DDS SkyBox Creation Tools?

Troubleshooting graphics
1

My Google-fu is sucking today. what tools do people use to create DDS SkyBox textures for JMonkey?

Tools:
NVIDIA - Legacy Texture Tools
Gimp - DDS Plugin

2

I am not aware if there is a better method, but i do it that way:
0. Create a sphere at 0,0,0 with blender

  1. Make the skybox on it
  2. Render the 6 faces of the cubemap w/ this script http://www.blendswap.com/blends/view/76420
  3. Assemble the dds with my tool GitHub - riccardobl/JCubemapAssembler: JCubemapAssembler is a java application that can be used to assemble six separate face images into a single cubemap and export it as a dds file.
5 Likes
3

I also use blender, but no need for scripts, just put 6 cameras on 0,0 and render camera by camera getting the images, then you can use some assemble tool if you want, but its also possible to input those 6 images directly in the skymap on the engine.

Just do :

        Texture west, east, north, south, up, down;
        west = assetManager.loadTexture("galaxies/redfox_west.png");
        east = assetManager.loadTexture("galaxies/redfox_east.png");
        north = assetManager.loadTexture("galaxies/redfox_north.png");
        south = assetManager.loadTexture("galaxies/redfox_south.png");
        up = assetManager.loadTexture("galaxies/redfox_up.png");
        down = assetManager.loadTexture("galaxies/redfox_down.png");
        rootNode.attachChild(SkyFactory.createSky(assetManager, west, east, north, south, up, down));
1 Like
4

Thank you for the details I already have the 6 Images for the skybox I will give your tool a try :smiley:
Like always my google-fu is back I found another tool I am going to try as well Mapdev:Howto skybox - Spring

5

Thank you for replying to my question but it was specific to dds textures I am currently using the method you listed above. But I would like to know for the sake of knowing how to create a dds skybox texture. thank you again.

6

Just to drop by, on master skybox supports equirect textures. They are usually not as good as cube maps in term of resolution, but they are very popular among the free skybox sites you can find here and there. Also there are plenty free hdr equirect skybox on the interwebz.

7

Is there an example of equirect textures? I assume you’re talking about the SkyFactory class, but I don’t see equirect textures referenced there.

8

On master : jmonkeyengine/SkyFactory.java at master · jMonkeyEngine/jmonkeyengine · GitHub

9

Thanks for pointing that out. The Java docs linked to on this site appear to be a bit aged, they don’t have that information. OTOH it’s really nice to see the work being done on JME. The new routines are great and their Java doc comments are looking much better. I’m looking forward to the new release.

10

Not really. The javadoc link point to the current release javadoc. Being 3.0

11

I guess, Javadoc looks aged because it’s generated with jdk 1.5 or jdk 1.6 (vs outpout of javadoc 1.7/1.8)

12

I know this is an old topic, but I have been struggling with dds plugins for so long now, and this java program is literally a godsend.

Would it be appropriate to have a link to it on the wiki or something on the skybox page?
I was about to create a support post before I managed to find this :sweat_smile: (didn’t come up on first list searching)

13

I’m glad my software helped you.
I don’t know if adding it to the wiki would be a good idea since it’s not directly related to jme and the wiki is about the engine not a link aggregator for everyone software.

14

O.o a free java open-source skybox tool? Splendid! Would have loved to have found it 6 months ago when I was playing with skyboxes and failed at using those great free skybox textures fround on websites. I agree with JESTERRRRRR.

15

I use JMonkey, I have some code that turns the scene into a cubemap, handy.

16

HEy James.
In 3.1 PBR branch you even have an EnvironmentCamera that can take snapshots of the scene and store it in a cube map.

17

or that =)