So This is why this thread is here. Where do all of you great mappers get your texture resources?
At this moment, I am particularly looking for a skybox texture that is better than skybox_card_cranes

Check here

However that does come in as an idea. Where would I begin with editing the actual models themselves, scaling them down, changing animations, stuff like that? Obviously there is a program that the makers used to manifest these models in the first place

I know you will scream at this post because it requires a lot of programs and work , so I offer you this, if you send me the models you want to minimize, I'll do this for you.

EDIT: Source - http://www.optimization.interlopers.net ... er=notices

Also, the VDC recommends that. Here, it is also said that there are already some 1/16 models in HL2 into the models/props_skybox folder. You could (Fracture) maybe start with those... I'll give them a look later at home as well.

Fracture wrote:
Where do all of you great mappers get your texture resources?
At this moment

I like to use http://www.gaming-models.de/ as a bonus they have models to. But if they dont have what I want, I usually just create my own.

The scaling thing being only one every 16th of the original measurement seems kinda weird to me. I bet they have their reasons, but they are beyond me. And as for those file types, straight up dont even about any of that. I never even touched a .vtf before. I managed to find other models that I can use anyway.

However thanks for the information, especially the models link

Fracture wrote:
i hate how the skycamera doesn't project from it's exact location. Sometimes it a few feet to the left, sometimes its a couple meteres to the right. What the hell is that about?

The center of the projection of the sky_camera is the world's origin. (0,0,0)
For the sake of science here's the proper way to make a 3d-skybox (from wiki)

Quote:
Select some distinct parts of the level that you can use a guideline for scale and position in the 3D skybox. Common elements to select for this purpose would be some of the larger structures, as well as the walls, cliffs, hills, etc. that define the edges of the map. Make sure you also have the sky_camera you created selected as well.

Note:It is important not to select any model entities, only brushes. Models cannot be used as reference geometry, because models cannot be scaled down in the Hammer editor.

Choose Copy from the Edit menu, or hit CTRL-C.

Choose Paste Special from the Edit menu. Set the Number of copies to paste to 1, and all other values to 0. Hit OK. This makes a duplicate of the geometry you had selected.

Turn on Scaling Texture Lock in the toolbar, if it is not already on. Its icon resembles <tl>. This will shrink the textures along with the geometry.

Leaving geometry selected, choose Transform from the Tools menu. Select the radio button next to Scale. Type in a value of .0625 for X, Y and Z. This is the decimal equivalent to 1/16 - the scale of the 3D skybox. Click OK.
Note:If you want textures on the geometry to scale accordingly, make sure you have texture lock enabled.

You now have a 1/16 scale version of your reference geometry. Now drag (move) it to another part of the map where you wish build your 3D skybox. It doesn't matter where it is as long as it's not touching any part of the main level geometry area.

Delete the sky_camera entity from the normal world map area you started from. Important: only the sky_camera entity in the 3D skybox should remain in the map. In L4D2 (and possibly other Source games), forgetting this step (having multiple sky_cameras in your map), will result in every Navigation area being blocked.

Build your 3D skybox geometry around the reference geometry, using it as a guide. You can build skybox geometry that meets the reference geometry seamlessly. You can use brush and displacement geometry. Models can also be placed, but since the 3D skybox is at 1/16 scale, any models must also be at 1/16 scale. The model hl2\models\props_skybox\coast01.mdl is a sample model in 1/16 scale. Try positioning the 3D view camera near the height of the player. This will give you a good idea of how the 3D skybox will look when it's rendered in the engine.

Add a hollow cube of brushes around your reference geometry and assign the tools\toolsskybox material to it. The standard 2D cubic skybox will appear on these surfaces. The 3D skybox area must be sealed with these brushes.

When you're done, delete or hide all of the reference geometry except for the sky_camera entity. You may find that it work best to add the reference geometry to its own visgroup so that it can be toggled on and off or re-placed. Just make sure you turn it off before you save and compile the level, or it will be compiled into the 3D skybox.

Your original map still needs the tools\toolsskybox material wherever you want to see the sky, however it will now show the 3D skybox as well as the 2D skybox (which is what it did previously).

If you want a part of your map to only show the 2D skybox and not the 3D skybox geometry, use the tools\toolsskybox2d texture, wich only draws the 2D skybox. There are no restrictions for this texture and it can be used together the normal skybox texture without problems. This feature is useful when you have I.E. a window and you only want to see the sky from it, like if you are in a very tall building.

Testing

Quote:
The scaling thing being only one every 16th of the original measurement seems kinda weird to me. I bet they have their reasons, but they are beyond me. And as for those file types, straight up dont even about any of that. I never even touched a .vtf before. I managed to find other models that I can use anyway.

The thing is the scaling is what makes skyboxes cheap to render. Instead of big, detailed, expensive models you use small, less detailed ones and you scale them up. Since they're far away you won't really be able to tell the difference, however the performance difference is huge!

To quote the wiki:

Quote:
The main benefit of using a 3D skybox is that it allows the level designer to make the map look much larger than is possible with the standard world geometry. The largest map that can be made without a 3D skybox is 32768 units on each side. Using a 3D skybox, the map can be extended to 16 times that amount.

Maps of this size are possible because 3D skyboxes are created in the Hammer editor at 1/16 the scale of standard maps. At run time, the engine scales them back up to match the scale of the rest of the map. Not only does this save space in the editor views, it also is much less expensive to compile and render.

Due to their scale, 3D skyboxes have much lower lightmap and texture resolution. This makes 3D skybox geometry less expensive performance-wise than standard world geometry.

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