Hey all, first post - be nice please -- was looking around in some of the files - couldn't find anywhere info pertaining to aurora spawn mechanics. I've only been to one system so far that had a planet cluster where the planets had aurora's. No other planet clusters in that system had aurora's. So it seems to go by clusters and not whole systems? - Just wanted to try to turn up the notch on how often you could see aurora's - any help would be much appreciated - they look sooo awesome - planets were snow/ice based - haven't seen aurora's non cold planet?
it's probably determined by whether the planet is cold or not. which is strange, because any active planet (volcanic, large, not moons) should be able to. I took a look, and couldn't find the assets for it : /
thanks for the response - I did a little more searching around - from the guides post - I found this http://starbounder.org/Modding:SurfaceBiome_(JSONObject) I see color definitions for sky - but that seems to be all. I looked in my files - this stuff appears to be in each biome type - so I'm not to sure weather something to do with auroras would be in there or not. seems to be that its used to adjust the color of the sky during different points in the day. I looked around a little - but couldn't find a chart for the numbers pertaining to the colors. I'm assuming each number is a color - or a shade of different colors? - I have no idea - I'm not too sure I want to just start fiddling with numbers. Anyways here's what it looks like - nvm - I cant seem to get stupid spoiler thing to work and I'm not going to make a stupid long post - bah Code: { "name" : "arctic", "caveLiquidType" : "water", "oceanLiquidType" : "ocean", "hueShiftOptions" : [0], "skyOptions" : [ { "mainColor" : [255, 255, 255], "morningColors" : [ [255, 224, 129], [252, 230, 164] ], "dayColors" : [ [255, 152, 107], [255, 183, 152] ], "eveningColors" : [ [254, 121, 69], [254, 165, 129] ], "nightColors" : [ [60, 0, 0], [20, 0, 0] ], "morningLightColor" : [202, 177, 100], "dayLightColor" : [202, 138, 100], "eveningLightColor" : [202, 100, 100], "nightLightColor" : [40, 17, 17] }, { "mainColor" : [255, 255, 255], "morningColors" : [ [255, 151, 153], [255, 196, 197] ], "dayColors" : [ [233, 179, 255], [245, 221, 225] ], "eveningColors" : [ [195, 151, 255], [233, 217, 255] ], "nightColors" : [ [60, 0, 0], [20, 0, 0] ], "morningLightColor" : [176, 81, 83], "dayLightColor" : [182, 137, 200], "eveningLightColor" : [150, 115, 199], "nightLightColor" : [56, 17, 17] }, { "mainColor" : [255, 255, 255], "morningColors" : [ [203, 167, 56], [203, 108, 56] ], "dayColors" : [ [179, 255, 188], [215, 255, 220] ], "eveningColors" : [ [59, 129, 201], [14, 97, 181] ], "nightColors" : [ [40, 0, 60], [10, 0, 20] ], "morningLightColor" : [158, 121, 42], "dayLightColor" : [151, 207, 191], "eveningLightColor" : [71, 159, 172], "nightLightColor" : [17, 19, 56] }, { "mainColor" : [255, 255, 255], "morningColors" : [ [203, 167, 56], [203, 108, 56] ], "dayColors" : [ [179, 223, 251], [190, 190, 210] ], "eveningColors" : [ [201, 169, 59], [195, 47, 44] ], "nightColors" : [ [40, 0, 60], [10, 0, 20] ], "morningLightColor" : [158, 121, 42], "dayLightColor" : [190, 190, 210], "eveningLightColor" : [124, 50, 38], "nightLightColor" : [17, 19, 56] }, { "mainColor" : [255, 255, 255], "morningColors" : [ [140, 140, 180], [120, 120, 180] ], "dayColors" : [ [190, 190, 210], [170, 170, 210] ], "eveningColors" : [ [160, 120, 180], [140, 100, 180] ], "nightColors" : [ [40, 0, 60], [10, 0, 20] ], "morningLightColor" : [140, 140, 180], "dayLightColor" : [190, 190, 210], "eveningLightColor" : [160, 120, 180], "nightLightColor" : [26, 26, 31] }, { "mainColor" : [255, 255, 255], "morningColors" : [ [227, 209, 123], [244, 196, 66] ], "dayColors" : [ [197, 236, 246], [133, 185, 235] ], "eveningColors" : [ [246, 220, 186], [246, 177, 88] ], "nightColors" : [ [40, 0, 60], [10, 0, 20] ], "morningLightColor" : [192, 174, 126], "dayLightColor" : [190, 202, 204], "eveningLightColor" : [192, 125, 80], "nightLightColor" : [26, 26, 31] }, { "mainColor" : [255, 255, 255], "morningColors" : [ [219, 119, 184], [246, 153, 177] ], "dayColors" : [ [197, 236, 246], [133, 185, 235] ], "eveningColors" : [ [189, 143, 172], [255, 194, 192] ], "nightColors" : [ [40, 0, 60], [10, 0, 20] ], "morningLightColor" : [200, 158, 169], "dayLightColor" : [190, 202, 204], "eveningLightColor" : [163, 134, 134], "nightLightColor" : [29, 26, 31] }, { "mainColor" : [255, 255, 255], "morningColors" : [ [255, 167, 152], [255, 163, 208] ], "dayColors" : [ [228, 152, 169], [243, 205, 193] ], "eveningColors" : [ [221, 186, 235], [247, 73, 121] ], "nightColors" : [ [40, 0, 60], [10, 0, 20] ], "morningLightColor" : [195, 156, 149], "dayLightColor" : [197, 184, 182], "eveningLightColor" : [197, 98, 126], "nightLightColor" : [28, 14, 14] }, { "mainColor" : [255, 255, 255], "morningColors" : [ [167, 255, 152], [163, 255, 208] ], "dayColors" : [ [152, 228, 169], [205, 243, 193] ], "eveningColors" : [ [186, 221, 235], [73, 247, 121] ], "nightColors" : [ [0, 40, 60], [0, 10, 20] ], "morningLightColor" : [156, 195, 149], "dayLightColor" : [184, 197, 182], "eveningLightColor" : [126, 166, 138], "nightLightColor" : [24, 28, 24] } ], "surfaceParameters" : { "mainBlock" : "snow", "subBlocks" : [ "slush", "ice" ], "ores" : "surfaceOres", "parallax" : "arctic.parallax", "undergroundParallax" : "arctic.undergroundparallax", "weather" : [ [ [0.7, "snow"], [0.3, "clear"] ], [ [0.2, "icestorm"], [0.5, "snow"], [0.3, "clear"] ], [ [0.1, "glowingrain"], [0.9, "clear"] ], [ [0.03, "meteorshower"], [0.97, "clear"] ], [ [0.01, "largemeteor"], [0.99, "clear"] ], [ [1.0, "clear"] ], [ [1.0, "clear"] ], [ [1.0, "clear"] ], [ [1.0, "clear"] ], [ [1.0, "clear"] ], [ [1.0, "clear"] ] ], "statusParameters" : { "temperatureBounds" : [-50, -15], "dayNightTemperatureVariability" : -10, "temperatureVariability" : 5 }, well - I cldn't get spoil to work - but at least its in a separate window now - so that's the code in the arctic biome - and I found a site that shows rgb values http://chir.ag/projects/name-that-color/#DD9F83 so there's that - if anything maybe I can modify to make some cool looking skies? - still no luck figuring out aurora's though - guess its time to start fiddling :/
all of those groups are parts of biomes, or more specifically, variations of the same part. all the different colors they can be are here, and it controls how the time affects light color, like how in my area we have light orange sunrises and purple sunsets. however, I think it's actually some kind of backdrop effect, maybe even a parallax file. what I'm getting at are that aurora colors are probably preset, and there's one png that creates it.
Yay! I get to be relevant! Now I'll throw all my image on how auroras work in this game in your face, even throwing stuff you don't need to know in your face!Changing the appearance As you guys may know, auroras are not generated by the game, they're a preset image. You can find the aurora .png at: "\Starbound\assets\parallax\northern" The image is doubled in size when displayed ingame. Changing the rarity First, you can find where it's defined to generate at... biome.parallax. Found in the same folder as biome.surfacebiome. Code: { "settings" : { "verticalOrigin" : 35, "definitions" : { "northern" : { "baseCount" : 1, "mod1Count" : 0, "mod2Count" : 0 } } }, "layers" : [ { "kind" : "northern", "offset" : [0, 150], "parallax" : 30, "nightCorrelation" : -1, "minSpeed" : 0, "maxSpeed" : 0, "rarity" : 10, "modifiers" : "?brightness=400" }, Here is a snippet of the code(parts cut out) which defines how northern lights generate. Found in arctic.parallax. Code: { "settings" : { "verticalOrigin" : 35, "definitions" : { "northern" : { "baseCount" : 1, "mod1Count" : 0, "mod2Count" : 0 } } }, "northern" : { is the name of the parallax folder found in Starbound\assets\parallax. That's why the folder that the aurora image file is in is titled "northern". The base count is the amount of base images that the game can choose, and mods are modifications to the base image that the game can choose. Code: "layers" : [ { "kind" : "northern", "offset" : [0, 150], "parallax" : 30, "nightCorrelation" : -1, "minSpeed" : 0, "maxSpeed" : 0, "rarity" : 10, "modifiers" : "?brightness=400" }, This defines how the aurora is placed into the background parallax, and it's rarity. As you can see, it has a very high brightness and has a rarity of 10. Auroras do not ever fade out or in. They're always in the same exact position in the sky. And there is no way to change that right now, sadly. You can't define image animations for background images yet. So how to make them more common? Well, to have it appear 100% of the time you can just slice out the "rarity" variable. It'll work fine. To have it rare but not all the time? Experiment around... I haven't actually fiddled around with it. It may just be a percentage based system. 10% for 10. 55% for 55. Or it may be something else.
thank you so very much for that Info Dracyoshi!! BTW - I LOVE your mod. Thanks for taking the time to do that! So I kind of get what your saying - I could probably take that code and insert it into different biome types also - so it could show up in something other that a cold biome? I've been looking around a lot in game for them - and it seems that It changes some - as far as the degree to how much of it you see> one planet I can see almost the whole spectrum of colors - another I can see just, say two colors - so there's a part of code that says how much of that .png to show I reckon? I was messing around yesterday with some of those colors from my previous post - and started wandering through code and wandered myself into having to re-install the game anywho - thanks again for the replies! So - thanks again DragonYoshi (cause that's what your name reminds me of - Yoshi rules!! and so do dragons!!) I started messing around - and got Auroras to come up most of the time in snow biomes - and using your mod of course - being able to visit ocean biomes - I threw them in there also! And I changed up what they actually look like - so here's some pics- typical aurora ^ variety of changes I did v and finally on the ocean biome - sooo - as you can see depending on how the game sizes the .png file it can make modifications to it look a little odd - or really cool - or a mixture :/ will post back with more findings if applicable
Ooh! This is good stuff. Anyone know what I should look for in a *.world file (in the Universe folder) that would confirm whether a generated world on my server had the Aurora or Norther Lights effect? Is it keyword "northern"? And are you saying on worlds (typically cold ones; arctic, snow, maybe tundra?) that have them display the effect 100% of the time? Thanks!
As far as I now - they only appear in cold ones - not sure yet what type of major or minor biome they are attached to. No - they are pretty rare - I had to go in and change the numbers to get them to spawn most of the time - so I could easily see how my changes to the aurora art look. They are labeled under Northern as Dracyoshi pointed out above
I quickly searched through my nearly 400 world files on my server's universe folder and came up with hits (4 lines each) in 5 of them containing "northern". In 4 of the 5 it was pretty clear from the line that it meant the aurora effect as I could read "parallax" as well in the string. Now to buzz to each and confirm the aurora effect and the biome types of each. Great stuff; thanks again! Not sure what percent of my 400 world files are cold biomes such as arctic, snow or tundra but 4 out of 400 would seem to be pretty rare indeed. I have searched and found "colourful" (rainbow wood sub-biomes) and "glowingrain" (stardust) weather effect to be more common than this one. (And since "colourful" is found on desert worlds and "northern" on cold biomes it doesn't look like I'll find a world with all three (without modding).
yeah - not going to happen I'm pretty sure about that without modding - getting close to a modified aurora - just gotta smooth out some of the rough edges as you can see below
Those pictures are glorious by the way. So I tracked back to the four I turned up in my universe folder ("northern" present in the *.world file) and all were confirmed. variety of sectors, 3 were snow, 1 was tundra. One thing I found funny... each was the primary body in it's orbit. None a sub (a, b, c...). Cool!
The first time I found a planet with an aurora it had two planets in that cluster - both had aurora's - since then I haven't found two together unless rarity was modified - so I must have been really lucky the first time - and actually had two planets in the same cluster that spawned aurora's I guess? - I call each planet orbiting in a system a cluster - I think because even though it would be planet and then moons orbiting planet - to me they seem like planets in the same orbital area - I don't know - I'm silly. Now I am wondering if I can make multiple aurora files (.png) and have them all be able to spawn - like a realistic colored/shaped one and then a super rainbow type - and then you might get one or the other - would I just make folders and new files - northern northern1 northern2 ect.... I have no idea I haven't modded a game like this since the first few Ultima games lol. Maybe I will end up trying to make a mod out of this - I m not sure - I'd love to be able to share all the work I've been doing though for peeps that would like different types of aurora's and a somewhat higher chance to find and on different types of biomes - what am I getting into and tyvm for the compliment of the screenshots - rofl - I couldn't get prntscrn button to make shots - and steam wont take shots - so I had to grab fraps to take shots :/
Ok - sooooo - I have been digging into this - I made multiple aurora's now - and they get loaded up at random. So that was cool - I just changed the numbering of the .png file - the usuall is 1.png - and just named them 2 3 4 each - then in the code allowed for them to be generated - Code: "settings" : { "verticalOrigin" : 35, "definitions" : { "northern" : { "baseCount" : 4, "mod1Count" : 0, "mod2Count" : 0 baseCount is where its changed - from 1 to 4 in this case My problem is now - they only seem to generate in the specified biome - and that one only - so if there is a sub biome - it wont generate or at least I havnt found one yet - so say its a forest planet - gtg aurora is there - but if its a forest/mushroom or something like that - no go - no aurora. So I I'm not really sure what is up with that - been racking my head over it. Also - my ocean planets always rain - not sure what I changed there :/ and I have been getting odd crashes now and then which just go away after a couple reloads - different crashes each time - but half the time they are biome things that I haven't modified so not sure what is going on. I id start messing around with some other stuff though - interface colors - and my fav change so far - messed with the space stuff to get some pretty visuals going now out in space - pics towards the bottom - so heres some recent results now - enjoy - and any help with this would be appreciated - gonna probably change a few more things as far as stars and stuff - maybe I will try getting other things added into the sky - quasars, black holes and the like - and I was thinking of trying to add rings to some of the planets :O - I have no idea Questions, answers, comments - ps. am I posting to many pics? should I not have double posted? - trying to be a good poster - if my habits need correcting could someone tell me pls I'm sure the mods have enough on there hands
MoonOne, Nah, your pics are great; keep it up. Nice to be able to see what you are talking about. I had no idea about what the aurora / northern effect was before all of this. Something to keep in mind (and you may already be aware) but altering the files where you are doing it will only affect the creation of new worlds (aka the first time you visit them) and not any that you already created (afaik). I have not found any correlation between the primary planet of an orbit having the aurora / northern lights effect and the minor bodies / moons of the same orbit - even when they are also a cold biome. Also, in vanilla Starbound, when the planet has aurora / northern lights it is evident in the main biome and any secondary biome.
Yes - as I think I am understanding you - the aurora art is spread over the entirety of the planet (though not meaning you will see aurora throughout the whole sky). I think it takes the .png and then uses different elements of it throughout the sky? - It also changes the colors or hue of them too? - or the sky color interacting with the aurora color makes the change? Im not really sure to tell you the truth - all I do know is that the color will change from the original .png file. As to what is changing it I d not know AND - I am a total blank out!! I realized the reason I wasn't seeing the aurora's in different biomes was that I never changed MODS that made them rofl so I went in and modified those (to which if I ever do a mod for this - will probly be an extension of someone else's mod like Variety - will have to talk to Dracy about that and if people even want a mod like this) files to allow! YAY!! I also went and modified more art assets - clouds - stars - so without further ado - I give you Starbound (stoners ed.) So as you can see I am making some progress - just gotta wait and see now what if anything gets changed in patch and get ready to go back in and have fun trying to get it all changed again. Anything anyone wants me to look into? - still trying to get a planet with rings and some more space anomalies like black holes - until next time - TTFN
