+
+ +
+

Sky

+

The sky consists of several layers, and uses different primitives as model depending on the game +and graphic settings. +The original Gothic game only used a plane to render the sky texture, while Gothic II added the +possibility to render the sky as a dome, given enough processing power.

+

The different layers of the sky are (1), a plain color layer as background (Fig. 6), +(2) a color layer additively blended in (Fig. 7), and (3) the actual alpha-blended sky +texture (Fig. 8).

+
+Sky raw background color. +

Fig. 6 Background sky color (1) in Gothic II.

+
+
+Sky raw background color and color layer. +

Fig. 7 Background sky color (1) together with an additively blended color layer (2) rendered as sphere +in Gothic II.

+
+
+Sky raw background color, color layer, and texture layer. +

Fig. 8 Background sky color (1) together with an additively blended color layer (2) rendered as +sphere, as well as the alpha-blended sky texture (3) layer in Gothic II.

+
+

The additively blended color layer (2) is necessary, because the sky looks dull otherwise. See, for +example, Fig. 9, where this layer was deactivated. In +Fig. 10, the color layer (2) can be seen on black background.

+
+Sky with raw background color and texture layer, but without color layer. +

Fig. 9 Background sky color (1) and the alpha-blended sky texture layer (3) without the additively +blended color layer (2).

+
+
+Color layer only. +

Fig. 10 Additively blended color layer (2) only, rendered on black background.

+
+
+ + +
+ +