Space-Graphics New Mars Texture!

[selden]

Not easy, perhaps, but certainly doable. One possiblity is to use the bumpmap as a heightmap. While they may be using some hacks, there certainly are 3D games available which boast self-shadowing of objects.

As for how effective they might be, just look at photographs of the moon: cast shadows near the terminator are what make most of those pictures so dramatic. They also gave early astronomical artists a false impression of the relative heights of crater walls and mountains. The early paintings by Bonestell are a good example of the results.

[Don. Edwards]

Jim,
I thought it was a mosiac of many images put together. But that really doesn't make a diference. I have gone onto the web and found picture after picture that shows that the Martian volcanoes Olympus Mons, Povonis Mons, Ascraeus Mons, and Arsia Mons are in fact much darker in color than what we see in any of the textures. They are substntialy darker at there sumits were the sand and dust from storms just doesn't reach because of there hieght.
Keep an eye out for my solution to this!
Don.

[praesepe]

Praesepe,
Any chance of you uploading your textures to your page? I'd like to try them out on my machine, as I have no clue how to make my own.

Thanks,
AC

Sure, I'm uploading it right now to make it available for anyone who wants to play with it. It will be ready in a few minutes