Product Chat / What is it exactly cube mapping effect?

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stor
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Posted: 10th Feb 2017 17:41
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I did not understand what it is and how I use it and whether it can be used to improve existing models???
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Pirate Myke
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Posted: 10th Feb 2017 19:38 Edited at: 9th Mar 2017 04:08
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Cube mapping is like reflecting the Skybox on objects to simulate reflections for Glass, Metal, smooth surface materials like ceramics and even water puddles. Preben has even mirrors working with this in tests.

If you look in the scenery folder, you will find an object called shiny skull.

It is set up for this effect. Take a look at the texture that says cube. It contains 6 layers representing top bottom forward back left and right. Notice how it is named. To use this texture for any other model you may have. Rename the model name part, keeping the _CUBE.dds part. Edit your FPE file to use the cube shader. Add an alpha channel to the diffuse texture, _D and save it with dxt3 compression.

This should make the object have a reflection on it.

Note that this will only work with the private beta at the moment I believe. If the public preview version has updated today, perhaps it is in there now also.

Can this be used to improve existing models? Most definitely. I am waiting to upgrade all my store media once these new shaders have been released to all.
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LeeBamber
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Posted: 10th Feb 2017 19:40
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Once Preben has updated the shaders to reflect (pardon the pun), the latest shadow additions, I will make a new public preview so you can check out all the latest progress
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3com
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Posted: 10th Feb 2017 21:09
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Plugin for Gimp

Nvidia cubemap tools - pluging for photoshop

Related info

If you own 3ds max

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granada
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Posted: 10th Feb 2017 21:13
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Thanks 3com,that a great help .

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OldFlak
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Posted: 10th Feb 2017 21:59
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Hi all, so is the cube map the same layout as a sky box map?

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Bored of the Rings
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Posted: 10th Feb 2017 22:53 Edited at: 11th Feb 2017 09:38
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this is quite good for skybox creation, a gimp script to generate cubemap layers:

http://registry.gimp.org/node/25532

and a bucket load of skybox images:

http://www.custommapmakers.org/skyboxes.php

[update - to use the script, click on the link above, then click on the plugin text file link and save to the GIMP plugin folder (e.g. C:\Program Files\GIMP 2\lib\gimp\2.0\plug-ins) with the suffix as .py. run Gimp and create a new 2048x2048 image and then from the Filters->Generic menu select Cubemap Layers Generator. Select 'Horizontal Cross' radio button and open up a skybox image. You should see 6 layers. Export out as a DDS file and as a cubemap with DXT1 compression. Voila you have your cube map. For GameGuru Skyboxes, each layer would need to be saved out with _B, _F etc at the end of each file name and the .X file has to be the same name as the textures e.g. myskybox.X, myskybox_B.dds, myskybox_F.dds etc.
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Posted: 11th Feb 2017 00:53
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Thanks for the links, 3com and Bored. They should be very useful! Myke, my Scenery directory doesn't have a shiny skull asset. It has skull rock and creature Skull but no shiny skull. Is it part of a pack (thought I had them all) or a recent add on that I just don't have yet?
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Jerry Tremble
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Posted: 11th Feb 2017 00:55
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Wow, ask and you shall receive, lol, just verified files on Steam and there it is, lol. Nevermind, Myke, and thanks!
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Posted: 11th Feb 2017 03:50 Edited at: 9th Mar 2017 04:07
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Our skyboxes are set up different then a cubemap.

The Cubemap will look like this in GIMP:







Replace the image inside each of these layers.

Then save with the following settings: (Photoshop NVidia DDS plugin should have the same options)


Rename it the same as your diffuse texture and add the _CUBE.dds to it.

Change the _D texture to have an alpha channel in it.
Alpha shown in light purple. ( i masked the magenta areas to alpha 0)



Amend the object FPE file to point to the entiy_cube.fx shader. List the diffuse (_d) texture as normal.

Test in GameGuru.

Should have the cubemap reflection as below:


You must be on the private beta to utilize this at the moment.
All others see Lee's post above please.
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Bored of the Rings
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Posted: 11th Feb 2017 09:40
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thanks PirateMyke

here is a plugin for GIMP if you want to export layers out as separate files as it's a pain trying to do it manually e.g. separate skybox images
http://registry.gimp.org/node/28268

This is for if you want to make your own GameGuru skyboxes and put the images into the skybox folder along with a spec and .X file
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Posted: 11th Feb 2017 17:18
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Nice new feature. Pity I'll never take advantage of it

Must say though, the Skull demo was a bad example, I've never seen a Skull that reflects stuff like that ever, even in a game Apart from crystal ones (I recommend avoiding those). Should have been a vase or something.


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Posted: 11th Feb 2017 17:33
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Preben is working more on these and will have a mirrored effect also. When they are good to go, Lee will put them with the updated public preview beta.
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Posted: 12th Feb 2017 02:13 Edited at: 12th Feb 2017 02:13
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Cube map of the default 'clear' sky attached. Perhaps not the best one as largely featureless for reflections

Cheers.

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Posted: 12th Feb 2017 09:01 Edited at: 12th Feb 2017 12:21
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it would be great to have realtime reflection like the mirror test in Black Mod Ice (FPSC), where the mirror used is a dynamic entity and the FPI script attached just uses a parameter reflection = 1 to turn the mirror effect on using full shader effects.
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Posted: 12th Feb 2017 10:13 Edited at: 12th Feb 2017 10:27
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ok, so for anyone not sure of how to get the "As Cube Map" option to show in Gimp. Each skybox file needs to be named accordingly i.e. negative x.dds, negative y.dds etc. See attached pic. you can then load all files in one go as layers and save out as a cubemap.



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Posted: 12th Feb 2017 12:13
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I'm still not quite sure about how GG intends to focus on the cubemap theme.
Mike gives some useful tips about (ty Mike ), althought I've some questions about, such as, for the naming convention, I must understand that the B, D, R files must be negative, whereas the F, U, L files must be positive?

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Posted: 12th Feb 2017 12:17
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I think GG will get a cubemap generator someday, you place a probe object on your level , press a bake button and you got a cubemap reflecting your game environment, no more need to manually make ones.
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Posted: 13th Feb 2017 11:29
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Yes indeed, dynamic generation and real-time cube maps are on the cards, but my next update was not intended to focus on this. You want AI, and AI is where I am right now. The reason you are seeing it at all is that our resident community miracle worker Preben is kindly helping round off a few rough edges to the GameGuru shaders, and for the small price of adding cube map loading, he would then do all the horrible stuff like demonstrating how it should really be used
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Ertlov
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Posted: 13th Feb 2017 13:21
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Quote: " The reason you are seeing it at all is that our resident community miracle worker Preben is kindly helping round off a few rough edges to the GameGuru shaders, and for the small price of adding cube map loading, he would then do all the horrible stuff like demonstrating how it should really be use"


And we worship both of you for that!
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Posted: 13th Feb 2017 18:36
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Looks good but who gets the nightmare job of adding cube map textures to all reflective entities?
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synchromesh
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Posted: 13th Feb 2017 19:36
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Quote: "Looks good but who gets the nightmare job of adding cube map textures to all reflective entities?"

If your referring to stock assets .... Probably no one .... It wont happen
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Posted: 13th Feb 2017 22:17
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I'm dead impressed with this - thanks very much to Preben!
I'm not sure cube map textures would be appropriate for all entities. Although it's true that everything in the physical world reflects to some degree or another, in most cases it's so subtle as to be pointless.
I'm certainly very excited to get my hands on the shader. I've got my London store front to build.
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Posted: 5th Mar 2017 22:38
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So, this will only be relevant for assets released after cube mapping is implemented (unless we convert the old ones ourselves)? That leaves a lot of would-be-shiny objects.
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Pirate Myke
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Posted: 6th Mar 2017 00:42
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Yes, Lots of old media could be updated. Looking thru my store stuff to find ones that will look better with it. One would still need to make your own cube maps for your level depending on your scene and lighting.

So it depends on how much detail you are willing to add to your stuff being used.
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