Amplitude of Night Side Light

[dirkpitt]

Yes, local close-ups are possible, but this is a different matter. We are speaking about global maps of entire planet, aren?€™t we?

I think it'd be enough to offer high resolutions only where it really matters (i.e., for cities). So VT tiles for the whole globe only up to a certain limit, and then offer detailed closeups for select locations - basically the same as what's being done with daytime textures (except the highest resolution night tiles may have to be hand drawn).

This sounds like a lot of extra work, but I think the results would speak for themselves.

[RVS]

I think it'd be enough to offer high resolutions only where it really matters (i.e., for cities). So VT tiles for the whole globe only up to a certain limit, and then offer detailed closeups for select locations - basically the same as what's being done with daytime textures (except the highest resolution night tiles may have to be hand drawn).

This sounds like a lot of extra work, but I think the results would speak for themselves.

Google Earth forever!
Seriously, Google Earth is organized exactly in this manner ?€“ and contains terabytes of information. On the other hand, tile optimization in the recent VTs (including mine) is partially based on the same ideology. Local close-ups are possible as add-ons ?€“ if you are able to find information for them or accept fiction.
With best regards, Robert

[dirkpitt]

I think in this case, close up VT levels for cities at night would look fantastic. However, 32k (high as it may be),
just doesn't seem to be adequate quality for cities seen from low altitudes (as in the above screenshots).

[RVS]

I think in this case, close up VT levels for cities at night would look fantastic. However, 32k (high as it may be),
just doesn't seem to be adequate quality for cities seen from low altitudes (as in the above screenshots).

Obviously . And in general, there is no sense to zoom any rasterized graphics beyond the threshold, at which pixels can be distinguished. In the case of 32k ?€“ 64k Earth textures (with default FOV) this corresponds to the distance about one thousand km. Last year, I produced and placed here only shot of New York, where texture resolution is somehow , less or more, acceptable. But I suppose, that even below the threshold my map is preferable, because cities?€™ centers are not saturated.
Night light layer is included in Google Earth, and has habitual low resolution. Even Google the Great is unable to found something better!
With best regards, Robert

[RVS]

New land mask from cartrite finally was released (thank you again for it). I replaced the area lying to the north of 60 deg by the product of this mask (to obtain good coast lines) and of the old BMNG mask (to obtain inland waters) with a little bit of additional editing at the left and right edges to remove obvious artifacts (and landmask with residual lightening was not very appropriate for this). Naturally, I produced a specmap, which is now almost perfect. But also I reworked nightmap (landmask with residual lightening was not very appropriate for this, too). The procedure is still the same as described earlier on the first page, but I reduced amplitude a bit, changed gamma to 2.0 (brightness = 215 * (DN/255) ^ (3/(2*2.0))), and applied new color.
Some views:


With best regards, Robert

[duds26]

Oh-oh! If somebody will agree to write methodology description, installation manual and upload files to some public server (ML is acceptable), achieving so the status of co-author , I am ready to e-mail them to (s)he. I don?€™t want to do all this for a number of reasons (starting with, but not limiting by, my imperfect English).

With best regards, Robert

If you post a message on the users area of this forum,
mayby someone will help you.

(Please upload those textures you have, they look really good.)