{WIPz} Sins Enhanced - Sky Box Edition v0.5.3 alpha (UPDATED 02/15/08 11:17pm)

Beta Release Coming Soon!!

from Sins Forums
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Sins Enhanced - Sky Box Edition
by Kcissem
Email: Kcissem@gmail.com

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Disclaimer:

This Mod is simply a recolor and duplication of Ironclad/Stardock's original textures.

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Introduction

Sins Enhanced is a planned multi part mod of Sins of the Solar Empire. The mod is designed to be as modular as possible so users can pick and choose the parts they want to enable or disable. This first edition deals with Stars and Sky boxes with aims of adding variety in the colors of both stars and their backgrounds. Example Images will be listed below.

I welcome any input from the community as to what they would like to see in color variety.

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Images

Aqua Background Ingame Screenshots
coming soon.....

Blue Background Ingame Screenshots






Green Background Ingame Screenshots





Red Background Ingame Screenshots





Violet Background Ingame Screenshots
coming soon....

White Background Ingame Screenshots
coming soon.....

Yellow Background Ingame Screenshots





NEW Galaxy Spiral Texture Screenshots
The intent of the new galaxy spiral textures is to try and make them not look like a galaxy since galaxies are millions of stars, but the aim of these textures are to just have the star give off a kind of glow effect instead. These made need to be revised.



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Changes

0.1.1 alpha

- Recolored, duplicated SkyboxBackdrop2.dds to blue
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop2.dds to SE_sb2blue.dds
- Recolored, duplicated SkyboxBackdrop3.dds to blue
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop3.dds to SE_sb3blue.dds
- Recolored, duplicated SkyboxBackdrop4.dds to blue
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop4.dds to SE_sb4blue.dds
- Recolored, duplicated SkyboxBackdrop5.dds to blue
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop5.dds to SE_sb5blue.dds
- Recolored, duplicated SkyboxBackdrop6.dds to blue
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop6.dds to SE_sb6blue.dds
- Recolored, Duplicated SkyboxBackdrop7.dds to blue
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop7.dds to SE_sb7blue.dds

0.1.2 alpha

- Changed DiffuseTextureFileName in SkyboxBackdrop2.mesh to "SE_sb2blue.dds"
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop2.mesh to SE_sb2blue.mesh
- Changed DiffuseTextureFileName in SkyboxBackdrop3.mesh to "SE_sb3blue.dds"
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop3.mesh to SE_sb3blue.mesh
- Changed DiffuseTextureFileName in SkyboxBackdrop4.mesh to "SE_sb4blue.dds"
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop4.mesh to SE_sb4blue.mesh
- Changed DiffuseTextureFileName in SkyboxBackdrop5.mesh to "SE_sb5blue.dds"
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop5.mesh to SE_sb5blue.mesh
- Changed DiffuseTextureFileName in SkyboxBackdrop6.mesh to "SE_sb6blue.dds"
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop6.mesh to SE_sb6blue.mesh
- Changed DiffuseTextureFileName in SkyboxBackdrop7.mesh to "SE_sb7blue.dds"
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop7.mesh to SE_sb7blue.mesh
- Changed coloredSkyboxMeshNameCount to 5 in Star_Blue.entity
- Added meshName "SE_sb2blue" "SE_sb3blue" "SE_sb4blue" "SE_sb5blue" "SE_sb6blue" to the coloredSkyBoxMeshNameCount list in Star_Blue.entity.
- Added meshName "SE_sb7blue" to the deepSpaceSkyboxMeshNameCount list in Star_Blue.entity
- Removed Original meshNames from Star_Blue.entity
- Added all new SE Blue Star meshNames into SkyBoxProperties.skyboxbackdropdata
- Created screenshots of all new blue textures w/thumbnails

0.2.1 alpha

- Recolored, duplicated SkyboxBackdrop2.dds to green
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop2.dds to SE_sb2green.dds
- Recolored, duplicated SkyboxBackdrop3.dds to green
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop3.dds to SE_sb3green.dds
- Recolored, duplicated SkyboxBackdrop4.dds to green
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop4.dds to SE_sb4green.dds
- Recolored, duplicated SkyboxBackdrop5.dds to green
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop5.dds to SE_sb5green.dds
- Recolored, duplicated SkyboxBackdrop6.dds to green
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop6.dds to SE_sb6green.dds
- Recolored, Duplicated SkyboxBackdrop7.dds to green
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop7.dds to SE_sb7green.dds
- Changed DiffuseTextureFileName in SkyboxBackdrop2.mesh to "SE_sb2green.dds"
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop2.mesh to SE_sb2green.mesh
- Changed DiffuseTextureFileName in SkyboxBackdrop3.mesh to "SE_sb3green.dds"
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop3.mesh to SE_sb3green.mesh
- Changed DiffuseTextureFileName in SkyboxBackdrop4.mesh to "SE_sb4green.dds"
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop4.mesh to SE_sb4green.mesh
- Changed DiffuseTextureFileName in SkyboxBackdrop5.mesh to "SE_sb5green.dds"
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop5.mesh to SE_sb5green.mesh
- Changed DiffuseTextureFileName in SkyboxBackdrop6.mesh to "SE_sb6green.dds"
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop6.mesh to SE_sb6green.mesh
- Changed DiffuseTextureFileName in SkyboxBackdrop7.mesh to "SE_sb7green.dds"
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop7.mesh to SE_sb7green.mesh
- Added all new SE Green Star meshNames into SkyBoxProperties.skyboxbackdropdata
- Added meshName "SE_sb2green" "SE_sb3green" "SE_sb4green" "SE_sb5green" "SE_sb6green" to the coloredSkyBoxMeshNameCount list in Star_Green.entity.
- Added meshName "SE_sb7green" to the deepSpaceSkyboxMeshNameCount list in Star_Green.entity
- Removed Original meshNames from Star_Green.entity
- Created screenshots of all new green textures w/thumbnails

0.3.1 alpha

- Recolored, duplicated SkyboxBackdrop2.dds to red
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop2.dds to SE_sb2red.dds
- Recolored, duplicated SkyboxBackdrop3.dds to red
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop3.dds to SE_sb3red.dds
- Recolored, duplicated SkyboxBackdrop4.dds to red
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop4.dds to SE_sb4red.dds
- Recolored, duplicated SkyboxBackdrop5.dds to red
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop5.dds to SE_sb5red.dds
- Recolored, duplicated SkyboxBackdrop6.dds to red
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop6.dds to SE_sb6red.dds
- Recolored, Duplicated SkyboxBackdrop7.dds to red
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop7.dds to SE_sb7red.dds
- Changed DiffuseTextureFileName in SkyboxBackdrop2.mesh to "SE_sb2red.dds"
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop2.mesh to SE_sb2red.mesh
- Changed DiffuseTextureFileName in SkyboxBackdrop3.mesh to "SE_sb3red.dds"
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop3.mesh to SE_sb3red.mesh
- Changed DiffuseTextureFileName in SkyboxBackdrop4.mesh to "SE_sb4red.dds"
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop4.mesh to SE_sb4red.mesh
- Changed DiffuseTextureFileName in SkyboxBackdrop5.mesh to "SE_sb5red.dds"
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop5.mesh to SE_sb5red.mesh
- Changed DiffuseTextureFileName in SkyboxBackdrop6.mesh to "SE_sb6red.dds"
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop6.mesh to SE_sb6red.mesh
- Changed DiffuseTextureFileName in SkyboxBackdrop7.mesh to "SE_sb7red.dds"
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop7.mesh to SE_sb7red.mesh
- Added all new SE red Star meshNames into SkyBoxProperties.skyboxbackdropdata
- Added meshName "SE_sb2red" "SE_sb3red" "SE_sb4red" "SE_sb5red" "SE_sb6red" to the coloredSkyBoxMeshNameCount list in Star_Red.entity.
- Added meshName "SE_sb7red" to the deepSpaceSkyboxMeshNameCount list in Star_Red.entity
- Removed Original meshNames from Star_Red.entity
- Created screenshots of all new red textures w/thumbnails

0.4.1 alpha

- Recolored, duplicated SkyboxBackdrop2.dds to yellow
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop2.dds to SE_sb2yellow.dds
- Recolored, duplicated SkyboxBackdrop3.dds to yellow
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop3.dds to SE_sb3yellow.dds
- Recolored, duplicated SkyboxBackdrop4.dds to yellow
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop4.dds to SE_sb4yellow.dds
- Recolored, duplicated SkyboxBackdrop5.dds to yellow
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop5.dds to SE_sb5yellow.dds
- Recolored, duplicated SkyboxBackdrop6.dds to yellow
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop6.dds to SE_sb6yellow.dds
- Recolored, Duplicated SkyboxBackdrop7.dds to yellow
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop7.dds to SE_sb7yellow.dds
- Changed DiffuseTextureFileName in SkyboxBackdrop2.mesh to "SE_sb2yellow.dds"
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop2.mesh to SE_sb2yellow.mesh
- Changed DiffuseTextureFileName in SkyboxBackdrop3.mesh to "SE_sb3yellow.dds"
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop3.mesh to SE_sb3yellow.mesh
- Changed DiffuseTextureFileName in SkyboxBackdrop4.mesh to "SE_sb4yellow.dds"
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop4.mesh to SE_sb4yellow.mesh
- Changed DiffuseTextureFileName in SkyboxBackdrop5.mesh to "SE_sb5yellow.dds"
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop5.mesh to SE_sb5yellow.mesh
- Changed DiffuseTextureFileName in SkyboxBackdrop6.mesh to "SE_sb6yellow.dds"
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop6.mesh to SE_sb6yellow.mesh
- Changed DiffuseTextureFileName in SkyboxBackdrop7.mesh to "SE_sb7yellow.dds"
- Renamed SkyboxBackdrop7.mesh to SE_sb7yellow.mesh
- Added all new SE yellow Star meshNames into SkyBoxProperties.skyboxbackdropdata
- Added meshName "SE_sb2yellow" "SE_sb3yellow" "SE_sb4yellow" "SE_sb5yellow" "SE_sb6yellow" to the coloredSkyBoxMeshNameCount list in Star_yellow.entity.
- Added meshName "SE_sb7yellow" to the deepSpaceSkyboxMeshNameCount list in Star_yellow.entity
- Removed Original meshNames from Star_yellow.entity
- Created screenshots of all new yellow textures w/thumbnails

0.5.1 alpha

- retextured galaxyspiral.dds
- renamed galaxyspiral.dds to SE_gs1blue.dds
- retextured galaxyspiral2.dds
- renamed galaxyspiral2.dds to SE_gs2blue.dds
- retextured galaxyspiral3.dds to SE_gs3blue.dds
- retextured galaxyspiral_green.dds
- renamed galaxyspiral_green.dds to SE_gs1green.dds
- retextured galaxyspiral_green2.dds
- renamed galaxyspiral_green2.dds to SE_gs2green.dds
- retextured galaxyspiral_green3.dds
- renamed galaxyspiral_green3.dds to SE_gs3green.dds
- retextured galaxyspiral_red.dds
- renamed galaxyspiral_red.dds to SE_gs1red.dds
- retextured galaxyspiral_red2.dds
- renamed galaxyspiral_red2.dds to SE_gs2red.dds
- retextured galaxyspiral_red3.dds
- renamed galaxyspiral_red3.dds to SE_gs3red.dds
- retextured galaxyspiral_orange.dds
- renamed galaxyspiral_orange.dds to SE_gs1yellow.dds
- retextured galaxyspiral_orange2.dds
- renamed galaxyspiral_orange2.dds to SE_gs2yellow.dds
- retextured galaxyspiral_orange3.dds
- renamed galaxyspiral_orange3.dds to SE_gs3yellow.dds

0.5.2 alpha

- replaced blue star galaxyspiral textures in SkyBoxProperties.skyboxbackdropdata with SE textures
- replaced green star galaxyspiral textures in SkyBoxProperties.skyboxbackdropdata with SE textures
- replaced red star galaxyspiral textures in SkyBoxProperties.skyboxbackdropdata with SE textures
- replaced yellow star galaxyspiral textures in SkyBoxProperties.skyboxbackdropdata with SE textures
- Created ingame screenshots w/thumbnails of new SE galaxyspiral textures

0.5.3 Beta

- Converted all *.Entity files to binary
- Converted all *.mesh files to binary
- Changed Mod name from Alpha to Beta
- Created "Sins Enhanced - ReadME".txt with Installation Instructions
- Created seperate "Version Info *.*.*".txt with all changes made for that version
- packaged and compressed



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modding
37,825 views 51 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
3 complete new star types have now been added along with their back ground colors. I do believe i'm not going to add anymore colors for now until we get the tools and i can get these ingame to make sure they work as intended.

Next thing i'm going to work on now is to experiment with the starfield.dds file which looks to be what places the distance stars ontop of the backgrounds. currently they are all white, i'm thinking about putting some variety in the colors there also

more to come in a few days, maybe sooner if the forge tools are released tomorrow then i will start trying implement these ingame and test. ---crosses fingers for tools---


How's this look

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
I like it acctually, its a nice touch. Do you have any screens of the new star system stuff?I know you put up the textures and what not but I mean like in game screens with the mod in use?
Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
I like it acctually, its a nice touch. Do you have any screens of the new star system stuff?I know you put up the textures and what not but I mean like in game screens with the mod in use?
End of quote



No the forge tools have not been release yet, and they will be needed to implement everything in game. I can put in each set one at a time by replacing the stock textures but this would be too much of a pain to do. Once the tools are released and it's implement, i will be replacing the out of game shots to ingame screenshots.

My hands are pretty much cuffed until they release the tools
Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
:CONGRAT:
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
Please do make it modular, because i hate that new starfield.. But the rest was awesome!
But perhaps increase the contrast a tiiny bit on the backgrounds ? To make the dark parts appear slightly darker, and the bright parts slightly brighter.
The white star texture definetly needs to be more bright anyway, it has to look white ingame, not grey, very important :)
Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top
You also need to consider the effect bloom will have on your backgrounds ;)
Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top
Please do make it modular, because i hate that new starfield.. But the rest was awesome!
But perhaps increase the contrast a tiiny bit on the backgrounds ? To make the dark parts appear slightly darker, and the bright parts slightly brighter.
The white star texture definetly needs to be more bright anyway, it has to look white ingame, not grey, very important
End of quote


Yes i know, i'm waiting to be able to impliment them ingame before i do anything else. Once i get them in game i should be able to tell what needs to be changed plus i'd get ingame shots for you all.

as far as modular the plan was for this each series to be its own mod, but instead of including the starfield into this edition i could just create another edition just for that. who know's once i see it ingame i may not like it either.

You also need to consider the effect bloom will have on your backgrounds
End of quote


This is one of the things i will be testing once i can get them ingame.

Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top
Looking good, any plans for distant Nebula and other effects in the back round? One thing I feel is missing in detail more in the game.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebula

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Omega_Nebula.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Horsehead-Hubble.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/86/Rosette_nebula_s.jpg
(the next pic is HUGE just so you know)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Eta_Carinae_Nebula_1.jpg
Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top
Textures being redone
Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top
images have been taken down as i'm redoing them. Check post #1 for updates
Reply #11 from Sins Forums Top
Good news blair how now released in his words a beta-ish release for the tools needed to modify the binary files. So it is possible now for me to start working on getting these ingame. Since i'm currently not finished redoing all the textures. I am going to work on getting the blue/green/red/yellow backgrounds into the game and test.

Once those are in and working and tested throughly i may go ahead and release it as version 1.0 and work on adding the new colors of Aqua/white/violet in as an update later on as this will require a little more editing in a few more files to fully implement ingame.
Reply #12 from Sins Forums Top
New out of game images are up for the blue/green/red/ and yellow backgrounds, they do seem to have to much dark contrast right now on some of the images. It looks like i will have to brighten some of the textures back up.
Reply #13 from Sins Forums Top
I'm not sure what i'm looking at....
Care to make ingame screenies?
Thanks.
Reply #14 from Sins Forums Top
I'm not sure what i'm looking at....
Care to make ingame screenies?
Thanks.
End of quote


ingame screenshots will come, the tools to implement was just release late last night and while i'm work today i won't have a chance to start putting the textures ingame till sometime tonight. Check back later tonight or tomorrow and i should have a few ingame shots of some of the textures but probably will not be fully implemented yet.

but if you see above i have marked locations for ingame shots stating "coming soon...."
Reply #15 from Sins Forums Top
This mod is being reworked from scratch to fix some issues with the textures i had.
Reply #16 from Sins Forums Top
Ok guys here's a couple of teaser shots from in game with a corrected texture, both of these screenshots are from the same background but at different angles. It's late here so i need to go to bed now, but now that i have my problem fixed on my end i should be able to start making head way with adding the textures in starting tommorrow night.







so what do you think?
Reply #17 from Sins Forums Top
Word of advise use imageshack(please don't try and say it charges or requires registration.) images are kept up longer and you don't need to be registered to upload or view certain images(sorry but I get pissed when people post an image and no more then 3 or 4 days pass and its taken off the site(btw imageshack keeps things up for a much greater amount of time for example I have signature thats still up on a forum after 3 years!!!!).
Reply #18 from Sins Forums Top
Word of advise use imageshack(please don't try and say it charges or requires registration.) images are kept up longer and you don't need to be registered to upload or view certain images(sorry but I get pissed when people post an image and no more then 3 or 4 days pass and its taken off the site(btw imageshack keeps things up for a much greater amount of time for example I have signature thats still up on a forum after 3 years!!!!).
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well nothing was taken down by photobucket, i took all the images down due to the fact i was redoing all the texture and was going to provide ingame shots instead now. Photobucket has never deleted images from my account on their own.
Reply #19 from Sins Forums Top
Post #1 is now updated with the latest change log, and finally ingame screenshots of all 6 blue textures.

Work will now start on the green textures after work tomorrow.

enjoy
Reply #20 from Sins Forums Top
any estimates when the mod will be made available for downloading???
Reply #21 from Sins Forums Top
These are great, are they going to be added choices for backgrounds or just replacing the old ones?
Reply #22 from Sins Forums Top
Blugh, I HATED that "cloudy" nebula background thing. It was WAY too bright, too gaudy.

My favorite backgrounds are the slightly-blue mostly black one, the red one, and MAYBE the green one. Space is dark, I don't mind some color, but jeez, some of these are so bright I can only assume it's DAY no matter WHAT time it is on my planets.
Reply #23 from Sins Forums Top
any estimates when the mod will be made available for downloading???
End of quote


I was hoping to have atleast a beta version out about this time, but i ran into issues with my original textures i recolored and had to start from scratch again. Depending on how much time i have to work on these, i may have a beta version out by the end of the weekend. but i do have to work a real job also which comes first.

Reply #24 from Sins Forums Top
These are great, are they going to be added choices for backgrounds or just replacing the old ones?
End of quote


These will not replace the original ironclad texture files but they will not be usable anymore, as each star is being edited to use only these textures. The plan was to have a blue star have only bluebackgrounds, red stars having only red backgrounds etc, etc. but i'm more and more thanking about letting each star randomly pick from the pool of 42 backgrounds that will eventually be added.

not quite sure yet which way i'm going to go with that, so currently sticking to my original plan.
Reply #25 from Sins Forums Top
Blugh, I HATED that "cloudy" nebula background thing. It was WAY too bright, too gaudy.

My favorite backgrounds are the slightly-blue mostly black one, the red one, and MAYBE the green one. Space is dark, I don't mind some color, but jeez, some of these are so bright I can only assume it's DAY no matter WHAT time it is on my planets.
End of quote


only the first texture which is the first screenshot is really all that bright, the other textures are darker than they appear in the screenshots as i purposefully took shots from the part of the backgrounds that glow just to show the different aspects of the texture.

But as far as darkness go, remember this mod at the moment is a non released build as things are changing, and i may at sometime make the textures even darker once i get a beta build out and have some actual ingame feedback.