[Vengence]

Well, I made some great planet pictures for backgrounds but yet they aren't showing up in FRED2. Search didn't really give any results so how exactly do I add background bitmaps into FRED? My planets are 800x800 dds and tga format with alpha channels in the effects folder.

[Axem]

All you really have to do is follow the format of the stars.tbl. All the entry has to be is the filename, no extension or anything. Just make sure the entry is beside the other planets, not the stars.

And compressed DDS (and ideally everything else) should really be using power of 2 dimensions. Stuff like 512x512 or 1024x1024. The game really doesn't like it if they aren't like that. It'll either scale it up to the next highest, or won't use it at all.

[Vengence]

Thanks. I never knew about that one. For some strange reason the nebulas I put in are no longer showing when I entered the stars.tbl. There was supposed to be a nebula background as well but its not showing. Is there a stars.tbl for the mediaVPs or do I use modular tables to fix that problem?

Here is the current progress. I haven't gotten anything new yet.

Its a huge battle. Nothing really new except for the cool planets. High res planets coming soon. Btw, don't mind the ship names. My Heavy Cruiser only replaces the Colossus right now.

[Axem]

What did you put before the nebula filename? Nebulas use "$Bitmap:" and planets use "$BitmapX:". So if planets are working, but nebulas aren't, I'd check that out.

I don't think the Media VP's have a different stars.tbl. But if you want to try a modular stars.tbl, they are the easiest thing ever. The only required thing is the Bitmap stuff and that file ends with #End. The file naming goes XXX-str.tbm.

[Vengence]

Nebulas appear in FRED but not ingame. I haven't tested the tables yet but the new mediaVP textures are selectable again in FRED which is a good thing.

[Dark Hunter]

Idle question Axem: what about background bitmaps that are neither planet nor nebula? Do we just classify those as "planets"?

[Colonol Dekker]

Hmmmm, That looks nice..............I'm stickin to skyboxes.

[Mefustae]

Wait a minute... is that Kuat in the background?!

[Colonol Dekker]

Kuwait ? or Kuat, Whats Kuat, the freak from total recall?

[Herra Tohtori]

Oy, Vengeance, would you want to share your planets with others as they are in the Celestial Objects Thread? These look cool...

[PotzUK]

Open the mission's .fs2 file in notepad and look for a line that starts:

;;FSO 3.6.9;; $Bitmap List:

If it's there, take it out - newer versions of FRED are putting it in but it does break the background nebulae in the game (at least on this PC).

I have mentioned this in the SCP forum but it's not been replied to.

[karajorma]

Did you report the problem in Mantis? If not someone probably just saw the problem and then forgot about it again.

I'd look at it now but I have to go out in a little bit. When I get back I'll probably have forgotten about it again. With Mantis I'd have a constant reminder once I'd assigned it to myself.

[PotzUK]

Trying not to be cocky/arogant here, but : http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,41879.0.html#msg854602

[Vengence]

Wait a minute... is that Kuat in the background?!

No its not Kuat and those are not shipyards either. And it wasn't inspired by Kuat either. I drew up this planet before I got Empire at War and thats when I first saw Kuat. And I doubt that Kuat is a double planet either. I'm reading about skyboxes and I think it might be useful but I'm sticking with textures right now.

[Colonol Dekker]

Skyboxes FTW !,


Once we can add ani / dds to a standard background, and add a Skybox behind them, (think HW2 as the Vaygr bomb the homeworld) Then FS2 will be even better

[Vengence]

Well I got the nebulas working but alas, my skybox didn't work. I'll disclose the name of the planets in due time. Right now its classified level omega and only me and my friends know the works.

[Colonol Dekker]

Why didnt the skybox work, Its just a .pof right?
They dont need to go into any TBLS as far as i know........

[Vengence]

I used 3ds. Do the math, the wiki talks only about TS.

[Colonol Dekker]

You tried to use a 3ds as a skybox,  :
*rings the Kaj bell* Or Nuke........... Nuke knows skyboxes

[Vengence]

If its only a pof then all I have to do is like make the skybox model like 120000 units large. The default units in 3ds appear to be the size units for fs2. 20 units in 3ds is 20 meters in FS2.