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Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The FRED Workshop => Topic started by: Sololop on February 05, 2009, 12:30:23 pm

Title: Using Starfield in Skybox
Post by: Sololop on February 05, 2009, 12:30:23 pm
Hey guys,

Quick question. When I open the background editor, and browse to Starfield.pof for my skybox, freespace still uses the standard stars. Do I have to put it anywhere special?
Title: Re: Using Starfield in Skybox
Post by: Angelus on February 05, 2009, 01:27:41 pm
In the background editor in the bottom right corner is a field "Skybox Model", enter there the name of the skybox you want to use, starfield.pof for instance.

Save the mission to see the changes instantly.
Title: Re: Using Starfield in Skybox
Post by: Sololop on February 05, 2009, 01:51:12 pm
That's the thing, it has no effect. Do you have to be using the MediaVPs?
Title: Re: Using Starfield in Skybox
Post by: FreeSpaceFreak on February 05, 2009, 02:11:04 pm
Yes, you have. Also, the skybox is somehow not always visible in FRED (at least not in the version I'm using :nervous:)
Title: Re: Using Starfield in Skybox
Post by: shiv on February 05, 2009, 02:14:40 pm
You need to use mediavps or place skybox model and map in your mod's data folder.
Title: Re: Using Starfield in Skybox
Post by: Herra Tohtori on February 05, 2009, 02:49:13 pm
Hey guys,

Quick question. When I open the background editor, and browse to Starfield.pof for my skybox, freespace still uses the standard stars. Do I have to put it anywhere special?

Set number of retail stars to zero. Dunno if FRED2_Open supports that, but if it doesn't you can use text editor like notepad++ to edit the number to zero.

What comes to skybox models not showing up sometimes, it could be a missing model, typo in model name on either mission or model's filename, or missing texture or something else.
Title: Re: Using Starfield in Skybox
Post by: karajorma on February 05, 2009, 03:42:45 pm
A couple of things

1) Any recent version of FRED will support setting stars to 0.
2) Any recent version of FS2_Open will turn the stars off anyway when you use a skybox.

So just grab 3.6.10 from the recent builds forum and you'll be fine.
Title: Re: Using Starfield in Skybox
Post by: Dilmah G on February 06, 2009, 08:06:57 am
Well on a related note, is it ever possible to see the skybox in FRED?
Title: Re: Using Starfield in Skybox
Post by: karajorma on February 06, 2009, 09:55:34 am
Should be. At least with 3.6.10.
Title: Re: Using Starfield in Skybox
Post by: Dilmah G on February 06, 2009, 06:59:43 pm
Should be. At least with 3.6.10.

Well I must be doing something wrong then, because I'm not seeing anything in FRED, and I've made sure backgrounds is ticked under the views menu.

EDIT: Well anything meaning the starfield.pof, I can see nebulae etc
Title: Re: Using Starfield in Skybox
Post by: Sololop on February 06, 2009, 10:46:29 pm
Yeah, I got the starfield to work (Using the MediaVPs) But I don't see the stars in FRED.
Title: Re: Using Starfield in Skybox
Post by: Droid803 on February 06, 2009, 11:34:53 pm
2) Any recent version of FS2_Open will turn the stars off anyway when you use a skybox.

NOOooo!!!!
Please tell me this isn't true.
I like the motion effects the retail stars give! Why was it made to disable it automatically? What if I want both? (because I do) I honestly prefer manually setting it to zero as needed.
Any chance of revert?
Title: Re: Using Starfield in Skybox
Post by: Goober5000 on February 07, 2009, 12:38:19 am
Please tell me this isn't true.
[dutifully] "This isn't true." [/dutifully]

Quote
I like the motion effects the retail stars give! Why was it made to disable it automatically? What if I want both? (because I do) I honestly prefer manually setting it to zero as needed.
Tough luck.  The whole point of using a skybox is to replace the retail stars.  Besides, in planetary missions, you don't want stars shining through the ground.

Quote
Any chance of revert?
No.
Title: Re: Using Starfield in Skybox
Post by: FreeSpaceFreak on February 07, 2009, 04:13:49 am
The combination of stripes (retail stars) and spots (skybox stars) while turning looks utterly ridiculous, Droid. :P
Title: Re: Using Starfield in Skybox
Post by: Droid803 on February 07, 2009, 11:35:34 am
Quote
I like the motion effects the retail stars give! Why was it made to disable it automatically? What if I want both? (because I do) I honestly prefer manually setting it to zero as needed.
Tough luck.  The whole point of using a skybox is to replace the retail stars.  Besides, in planetary missions, you don't want stars shining through the ground.
Which is why I said manually setting it to zero as needed (in planetary missions). This now makes it impossible to, say, have a skybox of only asteroids, and have the retail stars shine through it. In fact...this may have made some of my missions completely star-less...

The combination of stripes (retail stars) and spots (skybox stars) while turning looks utterly ridiculous, Droid. :P
I certainly don't think so. I think its a good compromise until skybox stars can be made to have stripes too.
Title: Re: Using Starfield in Skybox
Post by: Goober5000 on February 07, 2009, 02:21:56 pm
...until skybox stars can be made to have stripes too.
:wtf: Now why on earth would we want to do that?
Title: Re: Using Starfield in Skybox
Post by: Herra Tohtori on February 07, 2009, 02:28:39 pm
Get an LCD monitor with long enough response times and you'll see stripes on the stars... and everything else for that matter... it's like hardware-accelerated motion blur!
Title: Re: Using Starfield in Skybox
Post by: Angelus on February 07, 2009, 05:19:18 pm
Get an LCD monitor with long enough response times and you'll see stripes on the stars... and everything else for that matter... it's like hardware-accelerated motion blur!

 :lol:
Title: Re: Using Starfield in Skybox
Post by: Droid803 on February 07, 2009, 05:20:08 pm
Ok then...I have come to the conclusion that I am weird.
Just ignore what I said...
Title: Re: Using Starfield in Skybox
Post by: Dilmah G on February 07, 2009, 06:37:07 pm
Get an LCD monitor with long enough response times and you'll see stripes on the stars... and everything else for that matter... it's like hardware-accelerated motion blur!

I experience that first hand, even though my moniter's response time is supposed to be 3-4ms