Out soon: Freeware SkyDome with 'HSC-Style Cloud Bands'

[GreatNortherner]

Hi,

A new skydome model that has the cloud bands that got introduced with RW3 will be ready for upload soon. This will be freeware, so you can use it on your own routes if you want. This will also be a part of the new IIR and MCSA route versions that should be ready any day now, but I may try to tweak it a bit more and also write some documentation about how to add to other routes.

In the meantime, here are some preview shots:









Cheers,
Michael

[gwgardner]

beautiful, looking forward to that. Thanks.

[micaelcorleone]

Looks very nice. Excellent job.

[Kali]

I was looking at weather recently because we don't have any way of doing the beautiful flat grey overcast my oh-so-wonderful part of the world is so fond of and ended up looking at skyboxes; someone mentioned the HSC one being different to the others, but how is it different?

[GreatNortherner]

I think the default weather pattern "11. Overcast" gives you a deep grey sky without any blue shining through. I'm attaching a screenshot below of this weather pattern run on my skydome. It should look pretty similar on the default skydome though.

Derek from RSC explained the new skydome features in one of his "TS 2012 new features" posts. Basically the new elements of the "HSC-style" sky are three new layers of cloud bands that will only rotate around the Y axis, not around all like the three original cloud layers.

Cheers,
Michael

[GreatNortherner]

Hi,

Here are some shots of the (hopefully) final version that I'll upload tonight.
I retextured the three default cloud boxes to get rid of the mismatching texture sides in some spots, it should look all smooth and even now.

If you install the upcoming cloud / time of day BP package you'll automatically update your MCSA 1920s and IIR routes.

Cheers,
Michael

PS: some screenshots from the probably final version of the sky boxes:

[PapaXpress]

Will this replace the existing sky dome, or will it extend it?

[gwgardner]

If I wanted to use this skydome, but with my own parameters for fog distance and distant terrain colors, do I edit the bin files or the xml files that are part of this package?

[GreatNortherner]

Hi,

Sorry for the late reply!

You only need to edit the BIN files. Actually, I think the XML files are redundant leftovers that I seem to have forgotten to clean out before uploading the package.


The easiest way I think would be to first create renamed copies of the four Time of Day BPs (GN-RW3-Autumn.bin etc.)
Then edit these to your liking, edit the RoueProperties.xml to link to your copies of these files.

Also: editing all the color values might be a lot easier in the Blueprint Editor, where you can use these handy sliders to set the colors.
Exporting only works well, however, when you have the source files of the sky dome too. I'd be happy to email you these (and anybody else who wants them) -- just let me know. Alternatively, you could also leave out all the sky dome, sun, moon etc. references in the BP editor, in other words export only the color settings, end then paste in the skydome etc. lines from my original Time of Day BPs.

Cheers,
Michael

[Kali]

Oh, I would love source to the skydome, I still haven't figured out what shape they're meant to be!

[GreatNortherner]

Hi,

You have a PM. While the files are online, if anybody else would like to get a copy of the skybox source files (3DC v7.1.2), please let me know.

Cheers,
Michael

[BigPeter]

Yes I be very keen to get those 3DC files please Michael