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[Herra Tohtori]

I wanted to try and see what can be done with the background sky box system in IL-2, but I have no idea where to begin with.

I know how to make skyboxes, but not how to apply the process to IL-2.

So, I need either the following information, or instructions on how to find out:

-Does each map have its own sky texture set, or do they all share the same textures?

-How many texture variants are there? Are there textures for different time of day, and how many?

-What file names do the textures use, or does each map specify its skybox textures?

-What format and resolution is used for the skybox textures?


I can work with this information, if someone were so gracious as to provide it.

[vpmedia]

By default you got CloudsNoise.tga (64kb, 256 color, 256*256 pixel, but you can use 1024*1024 size too) masked by Clouds256.tga in a repeating pattern, but you can assign an own high clouds layer to each map in the load.ini, you need to extract these with the sfs extractor tool to be able to work.

Example for files location:

C:\Games\IL-2 Sturmovik 1946 UP3 DBW1_7\#DBW\MAPMODS\maps\_Tex\CloudsNoise.tga
C:\Games\IL-2 Sturmovik 1946 UP3 DBW1_7\#DBW\MAPMODS\maps\_Tex\Clouds256.tga

Example for load.ini entry:

[APPENDIX]
  HighClouds  = Clouds256.tga
  HighCloudsNoise  = CloudsNoise.tga

There are several map & cloud mods which changed the high clouds layer.
https://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php?topic=18405.0
https://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php?topic=1786.0

[Herra Tohtori]

Thank you for the answer, but I am not asking about the clouds at all.

I'm asking about the actual background textures, which - as it seems to me based on almost imperceptible seams visible in certain conditions - are mapped on an inside of a cube that surrounds everything in the game.

I will be looking into fixing said seam issue, as well as possibly adding some elements to night sky such as stars and milky way, depending on what kind of resolution is supported. But first I need to find out exactly what textures need to be modified, and whether or not the skybox textures can be map specific (it wouldn't do to have tropical stars in Murmansk, now would it?).


Alternatively, is there a way to significantly add the number of stars generated procedurally by the game, as well as increase their dynamic range of brightness?

[Herra Tohtori]

I went through the SFS files with the extractor, but couldn't find any references to sky textures...

Is the sky done entirely procedurally in IL-2, then? Does anyone know?