[TUTORIAL] Adding skyboxes

[Keta]

[center:2kegcu2c]Greetings dear Modcraft users
And welcome to a (Wow Patch 3.3.5a(Build 12340)) tutorial on how to make Skyboxes for new worlds.[/center:2kegcu2c]



Now, it has come to my attention that there is but only a few tutorials out there on how to actually ADD a skybox to a completely new world. In this tutorial, I shall show you a way.
Note: This is just one of many ways.

First of all, you need the following tools to accomplish it, the way its done in this tutorial:

- Ladik's MPQ Editor
- Taliis
- LightMapper
- OffSetFix.exe ('Cryects Tools' tool)
(Credit goes to the rightful owners of these tools. Thanks guys )

http://www.mediafire.com/?mbb4so71b5r3gtj - Complete package



Alright, so you start off by extracting Light.DBC with Ladik's MPQ Editor from your *World of WarcraftDataenGBpatch-enGB-3.MPQ

Doesn't matter whereto.

Second, open up LightMapper.


Now, doubleclick one of the worlds that contains the Skybox you so deeply desire I've chosen the Shadowmoon Valley one for this tutorial. And once you move over the red dot, it should represent a rather big circle surrounding the red dot.


Notice the ID. In my case its 519. Its probably different in your case, unless you follow me completely xD
Now, remember that number. Open up notepad and put it there, or open StickyNotes or something.

Alright, now you open Taliis up, load in the Light.DBC file you extracted earlier and go into the second tab called "Table" (No cogwheel).


Now, glance down row #0 untill you see the row where #0 is the same as the ID you got from LightMapper. (Mine was 519, so I stop at 519 :>).


In the top there is a button which shows 2 documents, one of top of the other. Thats the 'Copy' feature. Make sure you got your row selected, and copy that entire row and go to the bottom. Here's what all those columns means:

Code: [Select]

Column #0: ID of the Skybox
Column #1: MapID of the world you want the skybox in.
Column #2-4: Coords . (Cannot be changed)
Column #5-6: Noticed back in LightMapper that there was a big dark ring, and a bit lighter ring outside the dark one? Column 5 is the darkest rings radius, whereas column 6 is the lighter of them.
Column #7-11: The different settings of the weather. Not sure how to modify, so just copy from an already working row xD
Column #12-14: Unknown. Seems to be 0 in all row.
Anyways, back to the tutorial.
Change the rows available columns according to what you want it to look like. Here's what mine looks like:

Puzzled? xD Ill explain...
Column #0: Just the next ID in the row Doesn't mean anything x)
Column #1: The world I want the Skybox placed in.
Column #2-14: got that from the Shadowmoon Valley skybox I copied above

Code: [Select]

Now, only thing left to do is, get the ADT numbers for the areas that holds the original skybox. In my case I have to choose _28_38.ADT and _29_28.ADT, since I have made a _0_0.ADT and a _1_0.ADT, I changed the name of those 2 files to _28_38.ADT and _29_38.ADT. Then I did an OffSetFix on them (Drag EACH of them, ONE AT A TIME, onto OffSetFix.exe) and edited the WDT file to now fit their new location, and boom.
Let me explain: I had to choose 28_38 and 29_38 because that is some of the ADTs which the original Shadowmoon Valley skybox covered in Shadowmoon Valley. So now, after changing names and done OffSetFix.exe on them both, they got new coords, which the skybox covers :)

Do the same thing according to your skybox choice.


[center:2kegcu2c]Edit: Steff has convinced me that it'd be a good idea to rewrite this last part (The part inside the code). Its still possible to do it that way, but not as "professional" ^_^. Instead of changing the ADT numbers, you can also change the coords of the skybox inside Taliis. However, that is done in the 'Table' column with the cogwheel. The coord of the skybox should be according to either the servercoords, or clientcoords displayed in Noggit. Not sure which one. Try it out [/center:2kegcu2c]



Alright, now save the Light.DBC file, patch it up along with your custom world (WDT and the ADTs you might have), go to the place on your localhosted private server and check out the skybox If you did it correctly, it should look like what you wanted =D


Thank you for reading my tutorial, please leave comments and stuff in the comment section bellow. And please do let me know if I've made a mistake somewhere.

Thanks
Keta

[Eluo]

Hey thanks for that great tutorial!
Can i add a link to it in the woldbuilding basics guide overview?

[Keta]

Yeah, ofcourse!

Thanks
Newtech

[Steff]

Oh i just read this again an realyzed that the last part of your tut is wrong

You dont have to move the ADTs where the box is
You CAN and must change the cords.

And a tipp. If you set the cords to 0 0 0 the sky will be the standart sky for this map, that is shown everywhere where no other box is located.

Please rewrite the part.

[iMithos]

And morning/day/afternoon/night swaping?

[Nevoras]

How to make a Skybox for a New Island new Adt's/Wdt new world all new entrys in the DB ect.

I tryed to Copy a line in Light.dbc making Island ID ect but i saw that the Koodrinates from LightMapper not the same like the Noggit Server / Clientside is so i try both one time but in the Island Ingame the new area diddnt appear.

So i think it would be cool if someone could expand the thread for the point to Addng a skybox to a custom made island from nothing ^^ would be very helpfull to me.

Cause i want a selfmade skyline and need the ocean water now in there but dont know how to after some trys... :/ heard that it could be maked too with the skyboxes

[Steff]

If you want to set the sky for the complet map just use the cords 0 0 0. This set the MAP sky that is used everywhere no other sky is created.

[Zim4ik]

Yo, guyz.
got one simple question. I`ve got 6 textures of skybox in custom model of skybox. How can i add it in game. I mean which dbc i should edit?

[Shrexx]

Thanks very useful :=)

[Norimar]

Thanks for this tut!
7+9#   - Stays for the Environment, means fog destiny and colors.
8+10# - Should this stay for the skybox?

[Exlure]

The Download Link is down.. I need the programms..

[mrAnomalyy]

One attachment - need insert coords from noggit*36.
Look screens.

[attachment=1:16qwyh0u]need.png[/attachment:16qwyh0u]
[attachment=0:16qwyh0u]need2.png[/attachment:16qwyh0u]

P.S. Big thanks for tutorial.

[Thoraric]

My dbc columns are different I don't have 0 column only ID (1) what to do? m using the latest dbc editor.

[Steff]

Turn off hide unknown....

[Amaroth]

And in general take a look at those checkboxes you have down there. For instance zero-based (vs 1-based) - it just depends on your editor's settings if you call ID field #0 or #1.