Hammer How-To #3: 3D Skybox

www.hiyougami.c...
The 3D Skybox is used to give the illusion of a map being larger than it is. They take a tiny area outside the map full of scenery and scale it up sixteen times, then project it around the map - but to know where to put this scaled-up scenery, they need to know where the origin point (0,0,0) of the map is, so we add a sky_camera as a reference point for the origin.
TIP: You can find brilliant one-sixteenth-scale scenery models by creating a prop_static, opening the model browser from the World Model parameter and searching for "skybox"!
Mappers, visit these links please!
3D Skybox: developer.valv...
3kliksphilip's Fog tutorial: • Source SDK - Fog
(Source Sky texture list: developer.valv... )
Like the map in my desktop wallpaper? You can download it at bit.ly/ExeterLi...

[@Aquamanng]

3D skybox effect was used for the Citadel in Half Life 2. It's looks huge, but in reality, it's a few feet taller than you. Valve put the model of the Citadel out of view from the player, and placed a camera, then did the 3D skybox effect to make it seem gigantic. I love how clever Valve gets when they make a giant game like Half Life.

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

+Gage Pfister Trust me, the 'smaller' skybox version of the Citadel used in City 17 is still *goddamn **_huge_*.

[@Aquamanng]

***** Yeah, I used GMod to see how tall the smaller model is, and it's fucking GIGANTIC.

[@Mateus98lp]

To rotate the objects over the grid, go to "tools" > "options" > "2D views" > and check the "default to 15 degree rotations"

[@shadowmouse6960]

do not know how to thank you, I do not speak English and I found it difficult to find a tutorial for 3D Sky box, I understood that sky box, was just to put the color of the sky. I love you, thank you very much, I subscribed and hand up.

[@e_i_e_i_bro]

You are helping me out a lot, and your majestic voice makes it all the better.

[@RobitskiStudios]

FINALLY I've found a high quality, well worded, helpful and humorous hammer tutorial! Thanks so much :)

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

@Ben The sky_camera has nothing to do with the spawns - it represents the Origin point of the map (the exact centre), except inside the 3D skybox. This way the 3D skybox knows where to position itself, relative to the centre point of the map, when in-game.

[@radsportclubdeltadusseldor9633]

you smoke to much weed dude

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

RSC Delta Nope, I make maps for the Source Engine. It's even more powerful stuff.

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

***** Yes :)

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

You'll have to look at Insurgency's wiki/documentation to find out how to add NPCs. For night maps, use a relatively bright, blue Ambient light value (roughly the same colour as the night skybox texture you're using). If there's a moon, add a pale blue or even white sunlight colour, and make it as bright and noticeable as you desire. To add flavour to night maps, make sure you make use of artificial light accordingly, and space it out so you get areas of orange-yellow brightness and areas of murky blueness. Also never underestimate the power of a tiny bit of sky-coloured fog ;)

[@battletapes1016]

+Weasel Level Design does it matter where i make my map.. can it be along the blue lines ? im building a WW II map for Infamy mod.

[@markusgggg]

tiny_baby_map

[@vissova]

You can use the clipping tool to clip the side of a brush to give it a curved look. You can also edit the vertices of a brush to give the same look if you're careful.

[@Paulisdead18]

Oh my god, this is just what I need. I literally know nothing about making 3D Skyboxes, and now I can start making one (after practice), which I definitely need for my map. Thanks!

[@SUPERskrat1996]

for some reason my 3d skybox isn't staying still. it's moving along with me whenever i move and its not right.

[@SpaceBear1987]

A good thing to note, if your using models instead of brushes, Hammer won't be able to scale them down, so if they are custom models, just make sure to change your scale settings accordingly within your QC file you used to import those custom models, making sure they are a 16th of the size they where before. So "Current size" Divided by 16 = New size

[@ZuElVenado]

Hi i dont know if youll read this but, i have a problem that when i make a simple box, make it hollow and put it around my map to turn it into a skybox when i test it the skybox its black what could cause it to appear all black? Is it because im using a skybox from other source game rather than gmod?

[@anubispk7353]

These tutorials are amazing. Thank you.

[@naipsak]

Thank you so much for doing these tutorials! I really appreciate them!

[@EternalDarkWolf]

what does that thing say at 8:13 the box in the middle? del what

[@GLaDOSV6]

i always manage to fuck up the entire map when trying this, my main map disappears and my spawnpoint doesn't work right.

[@manriquealbanfelixgustavo839]

I have a problem, my map appears in the skybox.

[@dotCoockie]

this was love at first sight

[@TheBMXrider5]

How do I duplicate? in other videos they said hold shift then drag but that just moves the original block and does not duplicate it

[@Durpy337]

Yep. I got it, took me a while to get how it would work. Thanks for the tutorial meng

[@cyemonkey1828]

Can't surround my map with the 3d texture and be lazy anymore since it's getting so big, won't even compile, tried to do this and might have to delete my entire campaign and retry because this hurts my brain. Seemed alright before but now the skybox is causing problems all the sudden, also my water is clear and allows you to see through walls. This is insane.

[@Craft4Cube]

My skybox doesn't show up. What should I do?

[@bronypage]

Hey don't know if you did a video on this but what about making a map making a map where lets say a building curves. Such as in a sphere or dome structure

[@sleiderinkje]

at 9:18 you are saying i dont know why the sky is freaking out, it shoudn't be.. And this problem i am having lately, my sky is freaking out at the beginning where i spawn! I just follow your steps please help me

[@ElHyperion]

I keep seein a projection of some elements of the map very far up in the sky, although I have no leaks in the skybox. Plus my skybox is projected at a quite different place, like if my map was a part of the skybox which is put under it and was also projected into that...

[@pyromisery1638]

Help Me how Do I Add A Tree And A Door

[@sN1PeR27ReCoN]

how do you get textures on hammer because i have a error that said "no textures are available for this map" and i wan't to do a map on Team Fortress 2.

[@cade-music]

How do i center where the skybox appears?

[@CaptanSpudsy]

So when I do it, there's no ground and the props in the skybox flicker when I move. Any ideas?

[@Ben-ly6pe]

If you were making maps for a multiplayer game with multiple spawns, where would you put the sky_camera entity?

[@FishStixy]

I have a non square (or rectangle) map. My skybox isn't lined up. How do I fix this?

[@jonashaugen8887]

How do you hide and unhide items?

[@thevoid5863]

this is a great tutorial! but honestly, despite using hammer for some time now, i had no idea how to pan around the 2d spaces. i was just using the zoom.

[@TheBadgerBrah]

wait, you can copy and paste from one map to another?

[@minicritman999]

How do you select all things as seen 6:25?

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

+minicritman999 Drag a box with the selection tool and hit Enter.

[@FlamingCuntLips]

I've run the map and yet the character doesn't seem to want to move :/ anyone got any ideas how to fix ? ? ? ?

[@NoVIcE_Source]

Thanks A lot!

[@xenomorphelv426]

In some Insurgency map when throwing grenades above building, the grenade make ricochet against the sky. how to increase the sky height limit ?

[@MadDi-7819]

Increace the size of skybox brush.

[@mastercilona]

@unbrokenjack Hmm, i sort of see what you're saying. I will have to look into the subject more.

[@bennett.mj19]

i know this video is kinda old, but like im having an issue where i can see my own map within the 3d skybox.

[@cade-music]

Same here. You find out how to fix it yet?

[@droxje]

Great tutorial!

[@M0bileSprout]

Can you create more than one skybox per map? I want to see if i can use skyboxes to create doorways that work like portals.

[@TheDanishMonkeys]

i know this is stupid.. But how do you copy? How do you make it like a hill?

[@FlamingCuntLips]

Any reason my version doesn't have almost any of the sky textures ? ? ? I've got stars at night and some very low res thing

[@gasgiant1040]

I'm making my map in gmod and currently making a Zombie Survival map, though not sure how making the map use things added in modes, like zombie spawn, and multi human spawn.

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

+Gas Giant That's specific to the gamemode I think. I'm not sure how to do that.

[@aleksandrbakhmutov1894]

Thanks, really helpful

[@Josh_isSlow]

I got so pissed trying to make my skybox that I deleted my map completely.

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

Source mapping provides a special kind of brain damage to all who attempt it. Do not worry, this is normal! In all seriousness, just make sure you only have one sky_camera and that your map has no leaks - check for holes in both your 'normal' sized map and your 'tiny' skybox map. I recommend you keep to a 64 sized grid or higher when dealing with large buildings and skybox details, so that things snap together easier - especially when you scale them down.

[@Josh_isSlow]

Alright I'll try doing this map again.

[@ThePigeon5734]

You mean a very minor case of serious brain damage, yes?

[@__archive50472]

@@ThePigeon5734 yes, precisely

[@ThePigeon5734]

:P

[@mastercilona]

so in order for your 3d skybox to work your original map must be around the grid origin?

[@PlaceNameHeere]

load the pointfil under the map tab and search for leaks\

[@gamerightyoutube1168]

SO what it does is that its adding sky and making something small look bigger? o.O

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

Yes!

[@gamerightyoutube1168]

***** Ok, thanks :D

[@Chukase]

I have a problem: When I try a 3d skybox I see the skybos through the skybox, i mean with that I can see the small skybox where it was in Hammer as big as it is in hammer. I hope this made sense.

[@abytc2023]

1. Tyvvm for this video and all your videos. 2. At approx 4: 25 you used the cursor (in the top view/top R screen) around ALL the items and somehow, miraculously, selected ALL the items simultaneously! How did you do THAT?! SMH on this one!

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

+Adam Bein With the Select Tool, click and drag a box in any 2D view, and then hit Enter. You can also adjust the size of the selection box in all 3 dimensions.

[@deimos2k6]

Tnx a lot, this tutorial helped me to complete my map!

[@camerona3791]

how do I shrink prop_static to fit the skybox?

[@Colata367]

Prop_static's can not be shrunk, BUT props intentionally made for skybox use can be found in using the tag skybox in the prop selection! OR if you're good with blender or compatible modeling tools you can make your own models downscale by 16x, maybe even do valve's job and shrink some already existing props, but even i got no idea how to do that, not to mention if it's permitted!

[@hawk6257]

I wouldn't bother with shrinking the props within a modeling software, I myself have made 1 custom prop and I intend for it to only be one as it's a pain in the arse to do but when making it, you have a code file called a QC file and there is a command called scale so you can set that to 0.0626 :)

[@PrettyAutumnTree]

Weasel help how do i make dose big triangles to spawn i press enter but nothing :(

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

Switch tool! I think?

[@SUPERskrat1996]

7:05, it's cute how tiny my block went when i did that.

[@digitalcatshit]

you import your own model of a curve

[@ElHyperion]

Is it possible to make the world cast shadows on the skybox? I tried copying the world's border structures into the skybox, but they still didn't cast any shadows

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

The 3D skybox is meant for a large environment, typically the area your map can't cast shadows onto. If you want shadows on objects from the main map, the objects those shadows fall onto should be in the main map. In any case, there is still this method: Copy them in, resize them and give them the blocklight texture! Just make sure they don't create lighting problems in the main map :) 3D skybox objects cast shadows onto the main map.

[@beetelgeuse9938]

so I am trying to create a sniping map wich is quite large would just creating 5 surfaces *including ceiling* be good enough for a sky box?

[@AbdullahEkici34]

I can't find toolsskybox?

[@averagewalkingmeme1031]

same

[@IanStarGem]

Thank you so much!

[@kolsbadf]

thx this really helped me

[@stephenlucas2258]

on your other map where did you find the trees and how do you make them

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

+Stephen Lucas BigIsland? My colleague Mattias made those trees himself, in Maya. He used it as a practice project to write his own tree generation script, similar to SpeedTree if you've heard of that.

[@BlazertronGames]

How do you get it so when you rotate things they lick to the grid?

[@BlazertronGames]

*lock

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

Hold Alt when rotating, or go to Tools > Options and look for the option to snap to 15° rotations.

[@BlazertronGames]

+Weasel Level Design thank you! Oh and that lighting glitch I had is fixed, I just remade the map and it works fine

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

BlazertronGames Cool, cool

[@nikitaostro7644]

Guys how do I make the triangle things he made?

[@nikitaostro7644]

The "orange stuff".

[@PlaceNameHeere]

It just sucks how the lighting effects on csgo sdk bug out ):

[@dueljumpers6957]

Hi Weasel, I'm sorry if you've answered this elsewhere but I was wondering if you knew how to get rid of the "sky going funny" such as with the part in this video where you went to your scaled down scenery sky box and it was acting strange. I'm having this problem with my full sky box around my map.Much appreciated, Duel Jumpers.

[@Marmotus]

That must be because your map is "leaking". Looking into the void causes the screen to go crazy like that. Make sure the map itself is completely enclosed in a skybox, and put the miniature skybox somewhere outside the main one.

[@CharIie83]

does it really take up less space tho, ive seen other games not make use of this trick, even tho its neat. im pretty sure its all ratios, and not actual size that matters, altho smaller size would mean less divisions hm.. does the skycam make the map require less ghz

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

Well... At the time it was used in Source, big numbers were a problem for computers. Dealing with large environments accurately really sucked, so using smaller objects and smaller floating point numbers meant that large, distant objects could be represented much more accurately. Of course, these days, it's not so much of an issue as we have better algorithms for dealing with these things.

[@CharIie83]

hm, makes sense. i remember mw2 having a map with actual objects out of bounds, in lower res ofc, but no skycam trickery at all. do u think its useful when making cs:go maps, to this day? or should i just make some objects in the distance. perhaps source reacts different to a larger player area than other engines hm

[@hardwyn2electricboogaloo904]

why dosen't the skybox i made have shadows?

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

o_o it should Make sure you have no leaks, before any other troubleshooting step

[@comradestinger]

1:00 You broke it D: lol also, I'm soo jelly of you being able to change the grid size using your keyboard... Damn swedish keyboard and our wierd key placement :(

[@14grunt]

I keep getting this issue where I copy and paste a portion of my level geometry as reference geometry for the skybox (which are displacements). I take them to an isolated box of the skybox textures, I shrink them down and then add on more displacements to them and when I'm done I erase the reference geometry. Then when I close out of Hammer and then re-open it it erases all the displacements I made off of the reference geometry, any help with this?

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

Make them, but before closing hammer, try Alt+P. It'll open up the problem checker, where you can see if there are invalid objects present or something along those lines.

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

Also make sure you don't have displacements or other kinds of geometry unchecked in the Visgroups box.

[@fluubje1997]

shouldn't you place some nodraw textures, and the skybox itself doesnt make things smal.. it only displays it about 16 times bigger (depending on what game you make it foor) :P

[@ZzeroDev]

thanks!

[@crappymeems8768]

For some strange reason when I placed the skyblock brushes around the map and tested it, in some parts of the map it attacked as if the skyblock brushes weren't there and looked like the void. It was only for about one fourth of the map and once I moved off of that part, it turned back to normal. I only put a sky camera in a box of skyblock brushed that I hollowed with no scenery. Do you know what the problem may be? The game I am using is Team Fortress 2, if that helps.

[@MO-MO-MO-MO-MO79]

If my memory serves me correctly, it's because TF2 has a slightly altered skybox system. I believe the skyboxes are built into the map, not elsewhere. I'm not sure, I only made about 3 or 4 TF2 maps.

[@crappymeems8768]

mattycfp Thanks! I ended up taking out the sky camera and skybox I put it in, tested it, and it worked. Thanks for the help!

[@theloaf395]

So uh, noobie qeustion, what exactly did you do to the brushes (when you highlighted one edge) and made it red, then pulled it out?

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

At what time?

[@theloaf395]

1:10

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

The Loaf Vertex Edit Tool. I think I cover it in my Basic Everything tutorial :)

[@The2Salamanders]

I've got a problem. The sky camera is not only capturing the part of the map that is going to be the skybox, but also the map that the player is playing on. This creates an another map inside the skybox (but 16 times larger of course). Is this the cause of the massive lag i am having? Or does the skybox not have anything with lag to do, since its a 3D projected "screen" and not real geometry?

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

Two potential problems: You haven't made sure that your sky_camera _only_ exists in your 3D skybox area, and not in your main world *or* your map has a leak.

[@TheWhisperPsst]

Danke so much, this was perfect! P.S. If you ever want to do a tutorial on making a 3d skybox in Maya 3ds, I'm down :P Keep up the good work!

[@My99xx99]

Hey jack, i really dont get the skybox, so it projects it self in the coordinate 0,0 when you place the skybox texture?

[@TheChattyGamer]

My map background is fucking up, and I think I did everything right... Is this process different for TF2 hammer?

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

No, it's the same - make sure your map has no leaks, and that you only have 1 sky camera entity - in the 3D skybox area. You can check your existing entities in a convenient list by going to Map > Entity Report.

[@Olazaika1]

Thanks for making this for me :D

[@grassyfield5209]

*applauds*

[@namansoood]

0:46 R.I.P. my ears!

[@dandan1812]

Why does it have to be so complicated? Why can't you only set the lighting, sky, textures, and objects, and let the game render the graphics? Why do you have to pre render all this stuff.

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

Dan Negura We're talking about an engine from 12 years ago here :c Realtime lighting has only recently become viable

[@dandan1812]

***** Is valve planning on a new engine for this game?

[@milanesachannel]

+Dan Negura valve is working in source 2, a new engy, but for now Dota2 has this engy in the Dota2 Reborn. Soon valve with put it in other games like cs go....

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

As of right now, I have no idea whether Source 2 will include realtime global illumination. There's basically a 50% chance, though for all intents and purposes they may not deem it necessary.

[@arstulex]

+Dan Negura Why use precious computing resources to render something that doesn't need rendering? In source games, the maps don't move around nor does the sun (or any other light sources) move position. So shadows will always be the same. In which case, you may aswell just pre-render them (usually called baking) once instead of render the same shadow every frame in-game. If that makes sense.

[@Durpy337]

What if...your map..isn't on the origin lol

[@MuddyHammer]

it doesnt work for me

[@alexriddell759]

Hey, I love your videos, they help a lot, but I'm using Portal 2 hammer editor. Is there any way I can import Half-life files in so I can use the textures? Cuz the sky textures for Portal 2 suck. Thanks!

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

Try looking for nice skies on gamebanana or other sites :) Otherwise you'll have to use GCFscape to go digging through the half-life packed files.

[@MrFynnBoyGamingPro]

My sky is freaking out in the map I actually want it to not! :? Anyone fixed that problem? And yes, I only have 1 freaking Sky_camrey thing..

[@pug-aloentertainment3801]

"Oh god what have I done" That's literally me when making anything in VHE

[@yoshi1325]

thx for not cleaerly saying the file so i dont know how to find it thx dude

[@milis758]

Brug Brush be like "dareth not comment with ill though out wordage"

[@PianoIsLif]

Thank you for your help ! Vêtu usefull :)

[@Misuune]

My 3D Skybox flies around when i move... R.I.P

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

Jesus Christ that's horrifying Sounds like it's too close to the camera or misaligned with your map?

[@Misuune]

No i have my map at 0 0 0, and skybox somewhere near, then when i run map, skybox flies around within i move...

[@johncroissant]

"tiny_baby_map"

[@Nictolite]

i wanna add u on steam :(

[@danisob3633]

vad grandmar? whaz dat

[@Laiten]

i can't make triangle like you :( still thx tho now i can make 3d skybox!

[@p3erf80g4949]

@unbrokenjack Yes.

[@TheGurekam]

I accidentally closed 3 of the POVs

[@TheGurekam]

+TheGurekam How do I get them back.

[@Daduch]

+TheGurekam Buy new PC.

[@TheGurekam]

Thanks dude!

[@-aaa-aaa]

+TheGurekam Shift+Z

[@lieffirewind]

"Every" XD Classic.

[@uhohspaghettio9940]

hey, my sky is having that problem that you had near the end of the video, looks trippy as fuck. know how to fix it?

[@bubert8955]

a year later some bloke answers: its a leak

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

its a leak

[@uhohspaghettio9940]

o n e y e a r l a t e r i dont even play csgo anymore lmao

[@WeaselLevelDesign]

:D