help!

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Hello

First time beginner post, so go easy on me please!
Looking for some help if at all possible on further instruction for installation of ?€?extras?€

[Fightspit]

Question 1:
I understand the above surface texture is not preshaded and a 32k Normal Map is the way to go. Of the four to choose from on the download page both of Jestr's seem unsuitable as I do not have his Earth Mark surface texture. That leaves Harald Schmidt?€™s or John Vliet?€™s. Unfortunately Harald's includes sea floors which I'd prefer to leave, and I'm experiencing difficulty decompressing John's files. So, can anyone recommend a suitable Normal Map?

First of all, the normal map is not recommanded to the BMNG texture because it is preshaded and I have plan to make a flat (without shaded) texture (even if, I haven' got a lot free time ). About the nomal map, t00fri is going to release the "best" and the most "realistic" Normal map (64K).

[quote]Question 2:
I have downloaded the following ?€?extras?€

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Thank you Fightspit. Most helpful.

Regarding the install:
I see now where to place the unzipped file. As a beginner this was not clear simply from the readme. I notice many of the readme/installation instructions on the extras are similar! I?€™ve seen myself abandon an extras download a few times now because I cannot understand the installation instructions. It would be nice for the beginner if install instructions in the readme?€™s were more specific.

Regarding the Normal Map:
I see your 128k texture has come into question from t00fri. Is it the surface texture level 5 or the specular that is being debated, or both?
I look forward to t00fri?€™s Normal Map if it becomes available and I can find it! (Hope it comes with easy to understand instructions) and using it with your ?€?flat?€

[John Van Vliet]

my files on the motherload were done using 7-zip ( free) program and sometimes the windows defoult program has some trouble with it , install 7-zip and make it YOUR defoult , it is a much better program for making and opening .zip .bz2 .tar and .rar
or install the gnuwin32 tools for the cmd line from sourceforge.net

[LoneHiker]

I see your 128k texture has come into question from t00fri. Is it the surface texture level 5 or the specular that is being debated, or both?

I don't presume to speak for t00fri, but I can address the generalities of your question. The reason some people have chosen not to use the 128k texture is because the source for that texture is only 86400 pixels wide. Celestia only works with power of two textures. The closest powers of two are either 64k or 128k. Thus in order to make the 128k texture the source had to be considerably enlarged. This enlargement does not result in any more detail beyond what is present in the source (and in fact actually degrades the image quality). Simply put, some people feel the results are just not worth the resources required to use it.

I believe the next version of Celestia will be able to utilize non power of two textures and I expect the 86k texture will be made available then.

[quote="scroll"]I look forward to t00fri?€™s Normal Map if it becomes available and I can find it! (Hope it comes with easy to understand instructions) and using it with your ?€?flat?€

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Lone

Thanks for that clarification.
I think I'll go ahead and delete the Level 5 folder in my BMNG suface texture, and move to the 64k specular. I could do with freeing up some resource.

John

Thank you for the 7-zip info.