ANTI-Skybox by dandyli0n`

Posted 19 years ago2005-04-21 17:54:10 UTC • Examples • Half-Life

Name: ANTI-Skybox
By: dandyli0n`
Type: Map
Engine: Goldsource
Game: Half-Life
Category: Examples
Included: RMF/VMF

Created: 19 years ago2005-04-21 17:54:10 UTC
Updated: 19 years ago2005-04-22 18:44:05 UTC
Views: 5171
Downloads: 891
Comments: 13
Rating: 3.00 (2)

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I've seen quite a few maps with skyboxes, and I don't think anyone should even be close to releasing a map with a skybox, so I just whipped this up in about a minute. This is an example map for early mappers who haven't learned much. This just basically teaches what to do and what not to do with skies. It shows the the BAD skyboxed, the BETTER sky-ceiling, and the ALSO BETTER extended sky-ceiling to fit the rocket.

UPDATE: Included a .TXT file in there informing about pros and cons about the 3 different sky methods.

rowleybob

Commented 19 years ago2005-04-21 18:06:57 UTC Comment #6937

Cool example. I'm definitely guilty of skyboxing, 'cause I routinely make big maps that necessitate it.

Although I must admit I've tested Skyboxing vs. not a little, and I haven't seen much or in some cases any, in the way of performance increases--at least with my maps.

It might be helpful to include a text file listing the reasons why skyboxing is bad, besides just the blanket statement that I hear all the time, that; 'The engine was not made for it.'

Commented 19 years ago2005-04-22 22:34:27 UTC Comment #6951

It can increase wpoly: Anything that faces the void won't be rendered. If you've surrounded the map with a skybox (take that first pic for example) the engine will render EVERYTHING inside the box, including the bits the player won't even see. So, in that pic, the engine will render the bottom of the skybox and the back of the rocks walls, adding to the wpoly count.

Habboi

Commented 19 years ago2005-04-23 09:51:54 UTC Comment #6961

Neat example.

rowleybob

Commented 19 years ago2005-04-24 16:23:42 UTC Comment #6992

Anthony, from what you said, than would it be ok to skybox, if you null everything the player won't see?

dandyli0n`

Commented 19 years ago2005-04-24 21:30:36 UTC Comment #6996

Probably not because you'll always be able to see the sky-floor.

Guinea Pirate

Commented 19 years ago2005-04-27 01:05:25 UTC Comment #7016

I think each sky brush only counts as 1 wpoly. And yes, if you must use a skybox, null anything that cant be seen.

VOX

Commented 19 years ago2005-04-30 18:00:26 UTC Comment #7074

A single box is 6 wpolys i believe. Also, the engine won't render any face that is completely covered by another face. if you have 2 boxes the same dimensions right next to eachother, the engine won't "create" the faces that are touching.

RabidMonkey

Commented 19 years ago2005-05-01 06:00:22 UTC Comment #7092

A single box is 6 wpoly if no faces are culled(if their backfaces are not deleted and no sides are covered in NULL or another tool texture.) Sky brushes, which usually only have one side facing in towards the map, should count as 1 wpoly, and it shouldn't get split when BSP makes standardized cuts.

Madcow

Commented 19 years ago2005-05-18 08:29:53 UTC Comment #7313

I think, that if you make the skybox as you made it at the one in the middle of the screenshot, the map is more unrealistic,, I mean,
If you throw a granade over the wall, it comes back cuz it bounced on the sky.
But if you make a box, you can throw the granade where ever you want to throw it..

pepper

Commented 19 years ago2005-05-19 07:05:53 UTC Comment #7333

You are wrong, you can set the sky to not bounce grenades, though what makes me wonder is that a player would want to throw a nade over a rock.

Fragmeister

Commented 19 years ago2005-08-31 14:17:49 UTC Comment #8803

cuz theyre bored

Carpocolypse300 full star

Commented 17 years ago2007-04-01 16:07:27 UTC Comment #14546

Its a good example map, I would download it but im LAZY, ill give it a 4 Star rating at least. I did not fully get it, but how does makeing the Skybox smaller around the map help?

Oskar Potatis full star

Commented 2 years ago2022-04-04 00:35:56 UTC Comment #104307

The basic idea is correct but the "also better" example is flawed: If you jump up (in low gravity for example) then some of the cliffs you should be able to see are behind a sky brush. You should never allow the player to get in a position where brushes are positioned on the other side of the sky. It's illogical and often causes visual glitches

ANTI-Skybox

13 Comments