalDestroyer on April 18, 2005, 01:52:20 pm
Why don't you make a special effect like the 3D Mark 2005 did when the space cruiser stop his lightspeed engine, there are a pretty cool blue warptime effect.
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: DaBrain on April 18, 2005, 02:46:47 pm
Quote
Originally posted by StratComm
Except that you should never move relative to anything in a skybox within a mission.  A single sphere will inherently be more realistic than a layered one, just because the distance is so great that the parallax is undetectable.



Well, it works with nebulas. Just change the fov to something smaller than 0.65 and you'll see it.

I think it might work this way with a dual sphere. I'm not sure though. :) :rolleyes:
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: Mongoose on April 18, 2005, 02:54:34 pm
Very nicely done. :D
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: Ransom on April 18, 2005, 03:10:17 pm
It looks nice for screenshots, but I've always liked the way the starfield blurred as you moved. This just feels too static to me.
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: DaBrain on April 18, 2005, 03:26:29 pm
Just wait for a motion blur pixel shader. ;)

I think it looks a bit odd with some stars being blured and others not.


What was the flag for the star ammount?
Somehting like 'stars'
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: Lt.Cannonfodder on April 19, 2005, 12:32:09 am
Quote
Originally posted by DaBrain
Edit: What is the 'glow' file good for?

Oops, I left that there by accident. It was just for testing if a glowmap would affect the stafield in any way.

As for double layered starfield, I just tried it and I can't say it looked too good. There simply were more stars, too many in fact.

Quote
Originally posted by Ransom Arceihn
It looks nice for screenshots, but I've always liked the way the starfield blurred as you moved. This just feels too static to me.

Nothing I can do about that. To be honest, I like the unblurred starfield more. My eyes do all the blurring there needs to be :D
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: StratComm on April 19, 2005, 12:45:55 am
Quote
Originally posted by Lt.Cannonfodder
As for double layered starfield, I just tried it and I can't say it looked too good. There simply were more stars, too many in fact.


Yeah I was thinking about it from a mathematical perspective; if you're always in the same position relative to the skybox, then everything on the skybox will always be in the same position relative to other parts of the skybox.  No paralax to take advantage of since it's always centered on the player.  The reason that backgrounds shift relative to the dynamically generated starfield is that they are not adjusted perfectly for the field of view.  They don't scale out properly, instead only translating on and off screen.  The starfield is computed as a vector to the star, not a vector to the center of the background map.  So it's not something that should be happening anyway, it's just too difficult for too little gain to fix.
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: WMCoolmon on April 19, 2005, 01:11:48 am
Actually, if you have two skyboxes there won't be any parallax. Both will be centered on the player.
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: StratComm on April 19, 2005, 01:48:39 am
Quote
Originally posted by StratComm
No paralax to take advantage of since it's always centered on the player.


Yep :nod:
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: WMCoolmon on April 19, 2005, 02:14:43 am
Err, yeah. I read your post but didn't comprehend it.

"Though a candle burns in my house, there's nobody home."
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: Bobboau on April 19, 2005, 04:14:35 am
he already said what you said.
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: Carl on April 19, 2005, 04:18:57 am
I was just thinking before i saw this thread: you know what we need? a new starfield.

nice job, Lt. Cannonfodder.
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: Psychonaut on April 24, 2005, 03:58:43 am
Yes, nice job, i second that. So it seems that you have to modify every mission, to use the starfield? Is there a way to change it permanentely without editing the mission files?
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: MetalDestroyer on April 24, 2005, 04:58:12 am
Is it normal the link doesn't work ?
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: Beowulf on April 24, 2005, 05:09:40 am
That is a beautiful starfield.
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: Lt.Cannonfodder on April 24, 2005, 05:43:20 am
Quote
Originally posted by Psychonaut
Yes, nice job, i second that. So it seems that you have to modify every mission, to use the starfield? Is there a way to change it permanentely without editing the mission files?

Unfortunately no, you have to edit all mission files to include the stafield. I've already done it to the main campaign and it isn't a huge job.

@MetalDestroyer: The link seems to work just fine. Anyone else having problems with it?
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: MetalDestroyer on April 24, 2005, 06:38:03 am
In fact in was DAP which have some trouble with the link but i right click and save as.. it work perfect ^^
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: Psychonaut on April 24, 2005, 01:49:07 pm
Your right. It´s really simple to add your excellent starfield to every mission. In fact all you have to do is to add the line starfiled.pof in the background tab of FRED. I´ve just "converted" CleaningCrew and Homesick (what´s my favourite campaign) to it. It was a matter of minutes.

I think i will never play FS2 with the old stars. Thanks a lot!!!
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: BlackDove on August 04, 2005, 10:49:13 am
Link's dead.
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: Taristin on August 04, 2005, 11:31:10 am
4 months later. I wonder why. :rolleyes:
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: karajorma on August 04, 2005, 12:06:50 pm
It's in TBP if you have that.
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: BlackDove on August 04, 2005, 12:59:58 pm
I don't.
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: Rott3 on August 04, 2005, 02:15:55 pm
Go get it. Now. It's top-notch :yes:
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: WMCoolmon on August 21, 2005, 05:05:15 am
It'll be in the new mediaVPs too.
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: MetalDestroyer on August 21, 2005, 06:03:42 am
If you put them in the next MediaVP, don't forget to fix the music script.
I use this starfield in the main Fs2 Campaign but, I can't listening all the music in mission.

Just a few work but generally there are no music during mission.
If you have time take a look in the fs2 missions.
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: eiszo on August 28, 2005, 02:55:40 pm
It's in TBP if you have that.

What is TBP?
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: karajorma on August 28, 2005, 03:04:26 pm
Quote
Originally posted by MetalDestroyer
If you put them in the next MediaVP, don't forget to fix the music script.
I use this starfield in the main Fs2 Campaign but, I can't listening all the music in mission.


Hang on a sec. Are you saying that using this starfield screws up your music or are the two unrelated.

Cause if it's unrelated I think the problem has been fixed in the most recent builds.
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: MetalDestroyer on August 28, 2005, 05:31:37 pm
I don't know where it comes, but when i played the news Fs2 remix campaign with those starfield, the music mess up.

Sometimes I heard in game music, and the another 95% i didn't listen any music, whatever i play with the Original Fs2 CD or without it.
But, if i use my own  mv_music.vp, i can listen all of them.
I don't know, if the fs2 mission file mess up with music (forgot to put the right song ?) or it's about another thingy ?
Title: New starfield - nice eye candy
Post by: karajorma on August 28, 2005, 06:00:07 pm
I've heard of this bug. Try the latest CVS build from the recent builds forum. I believe it's been fixed already :)