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| [[category:tutorials]][[category:Third Party Tools]][[category:Material System]]
| | I have a problem. I searched all over the net without result:( |
| | | When u open hammer u got 4 screens. 1 in 3D and 3 in 2D. First it was normal but now it looks like this.[[http://users.telenet.be/downloadarea/hammer.jpg]] plz help |
| '''[http://www.planetside.co.uk/terragen/ Terragen]''' is a freeware scenery generator which can be used to create [[2D skybox]]es. The freeware version has a limitation that effectively limits the texture dimensions of the skybox to 960x960 (although you would scale this up to 1024x1024 for use in Source). This is not beautiful, but may be sufficient for many independent mappers. If Terragen is registered for $99 (US), the size limitation is removed.
| | send reply here or to vancaeneghempieter@hotmail.com |
| | | thx |
| This tutorial will explain how to use a scene in Terragen to create a 2D skybox that can be used in Hammer.
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| ==Creating the scene==
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| Terragen can be downloaded [http://www.planetside.co.uk/terragen/win/downloadwin.shtml here].
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| Terragen takes a little bit of practice to get the hang of. There are many websites that can teach you the basics. Here are some good ones:
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| *[http://www.planetside.co.uk/terragen/guide/ The official guide]
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| *[http://individual.utoronto.ca/edegiuli/TGtut/TerragenTutMain.htm Terragen tutorial by E. DeGiuli]
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| *[http://www.caroluk.org.uk/terratut/ Terragen tutorial by C. Brooksbank] - Recommended
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| Create your scene and save it. The camera position doesn't matter for now. Terragen can render realistic land if you're very skilled. In source engine games making terrain is not recommended for a 2D skybox, since Source has [[3D skybox|3D skyboxes]]; however, it can often be a good idea to use the tool to create a downwards facing texture to use on a displacment map in you skybox, like de_inferno in CSS. Removing FOV distortion can be a pain, but its not entirley necessary.
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| ==Set up the script==
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| The skybox requires six images to be rendered. This script will automate the creation of all six so you do not have to repeatedly come back to your computer and readjust the camera after each render.
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| Use Notepad to save the following script as '''skyboxscript.tgs'''. It can be saved anywhere.
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| <pre>initanim "C:\skyrender", 1
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| ;_ft
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| Zoom 1.0
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| CamH 0
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| CamP 0
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| CamB 0
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| frend
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| ;_lf
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| Zoom 1.0
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| CamH 90
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| CamP 0
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| CamB 0
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| frend
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| ;_up
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| Zoom 1.0
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| CamH 270
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| CamP 90
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| CamB 0
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| frend
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| ;_bk
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| Zoom 1.0
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| CamH 180
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| CamP 0
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| CamB 0
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| frend
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| ;_rt
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| Zoom 1.0
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| CamH 270
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| CamP 0
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| CamB 0
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| frend
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| ;_dn
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| Zoom 1.0
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| CamH 270
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| CamP -90
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| CamB 0
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| frend
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| </pre>
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| ==Render the skybox==
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| 1. Now, in Terragen, uncheck ''both'' of the Fixed Height Above Surface boxes in the Rendering Control window. Place your Terragen camera where you want the viewpoint of the skybox to be. What's important here is the Camera Position. The Camera Orientation doesn't matter. Note that changing the height can affect the appearance of the clouds even though the horizon is always in the same location.
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| <center>[[Image:Terrastep1.jpg]]</center>
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| 2. Set the detail all the way up in the Rendering Control window. Set the width and height both to 512. This is the best you can do with the freeware version. If you have registered Terragen, set them both to 1024.
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| <center>[[Image:Terrastep2.jpg]]</center>
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| 3. You should double check that you did the first two steps right so you don't waste a lot of time. Now, choose ''Execute Script...'' from the ''Terragen'' menu, and choose the file skyboxscript.tgs that you created earlier. Now the rendering will commence. It may take a couple of hours or more. Call someone you love.
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| 4. When the rendering is complete, a dialog will pop up saying the script is complete. Quit Terragen.
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| ==Get the textures ready==
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| Now, if you open up the C: drive, you'll see six new BMP files. Rename them as follows, where xxxx is whatever you want to name your sky:
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| {|
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| ! Original filename
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| ! Change to
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| |-
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| |skyrender0001.bmp
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| |xxxxft.bmp
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| |-
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| |skyrender0002.bmp
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| |xxxxlf.bmp
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| |-
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| |skyrender0003.bmp
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| |xxxxup.bmp
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| |-
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| |skyrender0004.bmp
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| |xxxxbk.bmp
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| |-
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| |skyrender0005.bmp
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| |xxxxrt.bmp
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| |-
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| |skyrender0006.bmp
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| |xxxxdn.bmp
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| |}
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| Use Photoshop or PaintShopPro to save them as [[TGA]] files into <code>...sourcesdk_content/materialsrc/skybox</code>. Create the folder if you have to. Then drag the six TGAs onto [[Vtex]] to create your [[VTF]]s.
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| ==Create the VMTs==
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| Head over to your new VTFs. They'll be in <code>...materials/skybox</code> for whichever game you're editing. Now create six [[VMT]]s with the same names as the VTFs using this format:
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| <pre>
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| "UnlitGeneric"
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| {
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| "$basetexture" "skybox/xxxxbk"
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| "$nofog" 1
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| "$ignorez" 1
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| }
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| </pre>
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| Where xxxx represents the name of your sky. For each of the six VMTs, change that bk to the appropriate suffix to match its filename.
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| ==Completion==
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| The skybox is complete. To use it in Hammer, go to '''Map properties...''' in the '''Map''' menu and change the skybox entry to xxxx, where xxxx represents the name you chose for your sky.
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| {{envart}}
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| __noeditsection__
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![[1]](http://users.telenet.be/downloadarea/hammer.jpg){kind=link}