Create my own Skybox for the 3D view

Creating a custom skybox for use in Surfer’s 3D view can significantly enhance the visual presentation and contextual realism of a model. As a user, you can tailor the background environment to match the geographic or atmospheric conditions of your project area—such as a desert, forest, or cloudy sky—making the 3D scene more immersive and informative.

This added realism can help your audience to better interpret the data’s spatial context, especially during presentations, stakeholder meetings, or visual analyses. Custom skyboxes also allow for branding, aesthetic refinement, or improved contrast with surface features, ultimately aiding clearer communication of geospatial insights.

Prerequisites for creating a custom Skybox

To create a skybox, you'll need a "box" of images (6 images total); 4 images to be used around the sides, a top image, and a bottom image. These images need to:

1. Have exactly the same number of pixels as each other.
2. Be saved in JPG or PNG format.
3. Be named in the format of: name_position.jpg. For example: alpine_zneg.jpg.
   1. The name is the name you want to appear in the Skybox drop down.
   2. The position is the position of that particular image within the skybox (see image below for positions).
4. Be saved in the SkyBoxes directory (e.g. C:\Users\(username)\AppData\Roaming\Golden Software\Surfer\SkyBoxes).

 For the naming position, each image needs to be identified by where in the skybox it belongs:

For the best results, the images or photographs used need to be true 3D images. Otherwise, when Surfer assembles the sub-pieces to create the composite image, the joints between the photographs will be visible and will detract from the (ideally) seamless output.

There are a number of places online where you may be able to download prepared skyboxes, which are sometimes referred to as "cubetextures". You can try the list below, or try a Google search.

• https://doc.babylonjs.com/toolsAndResources/assetLibraries/availableTextures#cubetextures 
• https://opengameart.org/content/elyvisions-skyboxes 
• https://reije081.home.xs4all.nl/skyboxes/
• http://www.humus.name/index.php?page=Textures&start=0

Adding your custom Skybox to your project

Once you've saved your skybox in the SkyBoxes directory as outlined above (e.g. C:\Users\(username)\AppData\Roaming\Golden Software\Surfer\SkyBoxes), follow these steps to add the skybox to your 3D view:

1. Select the Environment object in the 3D view Contents window.

2. Under the General tab in the Properties window, set the Background mode property to Skybox to use a skybox for the 3D view background.

3. When Background mode is set to Skybox, the Skybox property is displayed. Select your newly created Skybox from the dropdown menu.