OOTP Baseball:Customizing OOTP/Creating Custom Skyboxes

1. Locating Skybox imagery online (easiest?)

A. It's quick and easy and involves no 'real work'. Finding images suitable for skyboxing is easy. Google for '360 panorama' and you'll find more than a few sites with a copious supply of HDRI files. That's one basic term used for a 360° panoramic image that you can use for a skybox. Some of these sites even allow the images for non- commercial use. That's how I started out. First warning: DON'T get one of those cross shaped images. They work great if you're willing to master 3d programs...but they won't work at all with these methods.

What I've learned, because that's where I got my first images, is that many of the 'free' images are not the highest resolution. They're OK for practicing with, but I strongly urge you to not settle for less than 10,000x5,000 pixel images. Accept nothing less than 8,000x4,000 for finish work. By the way, it is ESSENTIAL that your image maintain the 2:1 ratio.

Sample HDRI file

Most HDRI files look something like this. Don't worry about the visual distortion, it's necessary. Another thing I've learned is that none of these people had stadium backdrops in their mind when photographing (duh?). As a result, you'll run into one of the biggest issues I did—scale. Now, if you don't care that the birch sapling in the picture is suddenly taller than Dodger Stadium's back wall, or that the Yugo looks like it could seat Godzilla with ample headroom, no problem.

The other issue with the substance of the images is of course, you're at the provider's mercy for the nature of the photo. You can't yet go out and search for 'suburban Milwaukee business area' and get an acceptable result. NOT...GONNA...HAPPEN.

B. There are copyright issues...tread lightly and be wise. Some of these folk are perfectly OK with non-commercial use of their work. Some aren't. You want free? Be cautious. The last thing any of us want is a cease-and-desist letter...or worse a civil suit.

C. Make SURE they're in JPG format!!! Go forth and download... ... ... Got your images downloaded? Ready to create your skybox? Oh, you thought you weren't going to have to get your fingers dirty? Guess again. Here's your shopping list...mostly platform dependent:

3. Total cost of software: $0

All platforms: grab a copy of Source Skybox Converter at http://www.victorkarp.com It's free, and works very well in blender 2.79

Windows users: There's a great, free program called CubeTheSphere. It's light on documentation, but pretty simple to use. If you're more technically minded, grab a copy of blender 2.79b—it's free. DON'T use any version beyond that for this purpose...not because it's bad software, but because it won't work with the tools I utilize. You'll also need an program to convert jpg images to webp images. Windows users...suggeest one in the comments please.

Mac Users: If you run a Windows emulator (I use Virtual Box and Windows 10 for those few nettlesome things you can't find on a Mac, you can follow the Windows instructions. The easier way in my opinion...download blender 2,79b (see the caveat in the Windows section) and a program called Webponize. Both are free.

Linux users: I'm sorry, I don't know enough about Linux to offer intelligent advice. If the blender method doesn't work for you, you're on your own.

4. Creating your own from scratch (BEST WAY)

A. You don't need an expensive 3d camera. I'm sure they're quite nice, but if you're like me, and don't have a pile of cash laying about to throw down on a decent 3d camera, there's a better way. You see, most of those 3d cameras at the lower/ middle range will only net you an 8,000x4,000 image...the bare minimum acceptable as far as I'm concerned. My iPhone can wallop that...11,264x5632. I'm betting Android users with higher end phones can at least match that. You need an iPhone...or Android phone, and probably have one anyway. Yes, by the way, I'm an Apple guy...deal with it.

I'd strongly recommend a solid tripod. You can take these pictures by hand, but you need to be extremely steady to avoid images with a broken horizon. Zoom the pic above to see what I mean. I use the Geekoto. It's $79.99 and a very versatile and sturdy product. You'll find lots of non-sky box times to use this as well. I'd also recommend a nice phone mount to go with that. Mine is found here at the Amazon Showroom Store, I mean Best Buy. The Joby is great and runs about $30.

Neither of these is essential, but makes life much more comfortable and will eliminate many problems.

B. Software needed is cheaper than you'd believe. Go to your App Store and download a copy of Google Street View (henceforth GSV). DON'T accept the option to be a local guide, because you give Google ownership of your images at that point. They make enough money as it is. It's...FREE!!! GSV allows you to take your own 360° panoramic images on your phone. Each one requires a series of 40-some photos that get stitched together by the software. It sounds daunting. It isn't.

Transfer the pictures from your phone to your computer. GSV names all the files as 'output' plus a number .jpg, at least on the iPhone. Good photography practices are a help as well. Level your horizons, rule of thirds, blah-blah-blah. As I've discovered, scaling stadiums to your image is not viable, so it's best to scale your image to the model. Try to choose large, open areas. Absolutely avoid fences or wires if you can. Regular, repeating patterns in the images tend to screw up the stitching process and you get all sorts of odd distortions in your imagery. Guard rails are another problem causer, as are telephone/ electric lines. Often, the lines don't harm the rest of your image...but fences and guardrails are a disaster zone. Water is problematic as well.

Broken guard rail effect

Guard rails and fences often end up like this. Try to avoid having recognizable faces or license plates in your images—people don't like being 'made famous'. GSV can blur them for you. Water will cause glitches in your horizons, especially if the waves are moving at a good clip. Darkness is certain to result in a grainier picture...that's not Google's fault, just a limitation of phone photography. Maybe some clever photoshop guru can give us day to night tips?

5. Making the actual skybox in Windows

A. Process

1. With cube the sphere

1. Open your image.
2. The menus are pretty self explanatory.

2. With blender

Read the Mac description below. So far as I know, blender works the same in both platforms.

6. Making the actual skybox in Mac

A. Process

1. Open Source Skybox Converter. You should see this:
2. Use the Open button in the orange box to import your HDRI image. You should see this when your image is opened.
3. Use the Z button in the green box to adjust the rotation of your image. The leftmost panel ends up approximately from CF towards 1b, the rightmost from CF to 3b. The primary seam in your skybox, and the place to pay most attention to therefor, is the seam over CF. If it looks OK there, you can hide your mistakes behind the stadium...nobody's going to look there.
4. Adjust the origin of your lighting (the sun?) in the box pointed at here.
5. Use the red box to control the strength of your lighting. Sometimes, brightening a picture, or dimming it, can dramatically improve your look. Be careful not to over or under expose your picture.
6. Set your dimensions in the leftmost box. X and Y MUST be the same, or very bad things happen to your image in the end.
7. Choose your image format. JPG is the best choice, and set your image quality to 100%. You can also choose your destination folder in this region.
8. See that button labelled 'Animation' in the next box to the right? Click it. You'll see 6 images flash (depending on the speed of your computer) rapidly across the screen. The dirty work? It's done.
9. Open your output folder, and you should see 6 images labelled skybox0000.jpg to skybox0005.jpg. Rename the images as follows
   • skybox0000.jpg becomes xn.jpg
   • skybox0001.jpg becomes zp.jpg
   • skybox0002.jpg becomes xp.jpg
   • skybox0003.jpg becomes zn.jpg
   • skybox0004.jpg becomes yp.jpg
   • skybox0005.jpg becomes yn.jpg
10. Use Webponize or the program of your choice to convert the jpg's into webp image files. You can delete or archive the 6 created jpg's at this point.

7. Using the box in OOTP

A. Other's models

1. Drop the sky_box_day and sky_box_night folders into your stadium model's folder.
2. Go back to OOTP and reload your model. If all is well, your skybox will be present. Verify day and night
3. If your 3d model has a background image, as many do, you'll need to load the model into your favorite 3d program and eliminate said background if you don't like the combination of skybox and background. Alternatively, you can erase the image from inside the .png file and save it as an empty shell.

Congratulations...you're done!