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Not sure that where this should go as its a general kinda question at the moment.

Anyway I have been looking at making some new sky to go into my levels and for some reason that makes no particular sense I cant do that.

Heres what I do :

I am using a copy of the default WW2 gas skybox and textures and placing into a new folder.

I rename the sky box x.file and create new textures for the sky naming appropriately using the correct naming conventions.

Open the .x file in a modeller and change the references to the now new textures appropriately so they now load to the model correctly. Now that all looks and is correct I save out the model so that it references the correct new textures in the .x file. Import back the .x file into modeller to check all and now the correct textures are recognised and all looks fine - it is fine. The proof of that follows eventually :

Now back inside FPSC I open a level and in the build settings choose the new skybox. Test preview and the preview does not show the skybox correctly. Test run the level and it does not display correctly and FPSC clearly does not like it at all and misbehaves.

If I edit any level setup.ini files directly in the .ini files to reference the new sky box even and go back to FPSC and run the level it still does not work correctly.

FPSC effectively it seems will not allow a new folder containing a new skybox to be created for no logical reason I can find.

If I place my newly created skybox files in the WW2 gas skybox folder swapping my new files for them by giving my new ones the names of gas and run the level - the skybox works fine using my new files - so there cant be anything wrong with the new files themselves - they are to all intense and purpose exactly the same as far as I can say. Only when the names, location and ref to those are changed does the skybox refuse to display correctly? As if the default skybox folders and set up is hard coded somehow.

Anyone got experience of this? - got their own new skyboxes complete with textures to work?

I am trying to ascertain if this is just me or its an issue that needs reporting - we have enough issues with difficulties in changing sky for levels already and dont really need another.

If it is a bug or issue it needs to go in the bug forum later.

I have tested this extensively and I can only get a new skybox and textures to work if I place them in a default folder and give them default skybox names in which case they work perfectly.

Thanks

Try to edit the setuplevel.fpi :state=0:sky=skybank\scifi\Ngt and change the line there and start the gamne and see what happens.
Find it in your
C:\Program Files\The Game Creators\FPS Creator\Files\languagebank\english\gamebank\mygame

under skybank create a main directory

Files\skybank\MySkys

then create your directories under there using
3 characters like:

Files\skybank\MySkys\my1

copy an existing .x file into that directory
and rename it to: my1.x
copy (skybank\ww2\Cty\cty.x) to (skybank\MySkys\my1\my1.x)

copy your images and rename them

my1_L
my1_B
my1_F
my1_R
my1_U
my1_D

you will need to rotate the u and d images for alignment. I believe u gets rotated 90 left and d gets rotated 90 right.
I'm sure you'll fiqure it out.

now I just load the .x file into notepad and change the existing image names to my1_L, etc...

The above works for me everytime.

I know how to make files and set up structures for FPSC guys - been doing it a long time. All is set up correctly as said.

None of that works. You should be able to understand that I have been following the correct procedures from what I have written above.

tschwarz,
You are correct in what you are saying of course - been there - done that - and though it should do so - its not working.

Not to worry I use the current current sky box directories for the moment and put my own files in them as I wont be using the default sky boxes in my game.

Thanks anyway.

"I am trying to ascertain if this is just me or its an issue that needs reporting"

It then appears that it is not an issue since as I said it works for me.

Perhaps others might find this helpful and I didn't waste my time trying to help.

Scratch that, I remembered. See below.

OK, this is all from memory because I don't have the software installed at the momement to test it.

I ran into this exact issue when I was creating my skycube packs several months ago. The problem is a folder/file naming scheme issue. Essentially, the 'new' skycube folder names have to match your texture file naming scheme. Also, you only get 3 characters to work with for both.

As an example, your new skycube with corresponding folders and texture files would look like this where [spc.]is the naming scheme used for the particular skycube:

Root Skycube Folder: Spc [first letter capitalized]
Sub-Folder: spc [first letter lower-case]
Texture Files: spc_F.tga, spc_B.tga, spc_U.tga, spc_D.tga, spc_L.tga, spec_R.tga

Of course, your spc.x file also has to match and reference your .tga files accordingly.

Hope that helps.

tschwarz and everyone else,

You do not waste your time.

There is some valuable info here that others might read if they encounter difficulty with sky boxes. Such detailed information and desriptions are of great value to future users who like myself may encounter some difficulty.

Sky Cubes theory seems to be correct in as much as it seems to be related to the folder structure as I suggested and that his indications that the folder and file structure much follow the exact naminh conventions as used by the defaults and recongnised by the engine.

I am quite sure that the info users have provided here is correct and that following the procedures outlined success is guaranteed.

As said I am just using the default sky boxes folders at present and geeting new sky boxes to work as I described in my earlier thread - I am happy with that as I dont need the default skyboxes so am simply replacing them.

Thus I have not done any more to test this out and am quite sure that everyone here is correct in their statements.

It would therefore be in the eyes of TGC neither a bug or an issue but simple "the way it works" as described by them.

I am of a mind to Lock this my own thread if its needed no further so as to free up the forum now that adequate explanations are available for to be read.

Now if I could only change easily change sky boxes on a per level basis I would be like a pig in "mud"

Thank you everyone for your most valued help.



Sorted and locked - lets move on.