Difference between revisions of "Skyboxes with Terragen 2"

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(Made the article less insane)
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[[Category:Cleanup]]
 
[[Category:Cleanup]]
  
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Terragen 2 is much more powerful software then terragen classic and is much more easy to start. This tutorial will explain how to create a skybox and put it into Hammer.  
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=About=
 +
Terragen 2 is much more powerful software then Terragen Classic, and is far easier to use. This tutorial will explain how to create a skybox and put it into Hammer.
  
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This is what it will look like when you first open it.
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The program can be downloaded here: [http://www.planetside.co.uk/content/view/21/36/ Terragen 2 free version].
 +
=Overview=
 +
Here is a quick run down of what everything does.
  
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here is a quick run down of what everything does.
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The top bar has several options:
 +
*New project is the paper
 +
*Open project is the folder
 +
*Save project is the floppy disc
 +
*Render project is the picture with the R in the corner
 +
*Preview project is the picture with 3D at the bottom
 +
*Objects is the option that deals with objects inside your scene
 +
*Terrian is the option that deals with terrain on the "earth"
 +
*Shaders is the option that deals with any coloration you wish to add to the terrain
 +
*Water option deals with water on the "earth"
 +
*Atmosphere option deals with the sky and the "air" around your terrian
 +
*Lighting option deals with the lighting in your scene
 +
*Cameras option deals with any aditional cameras in your scene
 +
*Renderers option deals with the rendering of the scene
 +
*Node Network deals with how the objects in your scene interact with each other (Warning: messing around with this improperly can really mess with your scene)
  
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The top bar has several options
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Within each option you will see a list of those objects in that category. To add to it, there is a button inbetween the New, Open, Save, Render, Preview; and the list. If you click it you will see a list that will tell you a list of objects you can add and once you add it you can edit the options of that objects (messing around with each "new thing option" will tell you what you want. advice: start with a scene in mind; forest covered mountains with snow on top on a 3d cloudy day)
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New project is the paper
 
−
Open project is the folder
 
−
Save project is the floppy disc
 
−
Render project is the picture with the R in the corner
 
−
Preview project is the picture with 3D at the bottom
 
−
Objects is the option that deals with objects inside your scene
 
−
Terrian is the option that deals with terrain on the "earth"
 
−
Shaders is the option that deals with any coloration you wish to add to the terrain
 
−
Water option deals with water on the "earth"
 
−
Atmosphere option deals with the sky and the "air" around your terrian
 
−
Lighting option deals with the lighting in your scene
 
−
Cameras option deals with any aditional cameras in your scene
 
−
Renderers option deals with the rendering of the scene
 
−
Node Network deals with how the "things" in your scene interact with each other (Warning: messing around with this improperly can really mess with your scene)
 
  
−
Within each option you will see a list of those "things" in that catergory; to add to it there is a button inbetween the New, Open, Save, Render, Preview; and the list. If you click it you will see a list that will tell you a list of "things" you can add and once you add it you can edit the options of that "thing" (messing around with each "new thing option" will tell you what you want. advice: start with a scene in mind; forest covered mountians with snow on top on a 3d cloudy day)
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=Importing into Hammer=
 +
==Rendering==
 +
To put into Hammer, first you will need to render each view.
 +
{{Tip|To change view, use the button on the bottom of the preview screen with a camera next to a picture and select bottom, top, or sides.}}
  
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To put into hammer, first you will need to render each view (to change veiw use the button on the bottom of the preview screen with a camera next to a picture and select bottom, top, or sides) then render project; wait a few mintues for that view to render; once fully rendered save as a .bmp with the name ''whatyourskyboxnameis'''''whichsideofskybox_ft_forfront_lf_forleft_up_fortop_bk_forback_rt_forright_dn_fordown'''.bmp
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Then, render the project and wait a few mintues for that view to render. Once fully rendered, save the file as a .bmp with the following name convention:
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i.e carrotskyft.bmp carrotskylf.bmp carrotskyup.bmp carrotskybk.bmp carrotskyrt.bmp carrotskydn.bmp
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* Skybox name
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once you have your six pictures use [http://http://www.avs4you.com/AVS-Image-Converter.aspx AVS image converter] to convert files into .tga files then use [http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Vtex VTEX]
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* A side postfix
 +
** Front = ft
 +
** Back = bk
 +
** Left = lf
 +
** Right = rt
 +
** Top = up
 +
** Bottom = dn
 +
 
 +
For example, if your skybox name is "'''carrotsky'''", you should have the following .bmp files:
 +
* carrotskyft.bmp
 +
* carrotskybk.bmp
 +
* carrotskylf.bmp
 +
* carrotskyrt.bmp
 +
* carrotskyup.bmp
 +
* carrotskydn.bmp
 +
 
 +
==Conversion==
 +
Once you have your six pictures, use [http://http://www.avs4you.com/AVS-Image-Converter.aspx AVS image converter] to convert files into .tga files then use [http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Vtex VTEX]
 
to create VTF's.
 
to create VTF's.
 +
 
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:
 
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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"UnlitGeneric"
 
"UnlitGeneric"
 
{
 
{
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     "$basetexture" "skybox/xxxxbk"
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     "$basetexture" "XXXX"
 
     "$nofog" 1
 
     "$nofog" 1
 
     "$ignorez" 1
 
     "$ignorez" 1
 
}
 
}
 
</pre>
 
</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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Where XXXX represents the name of your VTF file without the .vtf extension.
 +
 
 
(taken from skybox(2d) with Terragen)
 
(taken from skybox(2d) with Terragen)
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Sorry this is crude, here is where to download [http://www.planetside.co.uk/content/view/21/36/ Terragen 2 free verison]
 

Revision as of 05:48, 22 July 2011


About

Terragen 2 is much more powerful software then Terragen Classic, and is far easier to use. This tutorial will explain how to create a skybox and put it into Hammer.

The program can be downloaded here: Terragen 2 free version.

Overview

Here is a quick run down of what everything does.

The top bar has several options:

  • New project is the paper
  • Open project is the folder
  • Save project is the floppy disc
  • Render project is the picture with the R in the corner
  • Preview project is the picture with 3D at the bottom
  • Objects is the option that deals with objects inside your scene
  • Terrian is the option that deals with terrain on the "earth"
  • Shaders is the option that deals with any coloration you wish to add to the terrain
  • Water option deals with water on the "earth"
  • Atmosphere option deals with the sky and the "air" around your terrian
  • Lighting option deals with the lighting in your scene
  • Cameras option deals with any aditional cameras in your scene
  • Renderers option deals with the rendering of the scene
  • Node Network deals with how the objects in your scene interact with each other (Warning: messing around with this improperly can really mess with your scene)

Within each option you will see a list of those objects in that category. To add to it, there is a button inbetween the New, Open, Save, Render, Preview; and the list. If you click it you will see a list that will tell you a list of objects you can add and once you add it you can edit the options of that objects (messing around with each "new thing option" will tell you what you want. advice: start with a scene in mind; forest covered mountains with snow on top on a 3d cloudy day)

Importing into Hammer

Rendering

To put into Hammer, first you will need to render each view.

Tip.png Tip: To change view, use the button on the bottom of the preview screen with a camera next to a picture and select bottom, top, or sides.

Then, render the project and wait a few mintues for that view to render. Once fully rendered, save the file as a .bmp with the following name convention:

  • Skybox name
  • A side postfix
    • Front = ft
    • Back = bk
    • Left = lf
    • Right = rt
    • Top = up
    • Bottom = dn

For example, if your skybox name is "carrotsky", you should have the following .bmp files:

  • carrotskyft.bmp
  • carrotskybk.bmp
  • carrotskylf.bmp
  • carrotskyrt.bmp
  • carrotskyup.bmp
  • carrotskydn.bmp

Conversion

Once you have your six pictures, use AVS image converter to convert files into .tga files then use VTEX to create VTF's.

Head over to your new VTFs. They'll be in ...materials/skybox for whichever game you're editing. Now create six VMTs with the same names as the VTFs using this format: 

"UnlitGeneric"
{
    "$basetexture" "XXXX"
    "$nofog" 1
    "$ignorez" 1
}

Where XXXX represents the name of your VTF file without the .vtf extension.

(taken from skybox(2d) with Terragen)

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