[General] Terrain "Sky Box" Reforged Mode

[Mechanic]

Hello all. Finally. I know you all haven't figure out how to edit the background of terrain texture for sky box edition for Reforged Mode, but everybody knows how to do it in Classic Mode. So. I have been doing some tests for days and weeks to figure out how to edit the background of terrain what we called "sky box," in the World Editor. I got it figured out and it's required to have the model editor and photoshop programs, and the Abyss terrain texture pathings, to make it work to be able to edit the background of terrain. It's not easy to edit in the Reforged Mode, but it's easier in Classic Mode, though. The texture pathings are related to this to be worked. What I found are the Abyss terrain texture pathings. I had to paint whole blue on both ORM and NORMAL textures, and paint anything I want on diffuse, but I just paint blue on diffuse too for just testing. Enjoy!



The Abyss texture pathings are:

terrainart\outland\outland_abyss_diffuse.dds
terrainart\outland\outland_abyss_normal.dds
terrainart\outland\outland_abyss_orm.dds

 

[Mechanic]

@Lord_Marrowgrath , @Retera , @Tamplier777 , @Uncle , @Sverkerman , @Dr Super Good

 

[Tamplier]

Nice. The only issue now is the usage of a custom skybox. Cuz even reforged spherical skyboxes are ugly on their poles due to texture sew.
I saw a good example of combination custom skybox with transparent abyss tiles with using WOW ripped skyboxes.

 

[Mechanic]

You can change the zoom setting to rotate, as you edit all the models to rotate too, to have look at different angle of sky box. The sky box has 6 textures, like the box in real life has 6 panels. But, you can only look at bottom texture of the sky box. This is the bottom texture of sky box. You have to set the zoom to be look like this. The normal zoom has most of your own textures on it, like my own texture of bottom texture of sky box has most blue color in normal zoom. The normal zoom of sky box has more pixels than other zooms. I also had to edit the terrain.slk for pathability on customized Abyss tiles that are shown as disappeared terrains for units to be able to build anything while flying in the sky.

Normal Zoom

Rotated Right

Rotated Left

Invented

 

[Boar]

Does this work on any tile or *only* the abyss tile?

 

[Boar]

Actually, I think you're only seeing a *reflection* of the skybox, not peering through the ground.

 

[Sverkerman]

Hey! Thanks for the tag and nice find! Altho, I doubt that any mapmaker in their right mind would create a map specifically for Reforged. Classic graphics are superior since it reaches a wider audience, there are more players without Reforged than there are with it, and those with Reforged can still play Classic Graphics.

 

[Mechanic]

@Sverkerman Yep. This is as far as I can go for now, though. It is still worth it, because you can actually make it look like a cloud under there for a hovering grounds as rock like Outland hovering rocks, you know.

@Boar No. It's actually sees through it. The entire map is inside the sky box. The black screen is for world editor.

 

[Boar]

Are you sure? I can't actually reproduce the "alpha" tiles you have there.
I've tried altering orm, diff and norms.

Could you upload yours?

 

[Mechanic]

Do you have Retera's Model Editor? And the GIMP Photoshop?

 

[Boar]

Yup, I've got all those

 

[Mechanic]

Ok. If you use Retera's Model Editor, you just go to TerrainArt, and you will figure out. Has to be with Abyss, and you can use TerrainSLK through notepad to edit the codes for editing the pathing of Abyss tiles.

 

[Boar]

Right, it's as a I thought.
It's not an "alpha tile" it's just a highly reflective surface, and what you're seeing is the roof of the default / old wc3 skybox.

Maximum Norm + Reflective Orm = Reflective surface

 

[Mechanic]

Well, I tried all the different colors on all 3 types: Diffuse, Normal, and ORM... to see if I can find a alpha tile, for Reforged mode, but nope... nothing worked... it still reflecting...

Diffuse is just texture like skins. Normal and ORM are 3D and reflection. So. The ORM texture looks like alpha tile, but it still reflecting in the map or game, though.

war3.w3mod\_hd.w3mod\textures\normal.dds
war3.w3mod\_hd.w3mod\textures\orm.dds

For as far as I can do to make a stars in under the terrain for Reforged mode, you will have to use the Abyss tiles. The Abyss tile are moving with stars in it. I don't know how it created in the texture editor. I tried to edit those Abyss tiles and it's stopped staring. Anyway. I stick with Classic mode and convert all Reforged models into Classic mode anyway. My map looks good now.

war3.w3mod\_hd.w3mod\terrainart\outland\outland_abyss_diffuse.dds
war3.w3mod\_hd.w3mod\terrainart\outland\outland_abyss_normal.dds
war3.w3mod\_hd.w3mod\terrainart\outland\outland_abyss_orm.dds

 

[Mechanic]

Okay! Alright. Players! I found 2 new ways for Reforged Mode to make starwars in the terrain background texture. Sadly. There's no alpha tile. But, there are 2 ways to make a "alpha tile" effect in Reforged Mode. I already built a new starwars map for "Battleships Crossfire" community to replace Sked's Battleships Pro 1.99 and Fanfop's Battleships Starwars 2007 that are created in 2005 year. Anyway. There are 2 ways to make starwars terrain for Reforged Mode. You will have to edit the textures on all effects that removes the shadows and ground impacts, though.
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A.

[1] It's in the Trigger Editor. You need to create "Map Initialization" in the event and "Show Terrain" False" in the action. In the action, it's "Visibility - Show Terrain" and you have to set it to false.

That's it. You can build walls, or rocks, or bricks as wall or cliff in it.

***WARNING! If you do this, you probably will need to change all of your custom ability triggers that has effects on cliffs and terrains to doodads because there will be no cliffs and terrains.***

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B.

[1] It's in the Object Editor. First, you need to edit 3 of the "Ruined Ground (2x2)" doodads. Change the name of model file on all those 3 doodads to " _ " and should looks like this.​

[2] Now. On the first of "Ruined Ground (2x2)" doodad, change the "Pathing - Pathing Texture" to "Tower Scorched <Base>" from the doodads list.​

[3] On the second of "Ruined Ground (2x2)" doodad, change the "Pathing - Pathing Texture" to "Ruined Ground (2x2) <Base>" from the doodads list.

[4] On the second of "Ruined Ground (2x2)" doodad, change the "Pathing - Pathing Texture" to "Ruined Ground (4x4) <Base>" from the doodads list.

[5] Now, you can build rocks, or bricks, or walls to cover the lines and corners of the ruined ground tiles because there's no way to fix the lines and corners of them anyway. You will have to cover them with doodads like rocks or bricks. Here the screenshots of how I built the "alpha tile" effects into Reforged Mode on the grounds.

[6] To remove the ruined ground tiles, you have to build a cliff above them. That's it.
​

 

[SNART]

Landscape designers will delight it!

(Alpha textures are better to use custom ones - 4x4, 8x8, 16x16.)