Making own skies Created 20 years ago2004-09-20 14:28:19 UTC by Playbus

I am busy building my second map, and everything is just peachy except one thing.

How can I incorporate a custom sky into my map? IE one I have drawn myself. I've tried putting it into my WAD file with the sky prefix on it's name, but it just appears as a normal texture, and no matter what I do in the Map properties box, I can only get the default half life skies. Advice please!

Once I have this sky thing sorted out, my new map will be virtually complete

there are some tutorials on this, check places like www.snarkpit.com or http://collective.valve-erc.com/

Thanks, I'll check those links out now.

You can use Wally for formating to .tgs right?

I thought you had to put the env images in the pack file under the gfx/env directory? That's where they are in in the HL pack file anyway.

You can just make a folder gfx/env and put them in there. You don't need a custom .pak to have a custom sky.

you need to create 6 files, .tga format, and name them with corrosponding xxxxxlt, xxxxrt, xxxxxdn, xxxxxxup, xxxxxxft, xxxxxxbk. xxxxx is the sky name and the lt, rt, dn, up, ft, and bk represent left, right, down, up, front, and back to the game engine.

Place all 6 files in your gfx/env folder. In "Map Properties" (under the header "Map" in Hammer) is a key called environment map (cl_skyname). Select it and enter the name of your texture, minus the lt - bk stuff... i.e. MySkylt, MySkyrt, MySkydn, MySkyup, MySkyft, MySkybk would be the textures you place in the mod/gfx/env folder and MySky is the name you place in the "environment map" block in Hammer.

There are certain requirements for the .tga file format, like 24 bit only and an absolute size (256x256 I think). Also, the pics should line up like you unfolded a cube. You'll have to see the tuts for that stuff.

Only type 10 and 13 targas are suppored, afaik.

Yep. I would suggest creating a backup of a sky set. Then, when you've finished your modified sky, save them directly over the backup skyset and rename them. That why, the format is retained at it should work perfectly in Half-Life.

Creating Skies This doesn't always load correctly.
Half-Life Skies
Half-Life Skies 2