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    #1

    'Skybox' Creation for Space

    Aloha all,

    I've been trawling the internet for the past few days on a tutorial for creating a true skybox (not a skydome), but have not been able to find one.

    I am trying to create a sphere or box that will encompass my world within. The sphere or box will be mapped in a seamless starfield texture.

    I have created a skybox in max that is a cube with textures rendered within but when I import it into UDK as a static mesh the textures appear on the outside and the mesh has nothing within.
    I am pulling my hair out here and I'm pretty sure I'm missing something fundamental.

    Can anyone please help me out with this?! The skybox is principal is a very simple construct but I am new to UDK and need to be taken through the process step-by-step.

    I would really appreciate any help that the community could give.

    Thanks all.
    Tags: None
    #2
    Flip the normals for your box to face inwards instead of outward.

    Comment

      #3
      me and my team are having this same problem

      Comment

        #4
        In your modelling program you should be able to flip the normals, in 3ds max you can just apply a modifier called 'normal' to do just this. Failing that, you can make the material two sided, but that's not an ideal answer as it will make it more demanding.

        Comment

          #5
          The normals are flipped but still no dice. Looks great in Max but just won't translate to UDK.
          Someone out there must have done this before? I've seen demo movies for UDK Space scenes on YouTube.
          The mass effect team have done this as their galaxy map is inside of a skybox.

          Comment

            #6
            Mass Effect - in particular - has no skyboxes. Even if you look out the window of the Normandy, all you see is a simple mesh with a starfield texture (try moving while looking at it). If you want a skybox that is persistent, no matter what, you will need to attach a large scale sphere model - textured with the starflield - with interior faces to the camera.

            If you have additional problems with the starfield sphere model "cutting" through other objects, utilize PixelDepth, and a translucent material.

            Comment

              #7
              This is a old tutorial but it explains how to create a skybox and not a skysphere
              http://www.gamasutra.com/view/featur...r_3d_games.php

              Comment

                #8
                Haxzor, I don't suppose you know a way to lock a skydome "interp actor" or whatever to the players location? Wouldn't mind doing that myself. At the minute my skysphere is currently out of bounds of the build-able world if you see what i mean. Much appreciated.

                And JohNLA, wouldn't a skysphere be a better option anyway? There is a reason that that tutorial for a skybox is old.

                Comment

                  #9
                  A skybox is less faces and is easier to avoid selecting in the viewport.
                  A skyshere is easier to UV and fog works sphericlly. It probably makes little difference.

                  Comment

                    #10
                    I have been working on a skydome and it seems that my first question was sort of answered in the last post. I was wondering what exactly a skysphere even is? Currently I am using a skydome for space, which inst bad except for that the seam between the top and bottom. Which leads me to wonder if a skysphere is better. Is it really just a bsp sphere w a sky material applied? Or just a 3d model sphere, with material applied. I am a beginner here sorry, I do have one more ponderance though...

                    Part B).
                    I have a background skydome and an inner, "3d skydome" which houses planets. The outter skydome has a flicker applied to the material (for the stars)- borrowed from hiredscepters space material. The inner skydome is translucent w some opacity, to the balance where you can view "outter skydome" clearly, through the 3d skydome. However, the "flicker" is oddly not visible. Where as at those temporarily not good seams (previously referred)- you can see the flicker, between the 3d skydome seam so i know it's blocked by the 3d dome. Advice? I'll try and post some screanies later today. They will really benefit anyone new to space, skydomes.

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Originally posted by thetruth233415 View Post
                      I have been working on a skydome and it seems that my first question was sort of answered in the last post. I was wondering what exactly a skysphere even is? Currently I am using a skydome for space, which inst bad except for that the seam between the top and bottom. Which leads me to wonder if a skysphere is better. Is it really just a bsp sphere w a sky material applied? Or just a 3d model sphere, with material applied. I am a beginner here sorry, I do have one more ponderance though...

                      Part B).
                      I have a background skydome and an inner, "3d skydome" which houses planets. The outter skydome has a flicker applied to the material (for the stars)- borrowed from hiredscepters space material. The inner skydome is translucent w some opacity, to the balance where you can view "outter skydome" clearly, through the 3d skydome. However, the "flicker" is oddly not visible. Where as at those temporarily not good seams (previously referred)- you can see the flicker, between the 3d skydome seam so i know it's blocked by the 3d dome. Advice? I'll try and post some screanies later today. They will really benefit anyone new to space, skydomes.
                      Skysphere is a sphere, skydome is a dome. Are you using two domes, with the bottom one being upside down or something? In that case skysphere would be a better option.

                      I have no idea what you are talking about in B, so yeah, screenshots would probably help.

                      Comment

                        #12
                        Hi all,

                        I recently cracked this skybox problem. Sorry for the delay in responding.

                        If building your skybox in Max then follow these steps.

                        1. Construct a cube and apply your cube map to the faces (6 faces, north, south, east and west). Dont forget to apply a UVW modifer to the faces. NOTE: cube map must be .bmp!!
                        2. Flip the normals of the skybox so that it will display correctly in UDK.
                        3. Apply a sphereify, or sphereize modifier to it in Max. This will tidy up the skybox and improve its display in UDK.
                        4. Import via fbx - ensure your textures are located in the correct local folder.
                        5. Create UDK materials from the imported textures - north, south, east and west faces - or create cube map if using cubemap texture - remember to plug your textures into the emissive slot in the material browser.
                        6. Drag your static mesh into the scene.

                        This should do it. I successfully managed to create a number of full skyboxes using this method. You might have to watch the seams on your UVs. Some tidying up maybe necessary.

                        Hope this helps.

                        Best,

                        Hoku.

                        Comment

                          #13
                          Practice Skybox Preview 2:

                          -----

                          Normal (non3D Skybox) Material Editor
                          -----

                          3D Skybox Material Editor
                          -----

                          This may be confusing so i will just rehash...
                          1). The first image is of the level, which has the inner and outter skydomes placed in it.

                          2). The second image is the outter skydome material.

                          3). Third image is inner skydome material.

                          --The problem is that there is a flicker applied to stars in the material in picture 2 (outter skydome) and that inner skydome (picture 2) is blocking this flicker.
                          -- look at the first picture and think if you were playing this in the editor, and the stars only flicker in the broken seam.

                          Comment

                            #14
                            http://forums.epicgames.com/threads/...4#post30752384

                            Accidentally posted the pictures in the wrong forum and it wont let me undo, just look here.....

                            Comment

                              #15
                              Hmmm... Not sure what could be causing your issue there.. Have you tried altering the additive/multiply node?

                              If it helps any, stars don't twinkle in space anyways.

                              Comment

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