I'm working on some BR scope shaders and want to make a custom cubemap for it, but there seems to be no tutorials at all on how to make cubemaps... Anyone wanna teach me, or point me to a tut?

I have a hi-res cubemap that could give you some help with that. Just align the textures accordingly. I am unaware of which face goes where, and what direction it faces, but somehow I managed to convert from source to halo on my first try flawlessly.

I believe I've labeled this correctly...
http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/4637/hiresalignment.png
I think that's too wide to put here =P

thanks bro, this is just what I needed :)

+rep too bad there's no rep system

Pretty sure its done in a horizontal cross like this.

Yea but then you have to arrange the edges and crap. I don't think tool compiles it when it's in T-form.

it does.
in photoshop, make a 2048x1536 and fill it with blue.
Snap to the grid with lines every 512 pixels.
Paste the images or cut up a vertical cross or a different (regularstyle) horizontal cross.
Just line up the pieces on different layers with a blue background.
like this.

Well isn't that convenient.

If only you could make cubemaps in-game like in half-life 2...

I still trust source for my cubemaps.

you can, theres an app for that.
but the thing is, if you are trying to use cubemaps to fake a dynamic mirror then it wout work well.
If you use it on a structure, then the player will be missing from the fake reflection.
If you use it on a moving item then its just always going to be wrong.
Thats why halo uses kinda blurry cubemaps.

Is that a double sunset?

Cubemaps have NEVER made realistic reflections...
But, if you use a generic one that fits the map best, it works. Plus, halo 1 shades the cubemaps in dim lighting, making it blend better than half-life 2...

Halo 3 fades between cubemaps when you move between areas. They aren't shaded, but they also don't reflect the player. I hated how they said they had "real time reflections"... However, phong could be counted as real time diffuse reflections...

The whole idea of cubemaps simply annoys me. The only way they would ever create real time reflections is if they were placed at every pixel or luxel on the screen, with a 1x1x1 size, and rendered every frame... Which would lag more than real time bounce traces...

It's just outdated technology.

Indeed. That's why it saddens me that so many modern games are still being made with cubemaps.

Betcha Crysis 2 won't! :D

I dont play "modern games" :)
I am surprised at 1st that they dont use dynamic mirrors or something, but how much power must it use to reflect moving reflections of moving reflections, and so on? idk.

It takes a lot to render accurate reflections. To reflect a reflection would be MADNESS!
It will happen, but right now I don't expect it.

I was going to go into a lot of detail about this, but... -snip-

Well actually, now that I think about it, the Sims 3 had a fairly nice method. Dynamic mirrors reflected everything, and reflections in those mirrors' reflections used cubemaps.
Edited by Alpha Series on May 21, 2010 at 02:24 AM

Lol cubemaps are easy to make. Derp. Easy for me to say because i do Gfx alot. lol. Also doompig if you need my texturing skills ask me because i would go on xfire more and maybe finish those Fp arms i sed i would do 4 u...

In the game Portal (by Valve) they struggled with this issue becasue you can place portals in front of portals which is essentially an endless loop like a self reflection of a reflection. They had to write code to limit it to 10 or less or else the memory and processor time would go sky high.

I like valve's comentary mode that they incorporate into most of their new games becasue it gives the designers a chance to tell people what was required to make it work and the motivations behind the design decisions.

Get out. I see you barge in here every time someone says anything bad about H2SPT. If I remember correctly Darklord even told you to stop, because you're not even on the team. You act like Darklord's personal bodyguard or something, idk. I'm sure if Darklord has a problem with Doompig, he can handle it himself, you don't need to come rushing to his aid and make it your personal mission in life to utterly destroy anyone who makes fun of H2SPT.

In portal, it actually defaults to two renders, and then it duplicates the first render (includes the second) onto the second render, with the last one having either a red or a blue foggy coloring.
On the highest settings, the CPU time is actually noticeable, as the later renders will move slower than the first renders. However, it could just be that they render them after a frame's delay...

That explains why I had 3 FPS when I tried that ):
Only solved it by setting the Portal Layers to 0, meaning I don't get nice real-time portals.

You can try one... One is just as stressful as water in half-life 2...

What are your CPU/GPU specs?

It has to be HARD to play when you can't see where your portal exits... That's a huge part of the gameplay...
Edited by Alpha Series on May 21, 2010 at 08:28 PM

I had to update my Graphics Driver. I kept exceptioning at a certain level that demanded me to do more complicated portals.

I managed- running with an intel integrated family chipset and a Pentium 4.

Pentium 4 isn't bad if you have enough speed. For example, I have two 3.2GHz pentium 4's...

Personally I like cubemaps, it helps with alot of things I like to do, and curses some of the stuff I do to which some of the models I port from diff games dont use cubemaps which becomes a challenge.

Also thanks maniac, I been trying to figure out how to do cubemaps for the longest time but gave up on it for 2 years lol.

OH when your compiling cubemaps and its in the T form, it will give you error of power of two, but go into korman00 and go locate it, and change the type from 2D textures to cubemaps and you SHOULD be good from there.
Edited by Spartan_094 on May 22, 2010 at 01:20 AM

Welcome man.
Also, i used Terragen to make the grayish one and max to make the sunset one, both could be blurred to get a nice effect.
For the one that is similar to a covenant (or for something greenish and rounded) cubemap and has small lights on it, i made in Genetica.
Edited by Maniac1000 on May 22, 2010 at 01:57 AM

Well doompig444 did bring this on himself,said something about which he knows nothing about.

But I kept a unanimous figure from hacking him,I've already ended this escapade.

I mean really c'mon thats like comparing PAKAR45 to CAD. Really his H2SPT comment had no effect.
Edited by DarkLord0912 on May 22, 2010 at 02:05 AM

READ THE RULES:
http://forum.halomaps.org/index.cfm%3Fpage=topic&topicID=2979

Cardinal Rules: Violating these rules will get you banned:

3. Play Nice! UXB Internet and Halo Maps will not tolerate insulting, flaming or harassing of users. Do not pick fights or 'troll', or post topics on controversial issues such as race, religion, sexual preference, etc. Keep to the topics of the particular forum. As your parents taught you, if you don't have something nice to say, don't say it.


Bad conduct has caused one person to lose their posting privileges if it continues there will be more.


Edited by Dennis on May 22, 2010 at 02:47 AM

so how's that ban working out for you? pretty cool, eh?

OT: thanks guys, this worked great, now I have pretty epic h3 standoff scope cubemaps :D

will get pics later
Edited by doompig444 on May 22, 2010 at 04:54 AM

This kind of trolling will get you banned as well. Read and try to fully comprehend my post before you put fingers to keyboad again.

:(

New BR shaders/cubemap pics, as promised:

well the scope cube reflection looks about the same but cant really remember though.....

meh, don't really do it much justice

Needs more blue.


New visor cubemaps away.

whats with the black hole at the bottom.