ok so I'm having some trouble understanding cubemapped objects. I have a glass-pane object and no matter what I do with the cubemap (replace/edit it) it will stop working. the only cubemap it will reflect is the default sci fi room one. Can anyone help? doing anything to that cubemap or replacing it will make the object stop reflecting anything.

Found this Bugsy ,might help

https://forum.game-guru.com/thread/217387

Dave

I believe you may be having issues do to the naming of the layers in your cube map. they must be named as the example pictures in the thread referenced above.

If you are still having issues, then you can email the stuff to me and I will take a look at it.

so just to sum it up
my cubemap MUST BE 6 layers
my cubemap layers MUST BE NAMED:
main surface (positive x)
main surface (negative x)
main surface (positive y)
main surface (negative y)
main surface (positive z)
main surface (negative z)
and my diffuse must have an alpha channel and be a dxt3

what does my cubemap need to be? does it need an alpha channel?

also: this is in 5/12 gameguru not the preview.

Cubemaps do not need alpha channel.
For the diffuse texture, might want to try dxt5 compression.

Yes I figured you where using the 5/12 version as the dx11 public preview works a bit different now.

Let me know if you still have issues with it.

diffuse doesnt seem to matter, the only issue is when I change the cubemap at all. when I open the cubemap in photoshop, this is what I see, not what you have shown me from GIMP

Bugsy take a look at this

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=cube+map+shape&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-gb&client=safari#imgrc=o3WK4avUP4-8zM:

Dave

I just opened one in Photoshop, I see what your talking about. Very different from GIMP.
GIMP reads the cube map different I see and puts it on 6 layers instead of one.
Will have to investigate for you more.

Edit:
ok, think I may have an answer for you using the Nvidia dds plugin in Photoshop.

Open your cubemap image, replace the images you need.
Save as .dds format.
When the plugin window opens, select dxt1 format.
Cubemap under the dropdown.
Press the normal map setting and uncheck the convert to tangent space normal option.
Press ok.
Under Image Options, choose color map.
Press Ok.
Press save.

It saves the cubemap in a color format.
Test In Game Guru.

Stupid question here - is a cubemap just a 3-d faked reflection that's not ACTUALLY reflecting anything but a pre-made cube-shaped texture?

Thanks

From as it appears on my maps it just pulls from a skybox image and terrain. I've not tested changing up the skybox while looking at these entities to see if it actually grabs the current skybox or just a generic one.

Where the public preview is now, is that the PBR reflections are created from the current skybox and terrain.
Great for outside, but not inside stuff, as you would expect to see the reflection of what was around you when looking at it.

Using the _cube map with your objects, allows you to create your own cube map from what is with in your area.
Take 6 screen shots and arrange them in the proper direction. This works with PBR and Non PBR shaders
(Dont forget that reflections are reversed, so some experimentation will be required)

Gimp was pretty straight forward with its cubemap feature in the .dds plug in, Nvidia in Photoshop, I tried a few ways before I got it.

It is a bit more work, and Reflection probes would solve this when and if they can be added in at some time. Preben has done a wonderful job with the shaders so far. But for people with sharp eyes to detail, This can be a nice effect and believable.

[sub]

yes



will try and let u know

thanks for the help pyratemyke!!!!! that was what i needed, my cubemap is working now.

more reasons why the site/forum needs tutorials section.

My pleasure.

Awesome! Post us a screenshot!

okay: incoming post and soon accompanying screenshots. This is another question.

What controls the level of cubemap emission on the entitycubealpha shader? I ask because the "shiny skull" mesh appears to be totally reflective all over but the specular map alpha channel (which I was assuming controlled the cubemap emission-level) seems to have no effect on whether the cubemap reflects on that part of the texture.

example:
specular map for default cubemapped object "shiny skull"


specular map for my cubemapped glass object


however this is how these objects look in game: the cubemap reflects the same on the whole object, when the shader name/pictures of the spec maps here indicate that they would be more reflective in crackles on the skull and more reflective towards the bottom of the glass. this doesn't appear to be the case however.



thoughts? advice?

https://forum.game-guru.com/thread/217589#msg2573923

See if this link can help. Been a while since I messed with those shaders as they were for dx9 version of game guru.

entity_cube.fx - will apply the _cube.dds to the whole model, irrespective of alpha in the diffuse (i.e. the transparency channel). So if you have a model with transparent parts of the diffuse and opaque parts - this shader will apply the _CUBE.dds across the entire model. This works with entity settings on high, and adjust the global specular slider too.

entity_cubealpha.fx - will apply the _cube.dds to ONLY the transparent parts of the diffuse, so if you have a car that has a _D.dds diffuse with windows that are transparent and the body work isn't, it will apply the _CUBE.dds only across the windows (the transparent parts of the diffuse).

entity_cubeambience.fx - is designed by default for shiny objects, mirrors, very reflective objects - this is what will occur if you have no transparency in the diffuse and use this shader. It will apply the _cube.dds to all of the model based on the alpha values of the diffuse. So for a _D with no transparency across any of it (which is usual), you will get a highly reflective mirrored surface across the entire model. If you adjust the alpha (increase transparency) across some or parts of the diffuse, these parts will become less reflective and will not show the _CUBE.dds on those parts so much. However, alpha/transparency in the diffuse for this shader is used ONLY to mask the cube reflectivity and will not allow transparency in game - so a model with windows will not be able to be seen through in game.

Hi Bugsy.

Just so you dont waste time , but you do know we have custom cube maps for PBR ? , it is more easy to control reflection using standard PBR metalness and gloss.

in the screenshot some object use the default environment reflection and some custom cube maps.

No i didn't, please explain, more in-depth, what we need to do this?

not a waste of time to me! I have no plans on touching the public preview until I am certain that it outperforms and "outcompiles-a-completed-game" better than my current gameguru build (may12/17) in every possible way, bar none. As far as I know, LIGHTING just got working in the PP, and I am not about to work with a game engine that is incapable of even static lightmapping.

I also have heard numerous reports that the performance on The Big Escape with PBR mode enabled is less than half of what it was in DX9 gameguru.

Performance is VERY important to me. I will painstakingly generate a million cubemaps if it means people playing my game get 75 fps instead of 40. Once somebody releases a decent looking GG game with PBR override on that can run at a decent frame rate consistently on my computer, I'll consider looking at upgrading to the DX11 PBR gameguru, but not until then. I just have not seen enough good consistent evidence that the public preview of gameguru is in any way ready to have a game made with it, as the current release version that I use is just so barely capable of producing one

either way, please explain how this will work in the next version! All I have seen from gameguru's current PBR capabilities from tbone is what appears to be a local cubemap that completely ignores all surrounding media/lights except terrain and sky.

@piratemyke!
THANK YOU!!!!!!! I Will have to use cubeambience then. I'll try it with a simple building and see just how good i can get at making alpha channels for cubemap emission's sake. Maybe with enough time I'll produce games in X9 GG that look better than what PBR can eek out! who knows?

I know this is the big cubemapping thread and all but I'd just like to note that other than chrome, polished marble floors or glass there is little regular use for the feature. Most other regular metallic items would be better suited with a beefy specular map.



-Wolf

You are welcome Bugsy.
I can understand why you stay with the version you are at for performance of what you have created already. Making cubemaps is tedious, but it will show the dedication to your craft as a game maker to make it look great.

@ Wolf, you are correct, there are few things in nature that require this kind of detail, but they sure do look great when the brain can absorb the details of ones surroundings, and nothing stands out as sour to the eye to look at. So using the new PBR is a matter of choosing your assets and effects wisely for what you are trying to accomplish.

I'm sure ill use it when it's in a state applicable for public release but i dont want to mess up all i've worked for to do it before.

until then, i'll go with what I know. I'm really glad to know I should be using cubeambience. maybe I can make some cool buildings with reflective windows in all one piece now!

@preben
PLEASE ELABORATE on the next version of GG's local cubemap making abilities

@wolf
CHROME, marble floors, mirrors, reflections in general. It's high time I got that figured out so I can make a game that in the screenshots people think is actually quality

Just add a _cube.dds to your current PBR textures and it will use that for reflections.



I dont think there is any plans about automated cubemap generation , i also did not see any feature request on github for this so ... ? but Lee could have other plans

Reflection probes would be a great enhancement.

okay, i had assumed, but I was wondering how it was you got your cubemap to reflect the environment? does that still require actually making your cubemap, or will placing a PBR object with a high glossiness/low roughness create this effect with a proper reflection for the surroudings. I ask because last i remember seeing it was T-bone placing a slenderman character with a reflective head inside a building and the head just reflected the grass and sky.



sorry that kinda muddies up my understanding here. How does PBR "work?" (i know that is very general) does it use a realtime reflection? I was under the impression it just generated a local cubemap-texture to use for reflective objects without cubemaps, and that this cubemap was basically the skybox and ground.

Right now automatic reflection map is created from the skybox and the terrain.
This map is located here when generated by a skybox or a terrain change.
Game Guru\Files\levelbank\testmap\globalenvmap.dds
Looks like this in GIMP:


Looks like this in PhotoShop (Dont know why)


Of coarse that is an outside scene so everything on the inside that has reflections will use this, unless you make your own cube map for objects in specific indoor areas.

so then how does prebens reflect the surrounding area and nearby entity? will he be adding that to gameguru? or is that for GGloader?

There is a flag in GG Loader "saveGGcubeimages = 1" , when used it will then automatically create the cubemap images that can be used in GameGuru. Hopefully we can get something similar going in GG at some point

Yes like PM say , there is no real-time reflection but a dynamic generated cubemap that are used for all PBR reflection.

EDIT: Note - saving of GameGuru cubemaps is a new feature in GG Loader that will be in the next release.

lmfao kinda funny when a fanmade GG product seems to outperform the real thing by several nautical miles