Search Unity

  1. Megacity Metro Demo now available. Download now.
    Dismiss Notice
  2. Unity support for visionOS is now available. Learn more in our blog post.
    Dismiss Notice

[Free] Earth Sky box & planets

Discussion in 'Assets and Asset Store' started by HugoPeters, Nov 14, 2014.

  1. HugoPeters

    HugoPeters

    Joined:
    Apr 2, 2014
    Posts:
    18
    This is an old thread, new thread can be found over here.
    http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/released-earth-planets-skyboxes-free.381460/

    Or go directly to the asset store to download the latest (free) version
    https://www.assetstore.unity3d.com/en/#!/content/53752



    When i was creating my game i have been looking for hours just for a simple out of space earth view Sky box for unity compatible. And i found none for free usable. So i created my own and I'm going to share them with everybody (mostly) for free.



    To get right to the point. This current free package includes already 7 Skyboxes (Earth outer space view).
    Free to use for everybody.

    WebPlayer demo is available at:
    http://www.pilottycoon.com/assets/SkyboxSpaceDemo/SkyboxSpaceDemo.html

    Download of the full package is available at:
    http://www.pilottycoon.com/assets/SkyboxSpaceDemo/skyboxspacedemopackage.unitypackage

    Package includes
    - 7 new skybox materials usable directly in your game, different continents.
    - 1 example scene
    - Textures (Size 1024px) (skybox without stars are in png with alpha)

    Info
    The renders are created using a 21k resolution image of the earth which i edited mostly myself to make it suitable as a render image (removing all the beaches and wrong areas). There are still some things wrong with the renders like the clouds and other small things but i hope i will fix this in the next release.

    Before i will create a full free package of those Skyboxes and publish it to the asset store i need to hear your wishes. What would you like to see in this package.

    On the list for the first version so far is
    - Every continent available
    - 2 different views available from close to far away.
    - All Skyboxes with and without stars (transparent)

    Future list
    - Night view (showing lights on the dark areas)
    - Earth on fire (apocalypse style)
    - More variations

    I only need to know if this is helpful to continue so let me know, or if you have a special request.
     
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2016
  2. jtok4j

    jtok4j

    Joined:
    Dec 6, 2013
    Posts:
    321
    It's already Monday, and no replies yet to this awe-inspiring package?

    This is a superb package, and yes, please submit it to the AssetStore, 'cause we certainly need a free earth-view package!

    Hmmm... the only other variation that I can think of might be a winterized earth, in the winter season with certain areas being covered in snow.

    I just love the feeling of floating above the earth, (way above the earth) and seeing the stars in the distance. The only thing better would be if they were to twinkle (slightly, and once in a while, in random places)

    Great job! :D
     
  3. spacerockganimedes

    spacerockganimedes

    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2015
    Posts:
    1
    Incredible job!
    This is just what i need, thanks for sharing for free.
    Can I use it in my game?
     
  4. zbalai

    zbalai

    Joined:
    May 28, 2012
    Posts:
    21
    Great Skyboxes, thank you!

    May I use them in a Lucid Dreaming VR app?
     
  5. batate

    batate

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2015
    Posts:
    31
    Great resource, many thanks for providing this... I made use of it in a Unity/VR "ISS Experience"... see
    http://blog.inf.ed.ac.uk/atate/2015/12/15/virtual-reality-experience-in-10-minutes/

    One suggestion I would make for a useful addition would be to have one of the Earth scenes with a sun disk opposite in the star field at a realistic position for the fully lit Earth surface depicted.... this would allow lens flare effects and so on to be added as with terrestrial sky boxes.

    [Note added: a colleague tells me that lens flare effects can be added even where no actual sun graphics shows in the skybox. He suggests you increase the flare brightness sufficiently and it will create a visual effect that would cover the position where the sun should be]
     
    Last edited: Jan 4, 2016
  6. HugoPeters

    HugoPeters

    Joined:
    Apr 2, 2014
    Posts:
    18
    Sorry for responding late, i wasn't watching this thread ;)
    It is great to see everybody like's the skyboxes and yes they are free to use for everybody.

    Since I'm getting more requests i will spent some time the next few days to render them again with some better looks and also make sure there will be 4096px textures.
    Then i will also add them as free asset to the unity store.
     
    batate likes this.
  7. HugoPeters

    HugoPeters

    Joined:
    Apr 2, 2014
    Posts:
    18
    Awesome work m8. I don't have the VR stuff myself but i'm sure its looking great. I left the sun out because its better to recreate it using unity3d itself and then using the lens flare. And of course setting it up so it reflects the light on the earth as well. I think in your current scene/project there is to much ambient light but then again i'm not that sure how it really looks like in space.
    I also still have a redesigned (HD) space shuttle i can share with you if you like and also the ISS space station but yours looks already fantastic.

    In the next version i will create further alpha skyboxes, skyboxes with sun and skyboxes with starts. Probably will have them ready in a few days hopefully as each take about 12 hours with a 4096px.
     
  8. HugoPeters

    HugoPeters

    Joined:
    Apr 2, 2014
    Posts:
    18
    Updated new version, read below.



    Earth & Planets skyboxes [Free]

    A project I started a year ago, and because of all the requests i spend a lot of time fine tuning everything to get the best realistic results.

    Current new package includes:
    - 9 different realistic (1024px alpha images with stars) high detailed skyboxes of the planet Earth
    - 2 bonus skyboxes of the moon
    - Ready to use skybox materials which you can drag in to your own scene
    - 1 Example scene

    Info:
    All is created/rendered using highres 86k textures and higher (with a total of 8GB) except the cloud textures which still causes problems.
    I am stil busy tweaking the results as I'm not satisfied yet and more beautiful renders will follow.

    Usage:
    The directory skyboxes contains the skybox materials you can drag in to your scene. You can test the demo scene in the scenes directory to check out all the skyboxes available by using the [N] key.

    The pro version of this package will include all above in 2048px textures and also more planets and views and also 4096px resolution skyboxes.

    Web Demo
    http://stagit.mobi/demo/skyboxes_demo/skyboxes_demo.html

    Download of the free package
    http://stagit.mobi/demo/skyboxes_demo/stagit_earth_planet_skyboxes.unitypackage

    I will be submitting this package to the unity store asap for free. I also will be working on the pro version which will be available for just a small amount which includes all the 2046px resolutions as well as many more (in 4096px) views different planets like mars and other planets and space sky boxes.

    If you have requests let me know.
     
  9. batate

    batate

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2015
    Posts:
    31
    Thanks Hugo, I have incorporated the revised skybox into the ISS Experience.

    The ISS model is directly from the NASA 3D models web site, with just a bit of adjustment of some materials.

    I agree with you that its better not to bake in the sun, but to use a lens flare, now I have tried that. I made the light use hard shadows and that I think makes it look a bit better. It is maybe not realistic, but it does look really good in the Oculus Rift.

    Updated model described at http://blog.inf.ed.ac.uk/atate/2016/01/01/vr-spacewalk-at-iss/

     
  10. batate

    batate

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2015
    Posts:
    31
    Quick one... I just noticed this warning for the middle version in Unity 5.3.1f1...

    Assets/Skybox/Stagit_SkyboxPlanets/script/skyboxspace_mouselook_v1.cs(37,32): warning CS0618: `UnityEngine.Screen.lockCursor' is obsolete: `Property lockCursor has been deprecated. Use Cursor.lockState and Cursor.visible instead.'
     
  11. HugoPeters

    HugoPeters

    Joined:
    Apr 2, 2014
    Posts:
    18
    Thx for reporting i will make sure the warning will disappear in the next version.