Whats your method for creating World Cubemaps/Spheres? (Space)

oXYnary

I guess I'm trying to learn all the different methods of creating large rez cubemaps used for space environments. One method I saw was creating a 2d seamless space texture in PS, and throwing it on a sphere, then projecting it unto a cube.

I guess along with this. What is the best way to create these types? For animated things like sun flares and planets slowly turning, I assume they are alpha textured planes very near the edge of the level with animated textures on top?

What creation methods as well? Do you create a planet scene in 3d and throw a space environment behind it? Then have 6 cameras that all face different directions from the world center axis? Or just fake it all in PS?

I have used programs like Diard Universe in the past, but it seems somewhat limited (and slow updates) for creating. That and the planet renders look particularly cg. http://www.diardsoftware.com/

I saw Genetica from Spiral, but thats way out of my cost.
http://www.spiralgraphics.biz/buygen.htm

So I guess if I end up going 3d to create these.. what are the best tuts you have found? I would need ones I guess that also go into particles since I have never have bothered to work with that portion of Max before.

If I go 2d with plain jane PS, again tuts, but especially, how would I make animated suns and such?

I mean, to reiterate, what do you all do when tasked for such that looks good, but doesn't require (unless no real other way) creating a whole solar system scene.

Eric Chadwick

Depends on the game hardware, what it can and can't render at a decent framerate. You can get some ideas from UT2K7, they have a nice space level with all kinds of animated stuff going on. If you use the cheats, you can fly around freely and examine all the fx.

jogshy

I render 100k sprites ( with different size, color and texture ) in xNormal to paint the stars... I bet a too-brutal method ( ) for modest hardware... but it's fast for modern hardware if you use geometry shaders and texture arrays.

If you like the brute force point clouds see this too :P

http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums/mod/journal/journal.asp?jn=263350&cmonth=8&cyear=2006

Eric Chadwick

Cool link jogshy!

Also some old painting tuts for space scenes FWIW.
http://www.solarvoyager.com/tutorials.asp

oXYnary

Wow, that link is pretty intense. Not sure the engine being used is capable of such (torque TGE). I can attempt to pass it by the programmer and see if he tells me how much he hates me. Jogshy, is that sprite idea included in your examples with xnormal? I guess I'm trying to figure out exactly what you mean.

Eric, thanks for the painting link.

Argh.. OT but you know, I haven't even done a 1/4 of the ut3 levels. Got it at release and got sidetracked. Pisses me off. Wish I had more time to game these days. (Yes, I know, welcome to game development ) Will reinstall and look inside UED3.

Eric Chadwick

Also I posted this awhile back for someone on CGTalk I think, about how to create volumetric nebula fx in Max. Super-simple example, but could be easily extended into some nicer fx.


Max file...
http://www.ericchadwick.com/examples/images/volumelight_nebula.max
(ditch the stars though, I used a procedural that doesn't scale well)

jogshy

oXYnary wrote: »

Jogshy, is that sprite idea included in your examples with xnormal?

Yep. Load the Wing comander Jilrathi example ( the spaceship ).

Sure the "Show stars" option is enabled inside the 3D viewer. Move the camera back until all is more or less "small". Notice the stars and nebulas are just additively-blended billboards distributed along a big sphere covering the complete world's bounds.