[Sololop]

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?

[Angelus]

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.

[Sololop]

That's the thing, it has no effect. Do you have to be using the MediaVPs?

[FreeSpaceFreak]

Yes, you have. Also, the skybox is somehow not always visible in FRED (at least not in the version I'm using )

[shiv]

You need to use mediavps or place skybox model and map in your mod's data folder.

[Herra Tohtori]

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.

[karajorma]

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.

[Dilmah G]

Well on a related note, is it ever possible to see the skybox in FRED?

[karajorma]

Should be. At least with 3.6.10.

[Dilmah G]

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

[Sololop]

Yeah, I got the starfield to work (Using the MediaVPs) But I don't see the stars in FRED.

[Droid803]

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?

[Goober5000]

Please tell me this isn't true.

[dutifully] "This isn't true." [/dutifully]

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.

Any chance of revert?

No.

[FreeSpaceFreak]

The combination of stripes (retail stars) and spots (skybox stars) while turning looks utterly ridiculous, Droid.

[Droid803]

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.

I certainly don't think so. I think its a good compromise until skybox stars can be made to have stripes too.

[Goober5000]

...until skybox stars can be made to have stripes too.

Now why on earth would we want to do that?

[Herra Tohtori]

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!

[Angelus]

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!

 

[Droid803]

Ok then...I have come to the conclusion that I am weird.
Just ignore what I said...

[Dilmah G]

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