Skybox improvements

[aubergine]

Would it be possible to make some changes to the way the skybox works?

It's currently set-up like this:



Instead of being a cube (with the sky painted on the 4 vertical sides) could it be given 6 (extruded hexagon) or even 8 (extruded octagon) vertical sides?

Also, could it be made to rotate much, much slower? Currently the clouds move way too fast so when you pan the camera it feels like only the land is moving in relation to the camera. If the skybox rotated more slowly, there would be an increased perception of land and sky being part of the same planet

Finally, would it be possible to add an inner skybox or two? Using PNGs with alpha transparency, it would be possible to have foreground clouds. The innermost skybox would auto-rotate fastest, the middle one slighly slower and the outer one slowest of them all.

[Berg]

Your asking for what has already been done on WZGM see the release on sourceforge for the code
http://wzgraphicmods.sourceforge.net/joomla/
This system you asked for was offered up a while back but was not assimilated.

[aubergine]

Sounds interesting - are there any vids showing it in action? Did it have any performance impacts, etc?

EDIT: Found videos: http://sourceforge.net/projects/wzgraph ... es/Videos/

[Berg]

http://sourceforge.net/projects/wzgraph ... i/download look at that one and no noticeable performance issues.
Do note in the video it changes from day to night it changes on the hour it uses PC time to do this.

[aubergine]

Would there be a way to have the outermost skybox be a gradient fill for the sky colour, and then tween that gradient to give a smooth transition between day and night? Or fade between day/night backgrounds if that's easier in the 3D model?

[Shadow Wolf TJC]

I wonder if modders (and mapmakers) could be given the ability to modify which skybox is used on a certain map through JavaScript? Like, say, there was this setSkyBox() function that was added in to the JavaScript API that, for example, modders could use to apply a certain skybox to either 1 or more specific maps, or to any map that contains a certain "tag" (which would be a special feature object that would be invisible to players, making it ideal for mapmakers to use as a special "tag").

[Berg]

you can define a sky texture for each tile set see your wrf files
vidmem.wrf vidmen2.wrf vidmen3.wrf you can define a sky texture for each map type in a mod
Look into it and see that it can already happen with a mod you cant have a skybox described above but you can have sky types.

I wonder if modders (and mapmakers) could be given the ability to modify which skybox is used on a certain map through JavaScript?

[Shadow Wolf TJC]

True. I've modified which skyboxes are used for certain map tilesets for my latest version of the Contingency mod. However, it doesn't apply to specific maps with the same tileset. For example, what if I wanted one Arizona map to have a normal daytime skybox, and another to have a starry nighttime skybox? A setSkyBox() function would allow me to do such a thing.

[aubergine]

Furthermore, setSkybox() could be used to transition between two skyboxes - eg. a smoother transition between day and night.

I'd like to be able to set the skybox rotation speed as well. So on a calm day, the skybox would hardly rotate, but on a stormy day it would rotate faster. At night, it would rotate very slowly. I'd still love a separate skybox for clouds. And I'd love to have a sun/moon cycle as well -- eg. be able to set lat,long,date,time and it would work out where the sun / moon needs to be, phase of moon, etc.

[RedShocktrooper]

Allow me to threadjack this into a general day/night cycle one, but perhaps when the skybox switches from it's daytime to nighttime versions, the map itself could get darker, and units could turn on their lights or something?

Even if it has no real effect on gameplay, it'd be cool.

[bendib]

I'm afraid that would take a lot of effort to implement, as far as the unit lights. The darkening and cycling of the map from day to night is feasable, but it kinda goes against the vibe of Warzone. I dunno, whatever makes these users happy is what should be done. I'll do things my way, you do them your way, just make sure there's a good reason. Change for the sake of change is often not a great idea.
I'm just worried about how the game would appear and act under those circumstances.

[bendib]

A setSkyBox() function would allow me to do such a thing.

Good idea. It'll have to go by filenames however. That way, if you want to make some weird map with sand for the sky, you can.

[Per]

a general day/night cycle

This has been tested in the past, and it does not look appropriate in a game like this. If you want, you can experiment with it yourself from scripts. Maybe it will have its uses with more specialized mods (eg there are some zombie mods in Starcraft2 that uses day/night for great effect).

[NoQ]

If you want, you can experiment with it yourself from scripts.

We have setting skybox in JS already? (:

[Mysteryem]

If you want, you can experiment with it yourself from scripts.

We have setting skybox in JS already? (:

If I recall correctly, the actual sun/light position could be changed through scripts, I don't know how this was done in the scripts mind you. Using this, you could simulate a day/night cycle.

Edit: setSunPosition() and setSunIntensity() now in JS.