Wall Worm Sky Writer

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Wall Worm Sky Writer

Postby shawnolson on Wed Mar 09, 2011 5:51 am

Got a new toy for those of you using 3ds Max: Sky Writer--a script to render out HDR Skies and compile them right into Source. Alternatively, if you don't want to compile straight out, it makes a single bitmap Cube cross that you can re-work in HDR Workshop.

Here is a UI screen shot:

Image

Please feel free to share feedback.
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Re: Wall Worm Sky Writer

Postby zombie@computer on Wed Mar 09, 2011 1:37 pm

4069 -> 4096

:)
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Re: Wall Worm Sky Writer

Postby shawnolson on Wed Mar 09, 2011 1:54 pm

I fixed that thanks :)
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Re: Wall Worm Sky Writer

Postby Ark11 on Wed Mar 09, 2011 8:10 pm

Do we need 3DS Max to use it or is it an indepentant software?
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Re: Wall Worm Sky Writer

Postby sixpakken on Wed Mar 09, 2011 8:14 pm

Its a MaxScript so we will need 3d max :) Cant wait to test it out
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Re: Wall Worm Sky Writer

Postby shawnolson on Thu Mar 10, 2011 9:53 pm

Don't worry guys... I won't be spamming here on Sky Writer as much as Wall Worm Model Tools... it's not as complex! :)

But I loaded an update today thanks to some feedback.

There is now a Gamma spinner in the UI that defaults to 1.0 unless you have the mr Photographic Exposure Control set in the Exposure Control--then it defaults to 2.2 . It is the gamma used in the rendered bitmaps.

I also fixed a couple uncaught exceptions and turned off the material editor opening upon render completion.

And Yes, Ark, as sixpakken said, you need 3ds Max to use this tool.
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Re: Wall Worm Sky Writer

Postby shawnolson on Fri Mar 11, 2011 1:08 am

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Re: Wall Worm Sky Writer

Postby sixpakken on Fri Mar 11, 2011 8:58 am

Oh Man, you are a master thanks alot for doing this :)
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Re: Wall Worm Sky Writer

Postby shawnolson on Sat Mar 12, 2011 6:13 am

sixpakken wrote:Oh Man, you are a master thanks alot for doing this :)

Thanks :) Not everyone would agree... but thanks nonetheless. I hope you get good use from it and let me know if you think of something to improve the tool. I've got a couple additions on the TODO list for Sky Writer but may be slow to add them as it already does what I personally need and just depends on what others may find useful.

The current TODOs are to make the 1/2 and Tiny B buttons work... they are intended to be used to chop side pieces in half vertically to become a 2:1 ratio as some people seem to like for skies. And the Tiny B is going to reduce the bottom image to a very small size. Both options are probably useful for some people... I'll try to get around to it sometime soon.
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Re: Wall Worm Sky Writer

Postby shawnolson on Wed Mar 16, 2011 1:09 am

Version 0.2 (2011-03-15)

• Fixed default gamma to be set to the value of the Gamma spinner. Previously, the gamma was incorrectly set to 2.2 unless you had changed the value of the gamma spinner.
• Added half-sized (horizontal 2:1) images to file output list. Can be manually swapped out with current 1:1 images by renaming and running compile. Named same as corresponding side but suffixed with "_half".
• Added 4x4 pixel copy of Down image that can be used for the down image by swapping/renaming to the down texture name and recompiling. Named same as the down image but suffixed with "_tiny".

The second two items will eventually be integrated into the Sky Writer UI with the currently disabled buttons for 1/2 and Tiny. To use right now, you can rename the current images for these to something else and then remove the "_half" and "_tiny" from the sides and/or bottom alternative images--then recompile. If you don't understand the purpose... forgive me... I'll add more docs on how to do this later as well as why you may want to do this.
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Re: Wall Worm Sky Writer

Postby shawnolson on Thu Jan 19, 2012 6:51 pm

So I'm working on updates to Sky Writer to bring it out of beta and actually finish it. The beta so far has not offered truly HDR skies as the 32bit TGAs it saves are not actually HDR.

I've addressed that in my working beta. If you would like to test the new beta, please read the details here and contact me; I will send you the beta version.
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Re: Wall Worm Sky Writer

Postby shawnolson on Sat Feb 25, 2012 3:47 pm

Sky Writer 0.6 released on 2-25-2012

Added native PFM bitmap exporting directly out of Sky Writer. Thanks to Fabian Groß of Zwischendrin for writing this code specifically for Sky Writer.
Updated Sky Writer to always write PFM files (it is no longer an optional feature).
Updated Sky Writer so that the exporter does not pause between each bitmap until a user hits a key. Now the export will continue non-stop until finished.
Updated Sky Writer so that the output skies no longer use the "_hdr" suffix; instead, the sky name is exactly as you type it in Sky Writer.
Updated Sky Writer such that you no longer need to edit any VMT files after compiling.

As always, thanks for any feedback past and future.
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Re: Wall Worm Sky Writer

Postby MrTwoVideoCards on Sat Feb 25, 2012 4:19 pm

How about just make skydomes everybody? Skyboxes are so 2005.
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Re: Wall Worm Sky Writer

Postby Jangalomph on Sat Feb 25, 2012 9:21 pm

Now if some shawn could make a skydome generator, that'd be amazing. :D


just glanced at thread
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Has anyone really been far even as decided to use even go want to do look more like?
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Re: Wall Worm Sky Writer

Postby shawnolson on Thu Mar 01, 2012 3:48 am

Although familiar with skydomes in 3d... I am not familiar with skydomes in Source. What is the process of making a Skydome in Source? After reading the last two posts... I searched VDC and Google but found nothing to un-perplex me.

Feel free to educate me ... as I am naive on this.
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