UED2 Main

UED2 Tutorial - Zone, Skyzone
When creating a skyzone you actually create a "room" that is not connected with the rest of the level. So start by creating a room (256x256x256) and apply textures as you feel. Also add a lightsource. Now create a small brush 32 height and 192x192.
Place this ontop of the room and subract it.
When that is done and you have added the textures you want,
create a brush 256x256x256.
This brush must be subtracted outside our original level.
Load the texture set "egyptpan.utx" and apply "SkyBPyramidTop"
to the roof and any of the "SkyBPyramidD#" to the walls.
(Don't mind the floor.)
This will be the actuall skyzone.
(Note that a skyzone can be in any shape and size).
Each of the sides inside this skyzone must also be checked "Unlit".
Otherwise we must spend time to make the lighting correct and that might
need some time.
To check the "Unlit" option you must enter the properties for each side, roof
and floor.
Open the actor browser.
Select "SkyZoneInfo" under "Info" and "ZoneInfo".
Add this actor inside our skyzone "room".
Place it in the middle.
There is only one thing left to do.
That is to change a flag for the roof texture in our first room.
Open the surface properties and in the "Flag" tab you check the
"Fake Backdrop" option.
This will tell the engine that this wall should now work as a viewport through
our "SkyZoneInfo" actor.
It is therfore important to make sure that you place this "SkyZoneInfo" actor
where you want the view to come from (as a source).
Add a playerstart and rebuild the level to see the skyzone in action.
Rotating sky:
To create a rotating sky you should first understand that it is not.
the skyzone that rotates but the skyzone actor.
The skyzone actor works as a camera for the fake backdrops and
when the camera rotates it will give the feel that they sky is rotating.
The properties you need to adjust is found in the skyzone actor.
Under "+Advanced" you must make sure that "bStatic" is false.
Under "+Movement" "bFixedRotation" must be true and "Physics" is
set to "PHYS_Rotating".
To change the rotation rate and speed, modify the "Pitch", "Yaw" and
"Roll" properties under "RotationRate".
Decorating the skyzone:
Everything you place in the skyzone will appear as parts of the sky
when playing.
If you create clouds you can create a large sheet that is placed
close to the top and make it transparent and masked.
Modify the U/V pan direction and speed and you have a nice set
of clouds moving across the sky.
Create another sheet with clouds if you want your sky to have
a more depth feel.
By adjusting the lighting of a lightsource in the skyzone you can make
the clouds have different colors and in different areas to give the
feel of sun- set/rise and other space phenomena.
A sun, moon or any texture that is masked will look best in a skyzone if
you do not have it masked but instead check the flag "Transparent".
The (masked) dark area around the object will more or less disappear.
It do not look good in the editor but do in the game.
(Sometimes this may not be the case, check both options).
The best way is to play around with the skyzone and see what looks good and not.