..is that achievable within sh3d, i have tried "modifying 3d view" but i just end up with lots of tiles of a given image....
Cec' method is the elegant way to get the high quality depth Cec is so good at. However, it is possible to use a 360° panorama image as sky texture (see thread 5976). The sky image will render around the horizon / distant view (image 1), but you may still have to use objects/terrain (and raise plan) in the vicinity of your construction, eg with a simple, curved forest edge as a supplement (image 2). Nowhere near as elegant as playing with perspectives and objects as Cec does, but still my preferred solution for an actual construction project: quicker, less plan clutter, easy to see view out window from the normal 3D view. I prefer private site photos for a panorama image, but of course, lots of images/services online too. My preferred service, especially for mountain landscapes (Scandinavia, but also the alps) is norgei3d / virtualglobe. Yes, the virtual globe is an 'old' project, and may have some (Mac) compatibility issues, but it is easy to use and renders the sky in a consistent blue that can very easily be edited/removed/masked off. For rural landscapes in flatter countries "street-view" images are probably better. Beware copyright restrictions on some services.
Various software or Gimp plug-ins can help stitch several images together. As for the alignment of the image, see the links in thread 5976.
ok
Two old, quick mock-ups to illustrate:
Image one: Actual horizon created from a panorama picture (building just thrown in).
Image two: Plain gradient sky + curved forest line:
