[ *** V.2 ***] Realspace Backgrounds Mod

[Nekentros]

Hello,
I am trying to replace the starfield with one that I have created. I currently have my starfield in bmp format and saved it to dds in photo shop with format DXT1 RGB no alpha and then renamed it to all 24 of the starfield file names such as nebula_bluedistance_stars_blue_diff.dds then and placed them in the dds folder, but they still dont show up in game.
Any suggestions?

[Realspace]

Actually no, this should not happen. Do u have other mods installed that change the dds or the model files for skybox? In vanilla game you can simply add new dds having the same name, but I suggest you better change the whole model linking it to your texture files... just see how I made it in my mod.

p.s. Youd don't need to change every single dds file!!! it's a waste of time
if I understood well, u want to have the same dds in all backgrouds, right? if so, simply change the TBackgrounds file and use the single skybox combination u wish...
hope to be usefull

[Realspace]

No other posts on this for long time so I suppose it finally works with no bugs, also with other mods. Happy of it.

I'd like to ask to players to add some pics of the new sector's backgrounds... ..I don't play X3 anymore...

[Phlt]

No other posts on this for long time so I suppose it finally works with no bugs, also with other mods. Happy of it.

Sorry mate by I still have the issue reported above not solved. However, thanks for asking.

I'd like to ask to players to add some pics of the new sector's backgrounds... ..I don't play X3 anymore...

You can find some pics (6) of your great backgrounds currently in use in my Beta Mod here: Xchange Guild
Credits to you are in row 11 - 1st post (I say this because the wording is in French).

This Mod will be released both in English and French

Thanks again for your hard work, it really worth the effort

[Realspace]

Sorry mate by I still have the issue reported above not solved. However, thanks for asking.

That's weird, did you try to reduce the FOG settings to 0 for that sector and see what happens? as said, that seems to be the fog layer being too tick becouse I set fog there at very high (30-50). just edit the TBackgrounds.pck...

[Phlt]

Yes, I will and keep you posted.

Thanks.

[DarrenTomlyn]

Cool - downloading this now too...

Did you say the images are from x2 etc.? Did/can you use any pics from here?:

http://hubblesite.org/gallery/album/entire_collection/

If so then I guess you've got more pics to play with?

It'd be great if you could have a folder full of pics and then generate a galaxy - (maybe with the random generator) - that chooses the pics for backgrounds at random (if thats even possible?).

[Realspace]

I did re-edit the X2 backgrounds but changing many things, starting with the textures (only dds now, from previously jpeg's). The mesh is the same but the modle has changed. Furthermore I added the new nebulae that are taken exactley from the site you pointed. They can be integrated in the X2 or X3 model. Unfortunally you can not use all teh pics you see, they must be very high-res and very good quality, and also having no artifacts or distortions, and not too many stars inside. It's 80% a lot of hard photoshopping..

[Ulvetann]

Installed the pack late last night.
I must say, brilliant work!
Haven't been through all sectors yet, but what I have seen so far is outstanding.

Thanks for work done!

[Realspace]

with time I'd like to take further work of this kind ... my next objective would be planets ... yes, correct, the beauty planets of X3, I think they can be made cosmetically better. ... at least so to enjoy some lower orbit view (unfortunally the atmosphere's crash can not be avoided... )

as to be more specific, I mean one could see something like this:
[ external image ]

... well, maybe not so close, let's say 800 km distant orbit would be good enough..

this pic is taken from the ISS so at about 400 km from surface. the actual orbital planets of X3 (to be trivial, the very big ones as kindom's end) can be neared at about 1500-2000 km dist. (it's difficult to assess since no measurement is ingame) and, of course, are quite smaller than the earth...but that's not a problem.

my only problem is that upto now I've been unable to import the planet's meshes into GMax...

[Phlt]

That's a very good idea Realspace.

Sectorwise, large planets can be placed between 350 & 500 Kms from center.

.

[SSwamp_Trooper]

That would be a great improvement if you can do it, good luck Realspace

[Realspace]

That's a very good idea Realspace.

Sectorwise, large planets can be placed between 350 & 500 Kms from center.

.

yeah, sectors pone the bigger limitation to big planets, anyway my idea is to get rid of gates and to use more than a sector for a single planet's system!

let's say a planetary region would occupy 2 sectors (invisible, a script or an invisible gate transfer you as you travel), one for distant orbit and one for low orbit. If I can create a new bigger model for planet (it would be pratically almost a curved surface), than we can have 3 sectors for each planet.

Of course you have to give sense to this layout, it can not be only a cosmetic simulation improvement. For instance, you don't have jumpdrive but the very big ships (that will use and advanced one, like the Cycrow's one, that makes u appear everywhere ) and have to travel to reach the low orbit (where important stations will be such as shipyards, etc.)

At the end, given the 480 sector available and the empy ones needed to create lonway connections, I think there's space enogh to have at least 3-4 inhabitable systems for each race.

The general ideas is similar to Freelancer layout (which was great apart the fact that systems were ridicously small!!!), but a system (here, only planetary system) spans across 3-4 sectors connected by script or invis. gates.

I'd leave the actual gates or some wormehole to connect the systems...

About planet model:

X3 created very nice textures for planet surface, realy the best among all space games (procedural planets apart...) so I'd like to use them and implement.

As first, I'm getting rid of the clouds in some planets. at moment they all have the same clouds (mean same texture and same coverage) to show a bit more what's under! this must be implmented, for instance all the terrain textures lkack of MOUNTAINS.

I'll put soon some pic of what I've achieved..

edit: here some pics

this is only the implementation of low orbit clouds, example on 3 diff. kind of planets (I'll use different clouds for diff. planets in future), still no terrain implementation:
[ external image ]

[ external image ]

[ external image ]

[ external image ]

known issues:

1) notice the nice shadows under the clouds, they give deepness to the sky. but, u can not be sure the shadow is correctly in line with the sun dicrection. then it should move acordingly to your position, but it is quite fixed now..

2) the texture file I created is quite big, neverherless mu pc handles it smoothly, don't know in crowded sectors...I suppose it only affects load time not game calculations.

3) the clouds layer moves too quickly, it is weird becouse clouds don't move all togethrer in the same direction! If I could get rid of it by modifying the scene of the model... then it would be cool to have at least 2 different layers for clouds, so they move at different speed... (unfortunally I've problem to import models into Gmax! )

[Phlt]

Looks promising Realspace

Note: Is there one pic not showing ?

[Realspace]

I've a problem I can't import bod files into gmax, it results into some few memory error I cant get rid of..

any guess?

I want not only to use a different mesh (for this a 3d editor is mandatory) but also modify the UVmapping, mean change the nr. of repeated texture on the surface (so are textured planets) ... any gues where this setting can be changed not using the gmax?

[Mudkest]

looks awesome, but sadly I(not my game ) suffer from CTD with it installed after a few minutes in game but rhonkar's cloud never looked better(havent been able to look at any other systems cause of crashes, guess I cant enjoy it )

[enenra]

looks awesome, but sadly I(not my game ) suffer from CTD with it installed after a few minutes in game but rhonkar's cloud never looked better(havent been able to look at any other systems cause of crashes, guess I cant enjoy it )

I can't help you with the CTD but I think the clouds aren't in the mod atm.

[Realspace]

exactley, they aren't, it's just a going-on project I keep uptodate inside this thread. I'll start a new one to avoid this confusion, but in future they'll be both in one single file.

bytheway..what's the problem You're having, I don't get it. I don't think my backgrounds cause any crash, at worst a bit more loading time!

edit:

does anyone know hot to increase the size of GATES without working on the mesh (indeed I need invisible huge gates, so no model).

I managed to change all the values in argon_gate_scene.bod but could only achieve to create an invisible gate not a bigger one!

[Master Hauler Chief]

Just installed this mod and WOW nice 1. Big round of applause from me, superb work. Now it feels like I really am flying around space.

One thing though, the default pic you have of just a star field background. Its a bit rough around the blue sections and it stands out a bit in comparision to the rest of the great work n the mod.

If I might suggest darkening the whole picture slightly to mask this, or soemthing similar.

Other than that top marks! Also cant wait to see this real worlds mod in action, I would love some high quality planets and weather to go with the backgrounds.

[Realspace]

having taken a look at my backgrounds after a while I've had a similar feeling, some ae still amazing even for me! ... some seem to suffer from pixelation (is ti said so?), "excess of photoshopping" and at the end what a like less are probably the "realspace" pics as the magellan nebula, while I like the X3/x2 combined ones and all of my custom ones.

Well, the mod is out now and people are using it also with other mods, so it goes on its own ... but in future releases I'll do a polishing work and probably reduce the amount (we don't rellay need 62 different backgrounds!!).

As for now, I've finally got the way to create huge invisible gates, so the realspace galaxy will be on work. probably it will be an expansion to the New Horizon Mod, so to have all the features of that mod but with a very different galaxy layout and gameplay (fast ships and guns, huge sectors, etc.)

About planet, I'm in doubt. I discovered that due to the FOV of the engine, even the very small planets appear wide at short distance (the distortion of the wide angle) so I could use them also for orbital view just by increasing the resolution of the textures used (I experimented it).

Indeed increasing the size of the model (I tried even 3x for the big orbital planets) don't result into a flatter-wider surface, and furthermore ther's a problem with the sun not orking properly together with a too big planet.

At the edn, I experimented creating a new planet that is quite small (less than medium more than the moons) but you don't get its size, so it can be used inside a big sector as well as from far away as for very close. It's nice, you have the illusion of travelling long distances, but are not! so both gameplay and "space-illusion" are safe. Unfortunally I don't know hot to "trick" the meters count!