---
title: "Packet 51: SkyboxData"
description: "Selects the retail mesh-environment manifest used for sky, clouds, mist, waves, sun, transforms, and UV animation."
canonical: "https://aosplay.net/protocol-168/packets/51"
markdown: "https://aosplay.net/docs/protocol-168/packets/51.md"
last_updated: "2026-07-16"
protocol: "Ace of Spades Battle Builder 168"
packet_id_decimal: "51"
packet_id_hex: "0x33"
direction: "S→C"
family: "Map sync"
implementation_status: "Sent"
evidence: "Implementation-backed"
wire_size: "Variable: 2 + filename bytes"
---

# Packet 51: SkyboxData

> Selects the retail mesh-environment manifest used for sky, clouds, mist, waves, sun, transforms, and UV animation.

- **Decimal ID:** 51
- **Hex ID:** 0x33
- **Direction:** S→C
- **Family:** Map sync
- **Status:** Sent
- **Evidence:** Implementation-backed
- **Wire size:** Variable: 2 + filename bytes

## Exact wire layout

The application packet ID is the first byte. The remaining rows are in decode order. Byte sizes exclude ENet headers, wrapper prefixes, LZF chunk framing, and compression effects.

| # | Field | Encoding | Bytes | Purpose | Condition |
| ---: | --- | --- | ---: | --- | --- |
| 0 | `packet_id` | u8 | 1 | Always 51 (0x33). | — |
| 1 | `value` | NUL-terminated UTF-8 string | N + 1 | Validated skybox/environment filename. | — |

## Encoding conventions

- `LE` means least-significant byte first.
- `fixed16` is two-byte sign-magnitude at 1/64 precision.
- `orientation16` uses the measured 1/8192 orientation mapping.
- NUL strings consume their encoded byte length plus one `00` terminator.
- Counted arrays repeat immediately in the documented order.

## Related resources

- [HTML packet page](https://aosplay.net/protocol-168/packets/51)
- [Complete packet catalog](https://aosplay.net/protocol-168/packets)
- [Packet catalog in Markdown](https://aosplay.net/docs/protocol-168/packets.md)
- [Protocol 168 guide](https://aosplay.net/protocol-168)