How to make SkyBoxes?

Help and Feedback Art Design Support
1

I’ve been wondering how to make SkyBoxes, specifically for Roblox, without using AI or the toolbox.
I have heard Photoshop and Blender would be good options, but that’s all I know. Someone who knows how to make SkyBoxes, please help. Thanks.

Here is an example on what I would like to create:

sky_110-1024x1024 (1)
sky_110-1024x1024 (1)1024×1024 589 KB

3 Likes
2

That’s a fantastic goal! Making your own Skybox from scratch is the best way to get a unique, cohesive look for your game.

Since you already know about Photoshop and Blender, here is the professional workflow to achieve that result:

1. The “Golden Rule” of Skyboxes:
Roblox doesn’t use sphere projections for Skyboxes; it uses a 6-sided Cubemap (Front, Back, Top, Bottom, Left, Right).

  • When you paint in Photoshop, you are likely working on an Equirectangular (360° panoramic) image.
  • You need to convert this panoramic image into a 6-sided cross-layout or individual square files.

2. The Workflow:

  • Step 1 (Paint): Create your sky artwork in Photoshop. Keep it at a high resolution (e.g., 2048x2048 or 4096x4096 per side).
  • Step 2 (Blender Magic): This is the easiest way to get perfect alignment.
    • In Blender, create a large sphere and map your panoramic painting onto it as a Texture.
    • Set your camera to “Panoramic” mode.
    • Use the “Equirectangular to Cubemap” render settings or use a simple cube-mapped camera setup to render out the 6 faces.
  • Step 3 (Import to Roblox):
    • Go to your game’s Sky object in the Lighting service.
    • You will see slots for SkyboxBk, SkyboxDn, SkyboxFt, SkyboxLf, SkyboxRt, and SkyboxUp.
    • Upload your 6 square images as Decals, get their Asset IDs, and paste them into the corresponding slots.

3. Pro-Tip for Alignment:
If you want to do this without Blender, there are several open-source “Equirectangular to Cubemap” converters online. You simply upload your panoramic Photoshop file, and it spits out the 6 correctly aligned square textures for you.

Doing this manually ensures you have 100% control over the lighting and cloud placement, which is exactly the level of quality you’re looking for!

4 Likes