This is an experimental skybox mesh I created in blender, then rigged up to Switch_Model/Swap_Texture events in RED to create a changing sky effect with a sample 8 frame 1024x island forest sky, that transitions from day to night over a 6 min time frame. The mesh is 260x260x260 but works best with a map 100x100x100 or smaller. I've also included other RFG's if you want to use just one of the skies as a classic skybox. Included are both TGA and DDS textures. The DDS and mesh are already packed in a VPP, but if you just want to use one of the skies as a classic skybox, then once your map is done, delete the TGA's from your VPP and add the DDS versions, as they are 80% smaller file size for the same quality.

The sky mesh group doesn't have to be used exactly as is. You could swap in any sky you want just by changing the file names in the Swap_Texture events. You could also change the time between sky changes by changing the times in the delay events or only use one or 2 of the skies by deleting the events for the other changes.

Advantages of a sky mesh instead of skybox:
-Dynamic skies! Can change weather, seasons, time of day, orbit around a planet, or any other texture animation you can think of.
-Can make the transitions as detailed and smooth as you want, just depends how many skies you’re willing to render out and how big of a file size you find acceptable. Eight 1024x skies in DDS = 24mb uncompressed or 14mb zipped.
-Fog works properly with the sky, the map renders as the fog colour instead of just cutting off when you get beyond the Far Clip Plane you have set.
-Fog also blends with the sky, instead of the sky being perfectly clear.
-Can colour grade the sky in RED using the ambient light colour, to better blend with your map.
-Can keyframe the sky to create interesting or trippy effects.
-Can have multiple skies in a map if your areas are far enough apart and air gapped.
-Can do anything else you can think of, that you could do with any other clutter object.

Disadvantages:
-If you don't want fog, RF's limited render distance means the map can't be much bigger then 100x100 or else the corners of sky will start to disappear when you get far enough away.
-When you get near the edge you can start to see the distortion of the cube map, which kind of breaks the illusion.
-The Ambient light level of the map applied after calculating lights, has to be at least 100 or the sky is too dark. This removes most of the shadowing of any other clutter/meshes in the map. 255 would look the best but that completely removes mesh shadows, although a lot of people like this look, also known as "Lighting Trick".
-Can't change the in game lighting to match the changing sky.
-Portals/separate rooms may cause the sky to disappear when you leave the room the mesh is in. If that happens then giving each room its own mesh and link it to the Switch_Model and Swap_Textures events should fix that. It may get tricky trying to match up the sky meshes depending on level layout.



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To use:

To use the sky mesh, simply put the IACsSkyMesh.rfg file in your groups folder (default C:\games\RedFaction\Red\groups ) and IslandForestDTN Sky.vpp in your single or multi folder (default C:\games\RedFaction\user_maps\multi ). Then open up RED editor and go to group mode and click "Load" then find the IACsSkyMesh.rfg file. Move the Veg_Bush02 object to the very center of your map/room. Then go to texture mode and click on the wall you want to show sky then right click on it and check "show sky" or apply an invisible texture. After calculating your lighting, change your overall Ambient light colour in level properties to at least 100,100,100. 255,255,255 would look the best but will make your other clutter objects look like they are glowing if you have any.

To use these textures just as classic skyboxes, simply put the .rfg files in your groups folder (default C:\games\RedFaction\Red\groups ) and all the TGA's in your textures folder (default C:\games\RedFaction\user_maps\textures ). Then open up RED editor and go to group mode and click "Load" then find the .rfg file for the sky you want. Move the brush and room effect somewhere outside your map. Then go to texture mode and click on the wall you want to show sky then right click on it and check "show sky" or apply and invisible texture.

This file hasn't been reviewed yet. Tell us what you think!