Skybox

[Zorchenhimer]

Quick question. What image sizes does the skybox support? I'm asking because I made one and it isn't as clear as it should be. The first pic is the targa file, the second is a screenie.

[Eiii]

Any power-of-two size will work fine, so long as it's square. A skybox is made up of six images, one for the left, right, front, back, up, and down. I'm pretty sure there's a tutorial online somewhere for it...

[Zorchenhimer]

Yea, I followed the tutorial, but it seems like its getting compressed. The image size is 1024x1024, so I'd think that it would work. Should I try to go 2048x2048 to see if it compresses that one too?

Oh, and I'm not using the Tarragen program, I'm using Blender instead. Tarragen won't let me do 1024x1024 images till I pay for it.

[Eiii]

1024x1024 should be plenty. Could you provide in-game screenshots of what you're worried about?

[Zorchenhimer]

Could you provide in-game screenshots of what you're worried about?

The second pic in the firs post. The first one is a targa file, so it doesn't render on the forums like jpegs do.

[jitspoe]

Your video card may not support textures that large.  The game will scale them down if your card doesn't support them.  I was using 1024x1024 images for my high-res skies and they worked fine.

[Zorchenhimer]

nVidia GeForce Go 7400. You sure?

[y00tz]

Nice sky Z.
A quick google shows that GeForce 7400 is an IGP in a laptop, is this correct?  If so it very could be your problem.

[Zorchenhimer]

I've got it in a Dell XPS M1210 Laptop. So, could be. Not entirely sure though.

Nice sky Z.

Thanks, but it's not done yet. I still have to add clouds and a sun. The sun is gonna be the hard part.

[y00tz]

Typically, and you probably know this, but IGPs (Integrated graphics) do not perform as well as their card-carrying counterpart components.  And laptop IGPs tend to be shoved in 4x1/2" airless areas that run are 110+ F before the card is even running.  You may send the files to someone with a desktop/high-end video card (Like y00tz and have them test, otherwise, referring to your original question, I do not know what size image it will use for the skybox, but from a previous experience ('Background' in the Developer forum) Even when I had a targa which WAS a perfect square, and power of 2 (2048x2048), it did not work in PB (scaled it to fit) Hope any of this helped out, if not, good luck!

Cheers,
y00tz

[jitspoe]

I just looked at the tga file.  If you zoom in to about 150%, it looks about the same as the screenshot.  Actually, the screenshot looks a little better.  I don't really see what the issue is here.

[y00tz]

Jitspoe is correct, at 188% zoom in Photoshop I can duplicate that JPG.  Now that seems to me that 2048x2048 *should* not stretch ("zoom"),  if 1024 stretches nearly 200%...

If you make it again 2048^2 could you post screenies to verify? 

Cheers,
y00tz

p.s.
You mentioned MSDN Academic Alliance several times on this site, so what's your major?

[Zorchenhimer]

I just looked at the tga file.  If you zoom in to about 150%, it looks about the same as the screenshot.  Actually, the screenshot looks a little better.  I don't really see what the issue is here.

Really? huh. I'll play around with it some more. Thanks.

You mentioned MSDN Academic Alliance several times on this site, so what's your major?

Cinema and Video Production. But I'm gonna change it to Computer Science, I think.

[y00tz]

I had no idea you were a fellow masochist   I wish I knew a thing or two about video production though, do you have an online portfolio? I love to see some work

[Zorchenhimer]

Ha! No. I'm a freshman. Besides, the work I've done so far sucks. Badly. I like the concepts of the stuff I've done, but I was rushed through it so it comes out looking horrible. But if you really want to see some stuff, PM me.