Changing the size of the skybox/bounding box in a map

[woosie]

Hi everyone, I'm currently trying to edit default maps to have increased skybox/bounding box/playing area. I don't know the exact mapping term.

E.g. I'd like to up the size of t2_wedge, so the invisible walls reach much, much further, to allow for aerial battles and whatnot. I'm currently building a map in Lugormod that has a PVP mode centered around blowing up the buildings like in SP mode. It's convenient since people don't have to download anything to play.

 

Is there anyone who can point me in the right direction on how to do this? Or is anyone willing to do this for me for a few of the singleplayer maps? Thanks.

[AshuraDX]

Hi everyone, I'm currently trying to edit default maps to have increased skybox/bounding box/playing area. I don't know the exact mapping term.

E.g. I'd like to up the size of t2_wedge, so the invisible walls reach much, much further, to allow for aerial battles and whatnot. I'm currently building a map in Lugormod that has a PVP mode centered around blowing up the buildings like in SP mode. It's convenient since people don't have to download anything to play.

 

Is there anyone who can point me in the right direction on how to do this? Or is anyone willing to do this for me for a few of the singleplayer maps? Thanks.

I'd be surprised if this was easily achieveable.

 

Even more so if this kind of change doesn't require a hard modification of the .bsp file.

[woosie]

I'd be surprised if this was easily achieveable.

 

Even more so if this kind of change doesn't require a hard modification of the .bsp file.

Wouldn't it just be a matter of changing the scale on the current one? Just changing the height of the ceiling for example would be very useful for entity modding. E.g adding maps within maps using misc_bsp.

And yes, I assumed it would take a modification of the .bsp file, but what do you mean by a "hard modification"? I assume you'd need to decompile, change it, recompile? It doesn't even matter if other info on textures/shaders get lost because the map would be purely serverside. As long as the geometry of the map is left intact it would be fine.

[AshuraDX]

As long as the geometry of the map is left intact it would be fine.

that's the problem, the skybox boundary is not set by some entity. It's a fixed component of the Map geometry.

[Wolfeye]

I've seen something like that done with ffa3 on 1.00 in the past, although it was exceptionally glitchy because client prediction doesn't really assume the map to *not* have its ceiling capped where it normally does, so you'd probably need some kind of edited clientside just to tell the client what it should be predicting even if you manage to increase the map boundaries, otherwise I'd bet those aerial battles are going to look wonky. Not really sure how to go about even increasing that boundary to begin with myself, though. 

[woosie]

that's the problem, the skybox boundary is not set by some entity. It's a fixed component of the Map geometry.

I see. Too bad it isn't as trivial as I thought.

 

 

I've seen something like that done with ffa3 on 1.00 in the past, although it was exceptionally glitchy because client prediction doesn't really assume the map to *not* have its ceiling capped where it normally does, so you'd probably need some kind of edited clientside just to tell the client what it should be predicting even if you manage to increase the map boundaries, otherwise I'd bet those aerial battles are going to look wonky. Not really sure how to go about even increasing that boundary to begin with myself, though. 

Yeah, I've seen it in multiple instances. And yes, it will be "wonky" on the boundary where the ceiling used to be I think, but it shouldn't be too bothersome if the height can be increased by a lot for example. This is from my limited experience with messing with this type of stuff.

[Wolfeye]

well I mean, even if you increase the height by a ton, the client still predicts a ceiling there so you'll get some weird lag effects as the client gets told "you cant do that" while the server says "oh yes you can."

[woosie]

well I mean, even if you increase the height by a ton, the client still predicts a ceiling there so you'll get some weird lag effects as the client gets told "you cant do that" while the server says "oh yes you can."

I realize that, but some clever entity modding can largely avoid this effect or reduce impact on gameplay

[Asgarath83]

I realize that, but some clever entity modding can largely avoid this effect or reduce impact on gameplay

fastest way should to decompile t2_wedge bsp to map, scale skybox to your desired size, and rebuild,. BUT...

- you need to remap all textures and fit again

- you lose all light entities and need to re-light the map.

- you get invisible geometry leaks of walls, that you cansee only on rebuilded map. you can convert the walls leaked into structural for fix the leaks. BUT...

really, i non encourage you on this way. .-.

[woosie]

fastest way should to decompile t2_wedge bsp to map, scale skybox to your desired size, and rebuild,. BUT...

- you need to remap all textures and fit again

- you lose all light entities and need to re-light the map.

- you get invisible geometry leaks of walls, that you cansee only on rebuilded map. you can convert the walls leaked into structural for fix the leaks. BUT...

really, i non encourage you on this way. .-.

That's the thing, is it trivial to scale skybox to desired size? Is there any tutorial you could point me to?

I don't mind losing all of those things because the map will be strictly server-side

[Asgarath83]

That's the thing, is it trivial to scale skybox to desired size? Is there any tutorial you could point me to?

I don't mind losing all of those things because the map will be strictly server-side

well, for every brush-structural modification of the map you are forced to decompile the map and to manipulate his geometry. i not kow any shader functions that apply a "lens" on a skybox for appear it more far or big. so if you not have the original map files used for first building, you lose all these stuff. but, is "easy" as request, yes. is sufficient to convert t2_wedge.bsp to a map file, open to radiant, select skybox brushes, select edit -> arbitrary scale and put the value you want to scale (2 times? 3 times? ten times? and after rebuiild the map. pity the f***ed q3map2 debuiling destroy all these stuff of the maps :\ i not know other way. if you know a way for debuild a map without lose any thing, let me know. this issue is crappying already today every one that one to edit or modify a map. but is also a protection against map  stoling of the modder custom maps. make a map require months of hard works of a talented mapper, some time also years, so if you have not the original file of a map... original of the game, or customs by a modder, you cannot do a nice works of edit. recently openjk support entity modding and if you wanna change simply an entity of trhe map you can just use that feature and rebuild as -onlyents. create an *ent files thar overwrite entities of bsp file. but this works ONLY for NPC, targets scriptrunner etc. for brushes you need really to alterate map geometry and skybox, funcs, doors, elevators, lifts etc ARE brushes entity. .-.

[woosie]

well, for every brush-structural modification of the map you are forced to decompile the map and to manipulate his geometry. i not kow any shader functions that apply a "lens" on a skybox for appear it more far or big. so if you not have the original map files used for first building, you lose all these stuff. but, is "easy" as request, yes. is sufficient to convert t2_wedge.bsp to a map file, open to radiant, select skybox brushes, select edit -> arbitrary scale and put the value you want to scale (2 times? 3 times? ten times? and after rebuiild the map. pity the f***ed q3map2 debuiling destroy all these stuff of the maps :\ i not know other way. if you know a way for debuild a map without lose any thing, let me know. this issue is crappying already today every one that one to edit or modify a map. but is also a protection against map  stoling of the modder custom maps. make a map require months of hard works of a talented mapper, some time also years, so if you have not the original file of a map... original of the game, or customs by a modder, you cannot do a nice works of edit. recently openjk support entity modding and if you wanna change simply an entity of trhe map you can just use that feature and rebuild as -onlyents. create an *ent files thar overwrite entities of bsp file. but this works ONLY for NPC, targets scriptrunner etc. for brushes you need really to alterate map geometry and skybox, funcs, doors, elevators, lifts etc ARE brushes entity. .-.

I've managed to decompile it and open it in GTK Radiant, but I have no idea how to increase the dimensions of the skybox. How do you select skybox brushes?

[Circa]

Just like any other brush, hold SHIFT + Click. Skyboxes are just brushes with a special skybox shader.

[woosie]

Just like any other brush, hold SHIFT + Click. Skyboxes are just brushes with a special skybox shader.

Thanks! I did that with the t1_rail map sample and recompiled and it worked! However, when I decompile the t2_wedge.bsp, add it into GTKRadiant, change the skybox dimensions, do brush cleanup (otherwise it gives me error on compile), then do meta compile, I don't receive an .srf file. If I understand correctly, I need this to compile it into .bsp. Any clue where I may have gone wrong?

[woosie]

Also, related question, is it possible to change the distance cull size on a de- and re-compiled map? For instance, on t1_rail, the render distance on entities is very low, and it could be a proper dog-fighting map on its own if I was able to increase this distance if possible - if I used the map with altered distance cull, would the entities still render from the new distance client-side?

[woosie]

I just tested putting a misc_bsp with t1_rail modified skybox into a space map, and it works fine! Just a bit of bugginess when passing through original skybox boundaries The only problem is that apparently, even though the map is strictly server-side, the lighting in the map is still affected for client-side players. Unless there is a way to compile without lighting issues if you do have the .map file?

[Asgarath83]

change distancecull parameter inside worldspawn entity. for see the entity, select a brush of the map and click N.

example if you set "distancecull 40000" you get a visibility of 40000 map units. consider that player is a box with 32 map unit of lenght and 64 of height.

 

https://jkhub.org/page/mapping.html a lot of tutorials for learn basics of mapping. enjoy. i raccomand you rich diesal university. i learned with it.

[woosie]

change distancecull parameter inside worldspawn entity. for see the entity, select a brush of the map and click N.

example if you set "distancecull 40000" you get a visibility of 40000 map units. consider that player is a box with 32 map unit of lenght and 64 of height.

 

https://jkhub.org/page/mapping.html a lot of tutorials for learn basics of mapping. enjoy. i raccomand you rich diesal university. i learned with it.

I changed it like you described but entity render distance didn't change. And thanks for the link, I'll check it out!

[Asgarath83]

mmm i found that into a steam forum, maybe can help you

You will have .cfg files in your base folder where the game files are kept. Have a look at all the settings. Change some of them and then 'save as' for example: shackleford.cfg. Then, when you are ingame bring up the console. For M/P type: /exec shackleford.cfg ENTER. Another alternative is to just bring up the console while ingame and change each setting manually.
For example: seta cg_fov "80"
seta cg_zoomfov "40.0"
If I set this: seta r_fastsky "0" to this: seta r_fastsky "1" You will have no skybox at all, just black background.

But honestly i not know what is the consolle command for edit distance rendering on JKA. is more a coder relating question i think.

distancecull change the rendering distance of brushes and map areas but for entity... i never tryed or get the necessity to do... so ... boh?!?!? i think is more a code related question. maybe you need to ask to some coder of JKHUB forum that know better of me the deeps of JKA graphical enviroment.

[woosie]

mmm i found that into a steam forum, maybe can help you

You will have .cfg files in your base folder where the game files are kept. Have a look at all the settings. Change some of them and then 'save as' for example: shackleford.cfg. Then, when you are ingame bring up the console. For M/P type: /exec shackleford.cfg ENTER. Another alternative is to just bring up the console while ingame and change each setting manually.

For example: seta cg_fov "80"

seta cg_zoomfov "40.0"

If I set this: seta r_fastsky "0" to this: seta r_fastsky "1" You will have no skybox at all, just black background.

But honestly i not know what is the consolle command for edit distance rendering on JKA. is more a coder relating question i think.

distancecull change the rendering distance of brushes and map areas but for entity... i never tryed or get the necessity to do... so ... boh?!?!? i think is more a code related question. maybe you need to ask to some coder of JKHUB forum that know better of me the deeps of JKA graphical enviroment.

Brush distance also continue to stays the same. But maybe it is because t1_rail has a fog effect?

As for changing cfg, you can't increase entity render distance there. Even if it was possible, I want to keep everything strictly serverside

Thanks anyway! You were helpful with figuring out the skybox stuff

[Asgarath83]

Brush distance also continue to stays the same. But maybe it is because t1_rail has a fog effect?

As for changing cfg, you can't increase entity render distance there. Even if it was possible, I want to keep everything strictly serverside

Thanks anyway! You were helpful with figuring out the skybox stuff

*facepalm*

the fog... yeah, the fog. yes, is for the fog! a map with full fog in all world map instead of a fog with a brush textured with "fogs" shaders is opaque and with low visrange. you need to remove the fog, first by worldspawn, and after set the culldistance into worldspawn. personally i love the foggy maps, are so suggestives and also resolve problems related to horizont blending of large terrain maps, but are you owns. for set the culldistance of a fog, you need to create a custom fog and set this on his fog shader itself into the SHADER files. not map editing is strictly required in that case. is like set the opacity of water. fog is like water shader... but without water XD 

[woosie]

*facepalm*

the fog... yeah, the fog. yes, is for the fog! a map with full fog in all world map instead of a fog with a brush textured with "fogs" shaders is opaque and with low visrange. you need to remove the fog, first by worldspawn, and after set the culldistance into worldspawn. personally i love the foggy maps, are so suggestives and also resolve problems related to horizont blending of large terrain maps, but are you owns. for set the culldistance of a fog, you need to create a custom fog and set this on his fog shader itself into the SHADER files. not map editing is strictly required in that case. is like set the opacity of water. fog is like water shader... but without water XD 

So... Since I have to mess with the shader files, I assume that I won't be able to force this clientside if the modified map + shaderfile is only on the server. Damnit but maps without fog will still work presumably. I'll try it out later! Thanks

[Asgarath83]

So... Since I have to mess with the shader files, I assume that I won't be able to force this clientside if the modified map + shaderfile is only on the server. Damnit but maps without fog will still work presumably. I'll try it out later! Thanks

remember you need to rebuild the map after you remove fog brush or fog into worldspawn or edit fog shader. the best way i think is to edit the fog shader for increase the translucent amuount of visibility and after rebuild the map. but you NEED that q3map2 in that case read the SHADER. do you know how to make a shaderlist file and also how to make an assets for editing maps?